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Lembongan - Bali, but better!!

26/2/2017

39 Comments

 
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White sand beaches, cheap food, cheap beer/cocktails (oh yes, it’s possible in Indonesia!) a destination as yet unspoilt by tourism with a wonderfully relaxed vibe, the chance of seeing mantas when diving/snorkelling, this sounds like a fabulous place to hang out, but where in the world is this place?

It’s Indonesia… and it’s Nusa Lembongan!

Lembongan you say? Never heard of it... where is it? It’s only a 30 minute speed boat ride away from Bali – so now have I piqued your interest?

We visited Indonesia in February during the rainy season (when it was raining unusually more than normal) and it’s when we were in Java that we met our new travelling friends, Fleur and Logan. We had experienced days of torrential rain in both Java then Bali, so hopped over to Lembongan in the hope of chasing the sun. Both Java and Bali have mountains which hold in the rain but as there are no mountains on Lembongan, this meant we at least had a chance of sunshine during the day. Yes! We had struck gold and we were blessed with some wonderful sunshine, whoop whoop! On a few occasions, we were able to stand on the beach at night and watch the lightning storms over on Bali when we were completely dry.
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Lembongan Island from the airplane window
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Logan and Fleur joined us on our trip
​The Lonely Planet describes Lembongan as the place everyone wants Bali to be, and I have to agree. There are very few cars on the island as everyone either walks or rides around on scooters which immediately gives it much more of a pleasant vibe – no dodging of traffic, no queuing traffic, no huge pollution from traffic … basically, no traffic (well, apart from scooters and he occasional “Bemo” tourist transport).

Jungutbatu – the beach in the north

We were here to visit a friend who was working in the northern village of Jungutbatu, so that’s where we chose to stay. We originally only booked a couple of nights, however we discovered early on that Lembongan ticked all our boxes and gave us everything we wanted (and more) from an island, so we ended up staying for over a week! Immediately we changed our mindset from backpackers to people who were on a holiday, this place just made us feel that way.
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We came to Lembongan to meet with our friend Jason - but we found so much more!
​The beach here is paradise! You can imagine our elation when we arrived on this sunshine island after days of rain to be greeted by a pure white soft sand slice of heaven. Our faces lit up – immediately we fell in love with Lembongan (especially as we had heard that there was rain on the Gili Islands as well!).
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We spent most of our time hanging out at the Blue Corner Sunset Bar as they had comfortable beanbags to relax on, free Wi-Fi, plus they served good food and refreshments all day long – absolutely perfect!
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​Now, if you are from the UK (or simply someone who loves bacon butties) and have spent any length of time travelling around Indonesia, you will know that you simply cannot find pork anywhere … well it’s in Lembongan! We had a bacon and egg roll for breakfast most days at Surya homestay which also served the best real coffee from a “bean to cup” machine. We also discovered Jungutbatu Theatre Restaurant which served up a full English breakfast including baked beans and we also found Mainski which served sausage sandwiches! Taste heaven for us Brits!
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Toasted sandwich - known locally as the Juffle
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Bacon and Egg!! Need I say more?

Evening entertainment

One Monday evening, we stumbled across a cool bar/restaurant called Lemongrass which happened to have two guitarists playing Live music between 7-10pm, well, this was the place for us then! We also saw posters advertising live music at other venues but never had a chance to check them out. For the few hours we were at Lemongrass, we really enjoyed ourselves as it was such a lovely setting, the food was delicious and reasonably priced. We sipped Arak cocktails, the local drink, which cost Rp 42,000 and shouted out music requests to the musicians who played anything from Bob Marley (we were here on Bob’s birthday) to Ed Sheeran. 

