Bali. Day 2. I woke up feeling fresh after a good night’s sleep at the luxurious Trans Resort Bali. A quick prep and I was off to join the others for some breakfast before we boarded the tour bus to Sanur. The black sand beach of Sanur lies 15 kilometres away from Seminyak. That’s about 35 minutes by car, or in our case by bus. From there, we boarded a “fast boat” to get to the island of Nusa Penida, some 40 minutes or so away.
On arrival at Nusa Penida, we were divided into groups of four and taken on a 45-minute ride through rough mountainous terrains before finally reaching our first destination – Kelingking Secret Point at the village of Bunga Mekar. After arriving at the car park area, we made our way downhill on foot towards the edge of a cliff with no more than a set of flimsy wooden guardrails made of twigs. From there, we set eyes on a magnificent view down below of Kelingking Beach, so named because of its shape that resembles a pinky (kelingking). Depending on where you stand, the unique shape of thecliffs on Kelingking Beach also resembles the head of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, earning it the nickname “T-Rex Bay”.
Beautiful azure waters of the Bali Sea surround the beach, inviting you for a swim. But the strong undercurrent can be dangerous, and with no lifeguard, swimming is possible though not advisable. There’s a trail from the Secret Point that leads down to the beach, but it’s over an hour’s descent with little to no safety on the way down. So unless you’re an expert hiker, it’s best to just enjoy the view from above.
After Kelingking Beach, we travelled another 30 minutes or so until we reached Sakti Village on the Southwestern Coast of Nusa Penida. There, we took a short hike down the edge of a cliff past Manta Ray viewpoint, from which we caught sight of a group of tourists snorkelling in the ocean below. I could see silhouettes of giant Mantas gliding gracefully through the water around them, and I was lucky enough to have captured a picture of one of the rays with its fin out of water. We continued trekking for several more minutes until we reached Angel’s Billabong. One of Nusa Penida’s top attractions, it is a body of clear blue water trapped in an opening of a limestone cliff. A coral reef forms the edges of the billabong that is solid enough for you to walk on. A deep pool in the middle is perfect for swimming. This natural infinity pool teems with marine life and looks out to the vast Indian Ocean, and is well worth the travelling time. Less than five minutes away from Angel’s Billabong is Pasih Uug or Broken Beach. It’s a pictureperfect circular bay that lies hidden behind a limestone arch separating it from the open ocean. Contrasting colours of turquoise, brown and green make for a dramatic backdrop for wedding photos, travel shots and selfies. The view was absolutely stunning! After several minutes of admiring the beauty of Broken Beach, and some selfies in between, it was time to head back to the jetty for the journey back to mainland Bali. Such was the majesty of nature that we were so privileged to have beheld and experienced on our second day in Bali. Back on the mainland, we headed to the award-winning Bale Udang restaurant for an amazing dinner amidst a village setting before we headed back to The Trans Resort to rest and ready ourselves for the next day.
