Traveling To Bali’s Famous Nusa Penida Will Soon Be Easier Than Ever

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Bali’s outlying island of Nusa Penida is one of the most in-demand travel destinations right now.

The stunning remote island is soaring in popularity, so much so that visit numbers have surpassed tourism targets.

But, with such high demand, there are some operational issues that need to be improved for tourists.

Nusa Penida can be reached by a 50-minute fast boat ride from Sanur Harbor on the main island of Bali.

The outlying islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningnan, and Nusa Lembongan can ask to be reached via fast boat or ferry from Padang Bai in East Bali, but due to its proximity to the major resorts, Sanur Harbor is the transportation hub of choice for most tourists. 

Bali is thriving during this high season, and popular tourist destinations are a bustling hive of activity, including previously lesser-visited areas like the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces.

But with this high soar in visitors comes issues like parking and mounting traffic. 

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Nusa Penida has already surpassed tourism targets for 2023. Between January and mid-July this year, over 2.9 million tourists (domestic and international) made the crossing from the main island of Bali to Nusa Penida. Initial targets for the year sat at only 900,000 visits. 

The average daily number of tourists visiting Nusa Penida is 8,000, the vast majority of whom are traveling through Sanur Habour.

While this is great news for tourism businesses, the impact of the sheer volume of tourists is starting to be felt.

Traffic has been mounting up on the roads into Sanur Harbor, and parking has been tricky at times. 

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The Head of the Bali Province Transportation Service, Gede Wayan Samsi Gunarta, spoke to reporters about how the authorities will be tackling the issue so that tourists’ journey to Nusa Penida will be nothing but smooth sailing. 

Gunarta revealed that in addition to plans to improve the traffic flow and widen roads in the Sanur Harbor area, improvements to public transportation will also be impactful.

Gunarta and his teams are exploring the option of introducing a shuttle bus service that would help reduce traffic on the roads, increase travel time, and improve the overall tourist experience. 

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Due to the issues of parking and traffic jams, the Regional People’s Legislative Council (DPRD) for Bali has given the Provincial Government one month to deal with traffic jams in the Sanur Port area.

This is an issue that has been getting progressively worse since February, and officials are taking no chances when it comes to the tourist experience.

They want to ensure that everyone can travel to Nusa Penida with ease. 

The Chairperson of the DPRD Bali, Anak Agung Ngurah Adhi Ardhana, told reporters that the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, is on board with proposed plans, including a new temporary overflow parking area to deal with the traffic congestion in the short term. 

It seems that demand for travel in Nusa Penida is showing no sign of slowing down.

While officials on the main island of Bali are working to improve the ease of travel, leaders in Nusa Penida are working to ensure that the travel experience on offer lives up to expectation. 

It was announced earlier this month that a local community has partnered with a Chinese investment company to build a 182m cliffside elevator and viewing platform complex at Kelingking Beach.

The new project has triggered mixed feelings amongst Bali lovers, with many saying that the massive construction risks ruining the natural charm of Bali’s most famous ocean landscape. 

Others are pleased that Nusa Penida is receiving an injection of investment and that the elevator will undoubtedly reduce the number of tragedies and accidents that happen on the precarious cliffside walkway to the beach. 

As tourists are visiting Nusa Penida in their thousands, there has never been a better moment to reiterate how important it is to prioritize safety on the island.

Officials and local leaders are working hard to improve safety infrastructure on the island, but tourists are reminded to never take risks in order to get the ‘perfect’ photo at the island’s most Instagrammable and TikTok famous landmarks.