Nusa Penida Yacht Day Trip with Manta Rays & Kelingking Cliff Bali

Serangan, the Departure Point

Serangan is a small island on Bali's south coast, joined to the mainland by a causeway just south of Denpasar and known locally for its turtle conservation work. Instead of a crowded public harbour, your day starts at a quiet guest lounge here, where coffee, tea and light pastries are served while the guides run through the safety briefing and fit your snorkel gear.

The free shuttle collects guests from set points in Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu early in the morning, or you can make your own way to Serangan. From the jetty the yacht heads east across the Badung Strait, a crossing of around 30 to 45 minutes depending on the sea. On clear mornings you can see the volcanoes of Bali behind you and the cliffs of Nusa Penida rising ahead, the start of a Nusa Penida day trip from Bali without ferry queues.

The North-West Reefs: SD Point and Gamat Bay

Nusa Penida is the largest of the three Nusa islands south-east of Bali, and its waters have been a protected marine area since 2010. The first snorkelling stops are on the sheltered north-west coast, where coral gardens slope gently from the shallows into deep blue water. SD Point, named after the village primary school on the shore, is known for hard and soft corals, schools of reef fish and the occasional turtle.

Gamat Bay, a small cove beside Crystal Bay, has a sloping reef with bright coral and calm water when the tide is right, ideal for your first swim of the day. Your guides choose the exact spots according to the current, so the order may change. Each stop gives you time to swim, float and take photos, and the crew films part of the snorkelling so you keep the memories.

Lunch with Views of Mount Agung

Around midday the yacht lands on Nusa Penida and a short drive takes you to lunch at a restaurant with an infinity pool and daybeds. Across the strait rises Mount Agung, at more than 3,000 metres the highest volcano in Bali and the most sacred mountain on the island, often clearest from Nusa Penida in the late morning.

Lunch lasts about an hour, enough time to eat, swim in the pool and rest on a daybed before the land tour. Let us know about any dietary needs when you book so we can pass them on. Water and fresh fruit are also served on board throughout the day, while breakfast before departure is not included.

Kelingking Beach and the Cliff Viewpoint

Kelingking Beach is the most photographed place on Nusa Penida: a narrow headland covered in green shrubs plunges into turquoise water, its shape often compared to a dinosaur's head, with a crescent of white sand tucked below. The viewpoint at the top of the cliff gives the classic view, and on this Kelingking Beach tour you spend about 30 minutes there for photos and sightseeing.

The drive from the coast takes around 45 minutes each way on the island's narrow, winding roads, which pass through villages, small temples and dry hillsides typical of Nusa Penida. The steep path down to the beach itself is not part of the trip, as it takes well over an hour in the heat. Is Kelingking worth visiting? From the top, with time to enjoy the view and no long climb, it is one of the best moments of the day.

Manta Point, Snorkelling with Manta Rays

Manta Point lies off the rugged south-west coast of Nusa Penida, below limestone cliffs. Reef manta rays gather here at a natural cleaning station, where small fish pick parasites from their wings, and they can be seen in most months of the year. With wingspans that can reach several metres, they glide slowly beneath the surface, and snorkellers can watch them from above.

The trip times its visit for the afternoon, when the site is usually less crowded. The water here is open ocean with swell, so basic swimming ability is recommended and a life jacket is advised. Mantas are wild animals and sightings are never guaranteed; touching, chasing or feeding them is not allowed. Manta ray snorkelling at Nusa Penida is the highlight of the day for most guests.

Crystal Bay

Crystal Bay is a palm-fringed beach on the west coast of Nusa Penida, near the village of Sakti, with white sand and some of the clearest water around the island. Its sheltered reef has colourful corals and plenty of fish close to the surface, which makes it a relaxed final snorkelling stop after the more exposed waters of Manta Point.

You spend about 30 minutes here before the yacht heads back across the strait, a journey of around 40 minutes. Back at the lounge in Serangan there is a short break before the shuttle leaves for Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu, and most guests are back by late afternoon. Crystal Bay is also a well-known dive site, and from July to October divers sometimes meet the ocean sunfish in its deeper water.