Nusa Lembongan

Nusa Lembongan had what everyone is seeking in Indonesia: a laid back feel, beautiful (near empty) beaches, friendly locals, surfing and scuba diving. In fact, this was where Jake chose to get his diving certification, so I had several days to explore the island and finally just RELAX. We rented a multi-hued beach bungalow (see left) for the equivalent of 5 US dollars each per night, and made friends quick with the people living around us.

On our first day we rented a couple boards and paddled to a break about 15 minutes offshore. This turned out to be somewhat of a massive mistake on my part. The break shifted constantly, and when I didn’t continue paddling frantically I got pummeled by wave after wave. I should have known better considering the name of the break, “Shipwrecks,” not to mention that this was my first time on a reef break and my first time paddling out on a short board. A little too many “firsts” there. Oh well, live and learn.

The next day I decided to go on a bike ride to a cove called “Dream Beach” with a few of the other women I met. We rented bicycles from a rather shady character, and soon discovered that our bikes didn’t have functioning gears and the road to Dream Beach was straight uphill. We walked our bikes most of the way and arrived covered in sweat, but the emptiness and tranquility of Dream Beach ended up being worth it.


After that I decided it was time to do what I’d been aching to do: scuba dive! I went on a small boat dive with Lembongan Divers and paired up with the local divemaster, but the current was so strong it essentially turned into a drift dive. We were literally hanging onto pieces of rock and coral to keep from being swept too far from where the boat could find us. I suppose it should have been frustrating, but it was rather enjoyable, almost as if I were passing along a rolling movie screen that was playing crystal clear images of beautiful coral and fish.


Jake finished his certification the next day, and we took a long boat ride to the two most famous dive locations on the island; Manta Point and Crystal Bay. Almost immediately after descending at Manta Point, my dive buddy shook my arm and pointed to a large, almost alien-looking creature floating in the distance. It was a massive manta, with an almost six feet wingspan, gliding ethereally through the aquamarine galaxy of water. At Crystal Bay our ethically questionable dive leader pointed out an eel to me, then proceeded to poke it with his metal indicator stick. Yes, he poked the eel, more than once. I pulled his hand away and wagged my finger at him. He was fulfilling an unfortunate stereotype about divers trained in Southeast Asia; that we are poorly trained and careless. I hope to defy this preconception when I dive outside of Asia.

Lembongan was probably the most relaxing of all destinations I’d been in months. Between my intermittent activities, I spent my time reading, walking on the beach, and enjoying some Gado Gado (vegetables with peanut sauce) by the ocean. Lembongan was also absolutely stunning, with the exception of the smell of seaweed that dominated the air. Seaweed farming was the main source of income for the island, and the manmade seaweed patches formed interesting checkerboard patterns in the water.


As I look back, my favorite memories of Lembongan are probably the simpler moments, when I was sipping a Bintang beer and watching the sunset with some friends. (Since when did I become such a sap?)