One of the great things about being on holiday somewhere new, is the chance to explore, find hidden places and get those perfect holiday photos. Lembongan has many spots that are, must see location.
By scooter, it does not take long to explore Lembongan and each point of interest, is not very far from the next. Twin Island Villas is able to help organise a map and a scooter for you!
Located 20 minutes from Twin Island Villas, on the north coast of Lembongan, the Mangrove forest is a very important part of the island’s ocean ecosystem.
The mangroves house many juvenile fish and provide a place to hide, protection and food for them. The juveniles stay inside the mangroves until they are big enough to enter open water. It is these fish that populate the main dive sites around the island.
The twisting and turning branches, reaching out of the shallow waters also provide a great sight. The outer ocean flows inside the mangroves and the tress create finger like channels throughout the forest. It is possible to explore inside the mangroves by stand-up paddle board or by small local boat. These tours can be organised from the mangroves.
The main village of Lembongan and the main beach where the boats from Bali arrive. One main road runs through the village, parallel to the beach. This road is lined with a mixer of temples, local houses, markets, restaurants and local shops. Jungut Batu is also where the main clinic is on the island. The village is very much a mixing pot of local culture and foreign tourism.
Jungut Batu is a great village to explore if you are in need of topping up supplies or looking for a different restaurant for some food.
From morning to early afternoon, this main road can be very busy with cars of people coming and going.
On top of the Lembongan hill, Panorama point provides stunning panorama views of Jungut Batu village, the ocean, the volcano and the mangrove forest. This is where the name comes from, as well as the name of the restaurant that is perched on the point.
The prefect spot for a cold beer while you watch the sunset and take that perfect photo. This point is just a 10 minute ride from Twin Island Villas.
Early morning, late afternoon and sunset, are the best times to visit this spot. During the middle of the day, groups on day trips to Lembongan, are often there, creating a crowd.
A contrast to Juntug Batu Village and more in touch with the local culture, Lembongan Villageis a lot less tourism related. Due to this, Lembongan Village, is a great place to visit to experience more of the local culture.
Like Juntug Batu Village, there are many temples and local shops that line the 2 main streets of the village. Lembongan Village, is just before you reach Panorama Point and is on the way to the Yellow Bridge. This village is also the closest village to Two Island Villas and is a 5 minute drive away.
One of the main attractions in this village is the Gala-Gala house. This underground house was built by a a Hindu priest. It took 15 years to make and was complete in 1976. It is possible to go inside this underground house, as it is now open to the public as a tourist attraction.
If you are staying at Twin Island Villas, or if you are looking for a bar with a view, Twin Island Villas is the place to be. All most all of the villas have a direct view over the forest, towards the channel between Lembongan and Ceningan.
The calm and tranquil nature of the surrounding forest life, accompanied by the stunning view of the ocean channel, creatures a perfect environment to kick your feet up and relax.
Located in the next bay along from Juntug Batu, Mushroom Bay is the other main location that the boats arrive from Bali.
A cluster of small shops, restaurants and local stores, line the road that runs from Lembongan Village, to Mushroom Beach. There are some nice restaurants right on the beach, that provide a great view during an evening meal.
Mushroom Bay is only a 10 minute ride from Twin Island Villas. It is close to many of the other attractions around and a great place to stop for lunch while out exploring for the day.
The bright yellow is the connection between the islands of Lembongan and Ceningan. Located 10 minutes from Twin Island Villas, this landmark of Lembongan is a must see, while exploring the island. It is also the only way to get over to explore Ceningan island.
It’s bright yellow colour makes it easy to spot from a distance. At night, to make sure that the bridge still stands out, the flashing colourful neon lights, brighten the darkness. It is almost like heading into the tunnel of the twilight zone, when crossing the bridge at night.
This bridge was reconstructed and widened in 2017. Even though it was widened, it is not possible to cross the bridge with a car. It is only wide enough for 2 scooters to pass over.
You can get some stunning photos from the middle of the bridge, looking towards Penida, with the 2 islands framing your photo. Looking the other way, you maybe able to capture a nice photo of the sunset. If you are going to take photos on the bridge, please look out for traffic.
One of the biggest industries for the local people of Lembongan, Ceningan and Penida, these patches of seaweed farms, can be found dotted all along the coast lines of these islands. The best time to see them is at low tide, when the water has dropped and the farms are exposed.
Seaweed farming in the area has only been happening for the last 40 years but was an industry that exploded with opportunities for the local people.
The farms are normally setup just off the beach. Wooden stacks are dug into the sea bed, in a fence pattern, with string linking the wooden stacks. It is on this string that young seaweed crops are tied and left to grow. The farms are exposed at low tide and are completely underwater at high tide.
The seaweed is normally harvested around new or full moon, when the tide is at its lowest. The seaweed is then cleaned, dried and packaged to send to Bali. From Bali it is sent to countries that are able to manufacture products from seaweed – eg. food or cosmetics.
Just next door to Dream Beach, within walking distance, is Devil’s Tear. A cliff face on the edge of Lembongan, that drops away into the ocean. Exposed to the open ocean, between Lembongan and Penida, this part of the island is often slapped by large waves. It is these large waves that makes Devil’s Tear such an attraction.
At high tide and when the waves are big, a spectacular water display can be seen. The wave slap hard against the cliff face, causing white water to sprays straight up, high in the air. During the right sea conditions, these sprays of water can happen every few seconds, with a large sudden spray exploding up right, every few minutes.
Be careful not to stand too close to the edge when enjoying the waves, as it is possible for these waves to suddenly break over the cliff, making the rock edge slippery and possibly soaking you with water.
The little brother of Lembongan and accessible by the Yellow Bridge, Ceningan Island is well worth some time exploring. Ceningan, is a mini Lembongan, less developed for tourism but quickly growing. It does not take long to make your way around the main parts of the island, giving you the chance to stop, relax and enjoy the views.
The best way to get around on Ceningan is by scooter. One of the main reasons for this is that the Yellow Bridge is only wide enough to get over with a scooter.
There is a ring road that runs around the edge of the island, following the coastline and then along the hillside. One side of the island is beach front, looking back towards Lembongan and Bali. The other side of the island is cliffs, looking towards Penida, with amazing views of the channel.
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