Is Nusa Ceningan worth visiting?

Nusa Ceningan is the smallest of the three, connected to Lembongan by a narrow suspension bridge that takes scooters and pedestrians. It is about four square kilometres and you can see the whole of it in an afternoon.

What is there

The Blue Lagoon. A narrow inlet of extremely blue water between cliffs, on the southeast coast. The main reason people come, and the platform above it is the island's cliff-jump spot.

Cliff jumping. Around 13 metres into the lagoon, run by a local operator with a rope and a ladder back up. It is genuinely dangerous if you jump at the wrong state of tide or swell, and people have been badly hurt. If the operator says no, it is no.

Secret Beach and Mahagiri, small coves on the west side with sunset views.

Seaweed farms. Ceningan's shallows are one of the main seaweed-farming areas in the region, and watching the harvest at low tide is one of the more interesting things you can see on any of the Nusas.

The ridge road, which runs the spine of the island with views across to Penida and back to Lembongan.

Sunset at the west-coast bars, looking back at Bali with Agung behind it.

How long it takes

Two to four hours by scooter from Lembongan, including stops. That is the whole island.

Getting there

The yellow bridge from Lembongan, which is narrow, and pedestrians and scooters only. There is no car traffic on Ceningan.

Boats also run direct from Sanur to Lembongan, and everyone crosses by bridge.

Staying there

A small number of guesthouses, a couple of very good small resorts on the cliffs, and some of the best-value ocean-view rooms in the region. If you want somewhere quieter than Lembongan with dinner still within reach, Ceningan is the choice.

The trade-off is that there is almost nothing on the island: a handful of warungs, one or two bars, no shops to speak of. Everything else is a scooter ride over the bridge.

In the water

The dive and snorkel sites are the same ones Lembongan and Penida use, and boats leave from Lembongan. Ceningan Point is a serious reef break for experienced surfers only, with a shallow shelf and strong current.

Practical notes

The bridge has a weight and width limit, and it is one-lane. At busy times you wait.

Roads are rough, particularly on the eastern side, with steep sections that are hard work on a scooter with two people.

No ATM worth relying on. Bring cash from Bali.

Very limited medical facilities. The nearest clinic is on Lembongan; anything serious means Bali.

Who it suits

People staying on Lembongan who want an afternoon out, and anyone looking for a very quiet base with a view. It is not a destination in itself and it does not need to be.

Doing Ceningan properly in an afternoon

Cross the bridge after lunch, when the day-trippers from Bali are still on Penida. Ride the ridge road east to the Blue Lagoon, watch the swell for ten minutes, then follow the coast south past the seaweed farms. Come back along the west side and stop at one of the cliff bars for sunset over Bali, with Agung behind it if the sky is clear.

That is the island. It takes three hours including stops and a swim, and it is one of the better afternoons in the Nusas.

The seaweed story

The shallow lagoon between Ceningan and Lembongan was one of Indonesia's main seaweed-farming areas for decades, and much of the local economy depended on it before tourism arrived. Many farms were abandoned as tourism paid better, and some have come back as tourism proved less reliable than it looked.

At low tide you can see the bamboo frames and the lines, and people working them. Ask before photographing anyone up close, and stay off the growing lines.