We couldn’t believe it when we found the Jungutbatu Theatre Restaurant – yes, an open air cinema on an island as small as this, awesome! It’s such a cosy atmosphere and we ordered bottled Bintang, the local Indonesian beer and carrot cake with ice cream whilst watching the 7.30pm movie from a large bamboo chair/bed (we could have sat in a bean bag but, as we provided the movie on a USB, we thought we would opt for the VIP seats at the back). We didn’t have to pay an entrance fee because we just ordered drinks and food from their menu which was brought to you during the movie.
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​The Blue Corner Sunset Beach Bar has daily/nightly themes such as happy hour cocktails from 4-6pm on Saturdays, Margarita Monday and Taco Tuesday and a fun pub quiz and pasta special on Wednesday – can you tell we came here a lot? 
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What better way to spend a couple of hours than sipping a cocktail and waiting for the sunset? Every Friday there is a beach BBQ and party and it appears that everyone in the local area comes along as it’s the place to be!
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Once a month there is a Full Moon Party held on the island and posters display where it will be held. Unfortunately for us we were leaving early the next day so couldn’t attend – well that’s a good enough reason to come back I guess!
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On a couple of occasions, we ended up sharing shots of Arak with our neighbours from the homestay. You just never know who you will meet and end up spending time with sometimes when you are travelling… they would break out the guitar and get us all to badly sing Western songs (I’m sure they only wanted us to sing so they could laugh at how out of tune we were!)
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Day trip around the island

One of our favourite days was when we hired a scooter to explore the island. We had so much fun feeling the breeze on our faces and loved the sense of freedom it gave us. If you are a nervous driver/passenger, you will be pleased to know that there are no crazy people around and the majority of the roads are lovely and smooth! We hired scooters from our Homestay at a cost of Rp 50,000 for 24 hours but in truth, they can be hired anywhere.
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We rode up a gentle hill to a lookout point over the stunning Jungutbatu which clearly showed the azure waters and white sand beach. This is also one of the main drop off points for speed boats from Bali so it also has a few good places to eat and drink. 
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Fantastic views of North West Lembongan from the view point
One lunchtime when on the South East of the Island we ate at Tawe Warung which has a beautiful view of seaweed farms. Apparently this used to be Lembongan’s lucrative income but in recent years, the boom in tourism has had a negative impact on these family businesses as the younger generation would (understandably) rather work in the more profitable tourism industry.
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The epic view from Tawe Warung restaurant
​Devil’s Tear is a gorgeous rock formation where waves crash into the cliffs creating a cloud of mist, it’s a stunning place to sit and just watch Mother Nature doing her thing.
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​It’s a popular place and when it started getting a little busy with tourists, we went for a little wander and came across something equally as stunning – a natural infinity pool! The ocean crashed against the rocks and splashed into little rock pools where fish were swimming happily without the fear of predators – well, apart from the odd fisherman who wanted something for lunch.
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​The absolute highlight of our day was Dream Beach a few minutes’ walk away from the Devil’s Tear. A gorgeous stretch of white sand beach enclosed by a cliff with waves that provide enough surf for you to have some fun – well, that’s what Sy and Logan did anyway! They were like children jumping into the waves only to be knocked over face first into the sand, but that didn’t stop them! They stood up laughing and run back into the ocean to ride the waves like a surfer without a board, this amused them for quite some time! 
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Fleur and I watched from up high in the comfort of a beanbag at the beach bar. A beach bar with an Infinity Pool! Oh yes, a bucket list tick off for me – I simply could not believe we had found this place! What made it even better, was they had happy hour* between 4-6pm, so there we were, backpackers with no jobs sipping cocktails in an infinity pool! Who said you can’t have a bit of luxury when you are on a budget!
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* unfortunately happy hour did not come with a smile! They may advertise that non-guests of this resort can use the infinity pool for free during happy hour but they clearly do not like it. We received bad service and a sharp attitude without the usual Indonesian smile! It’s a real shame as the unhappy and unfriendly staff let this beautiful place down!
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Mangrove tours

Mangrove Forests are on the North and East side of Lembongan, so the four of us hired a boat with two guides for 30 minutes (cost was Rp 200,000) to take us around. It was lovely, relaxing and the water crystal clear so it was fascinating looking at the root formations under the surface. In truth, 30 minutes wasn’t enough time but the two guides did work hard punting us!​
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Diving and snorkelling

Lembongan is an excellent place to see Manta Rays off the coast of nearby Penida, unfortunately for us the swells were too large for the time of year when we visited so we were unable to dive or snorkel with them – looks like we have yet another reason to return!

