Nusa Lembongan and Penida 3-Spot Snorkelling Day Trip from Bali

Sanur Port and the Crossing to Nusa Lembongan

Sanur is the calm, reef-sheltered beach town on Bali's south-east coast and the main departure point for the Nusa islands. Its long seafront path is lined with old fishing boats, and the port at the northern end handles the boats that cross the Badung Strait. If you are wondering how to get to Nusa Lembongan, this is the usual route: a crossing of about 40 minutes across open water.

On this day trip you travel on a large aluminium ferry rather than a small speedboat, so the ride is steadier and more comfortable for anyone worried about the swell. As Bali's coast fades, the low green outline of Nusa Lembongan and the high limestone cliffs of Nusa Penida come into view, with Mount Agung often visible behind you on a clear morning.

Gamat Bay, Nusa Penida

Gamat Bay lies on the north-west coast of Nusa Penida, close to the village of Toyapakeh, and is one of the most sheltered reef sites in the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area. A wide shelf of hard and soft corals slopes gently from shallow water into the blue, which makes it ideal for first-time snorkellers who want to see a healthy reef without fighting the current.

Look out for parrotfish grazing the coral, butterflyfish and emperor angelfish, moray eels hiding in crevices and the occasional hawksbill or green turtle passing along the slope. Your guide stays in the water with the group for about 30 minutes, points out marine life and helps anyone who needs a life jacket or flotation aid. Visibility here is often excellent from mid-morning.

Crystal Bay Snorkelling

Crystal Bay is the postcard cove of west Nusa Penida: a strip of white sand, palm trees, a small rocky islet topped by a shrine, and water so clear you can see the reef from the boat. Below the surface the reef drops from shallow coral gardens to a deep wall, which is why the site is also famous among divers, especially from July to October when sunfish rise from the depths.

For snorkellers the shallow edge of the reef is the place to be, with clouds of colourful reef fish, staghorn and table corals and good chances of turtles. Crystal Bay snorkelling is best when the tide is calm; the guide decides on the spot whether to stay near the islet or drift along the reef, always keeping the group together in about 30 minutes in the water.

Mangrove Point and Manta Bay

Mangrove Point is the reef off the north-east tip of Nusa Lembongan, where the open sea meets the edge of the island's mangrove forest. A gentle current often carries snorkellers along the reef in an easy drift, past branching corals, sea stars and schools of fusiliers. It is a lively, colourful site and a good final swim of the morning.

When the swell from the Indian Ocean is low, the guide may instead take the group to Manta Bay off the south-west coast of Nusa Penida, where reef manta rays gather to feed on plankton and visit cleaning stations. Manta sightings there are frequent but never guaranteed, and the visit depends entirely on the water on the day. Either way you get three different reefs in one trip.

Nusa Lembongan Mangrove Forest

The north-east of Nusa Lembongan is fringed by a protected mangrove forest, a maze of narrow channels where the roots of the trees rise out of clear, shallow water. Crabs scuttle along the mud banks, mudskippers hop between the roots and herons hunt at low tide. The forest protects the island's coast from erosion and serves as a nursery for many of the reef fish you have just seen.

After a buffet lunch served next to the mangroves, you head out by kayak or stand-up paddleboard for around 30 minutes of quiet paddling between the trees. The Nusa Lembongan mangrove kayak is calm and suitable for beginners, and it makes a relaxing contrast to the snorkelling before the ferry takes you back to Sanur in the afternoon.