Sy booked a 2-dive package through Blue Corner and said that although there was a ripping current, the abundance of pristine coral, crystal clear water and huge fish shoals made the diving very special. If you like your macro life, strangely there isn’t a lot here given the range of healthy soft and hard corals but the size of the marine life made up for it.
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Diving was fantastic, as long as you don't mind a current or two!
​All four of us booked a two hour snorkelling trip at a cost of Rp 150,000 per person and it was stunning. We stopped at three different locations but the best was Mangrove Forest because it was breathtaking! The visibility was around 25-30 metres so it was just like putting our head into an aquarium due to the abundance of fish in all shapes and sizes. It was absolutely incredible. My favourite vision was seeing a large school of batfish as this is something I have never encountered on any dive let alone snorkelling.
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When our time in Lembongan was over, we were truly gutted and have vowed to return. We fell in love with the island that literally ticked off everything we could want from a place to spend some quality time. See you soon Lembongan, we will be back!

If you are considering staying at Mushroom Beach which is the popular tourist destination in Lembongan, check out What Kate And Kris Did.

Say no to plastic

Bali and its surrounding islands has a real problem with plastic water bottles so wherever possible, try and refill your bottle instead of buying a new one. We found two places on the island that do this for half the cost of buying a new one, Blue Corner beach bar and Bali Eco Deli. Plastic straws are also a problem so try not to use one (for example if you are given a bottle of coke with a straw, just drink from the bottle or ask for a glass). If you are offered a plastic bag for any shopping you buy, think before you accept it and ask yourself if you really need it, for instance if you don’t have far to walk and carry it in your hands then do so, or if you have a handbag with you, pop your items in there.

How to get to Lembongan

Lembongan can be reached from Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands. From the port of Sanur in Bali, there are many different boat companies, some are more expensive than others and some do multi-tickets where you can also visit the other neighbouring islands. There are both private and public companies (which are cheaper) plus slow boat (1.5 hours) and speed boat (30-40 mins) options. We caught a speedboat with a public company called Dreamboat 2 and our ticket cost Rp 175,000 each which included a Bemo transfer to our Homestay.

Where to stay

There are boutique and beach resorts plus private villas all over the island, have a look at Trip Advisor for one that suits your style and budget.

If you are on a budget, there are a range of Homestays all over the island. We stayed about 400 yards away from Blue Corner for two nights at Swara Homestay 2 (cost was Rp 300,000 for the room for both nights) then six nights at Pandan Wangi which was only another 50 metres away, both we found via Booking.com. Both were quiet and comfortable but more importantly as a backpacker – cheap and private! 
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Swara Homestay
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Pandan Wangi

Travel Facts
  • The official currency is Indonesian Rupiah’s (£1 = 16,000 Rp)
  • There is currently only one ATM on the island so take plenty of cash (we did hear a rumour that a second one had just opened at a new dive resort). On a Sunday when we visited, they had run out of money but when we returned Monday afternoon, funds had been replenished.
  • Free Wi-Fi is available in most Homestays, bars and cafes.
  • Their official language is Bahasa Indonesia which is similar to Malaysian Borneo and throughout Indonesia in general.
  • If you can use just a couple of Indonesian words, this will give you big smile in return, even if you simply use “Pagi” (morning) and “Terima Kasih” (thank you), it will be hugely appreciated.
  • A 30 day visa is given at the time of arrival in Indonesia (not for all countries, check with your embassy) but if you want to stay longer, you can obtain a 60 day visa in advance at consulates and embassies.

Have you visited Lembongan, if so, what did you think of it and what did you do? Will you consider it now?

If you like this post, please Pin and Share it !
Bali is a beautiful location and a place on most peoples travel list. But what if you could find a place and that is like Bali used to be, with less tourists and a more relaxed feel? Lembongan is just that!! Find out how FeetDoTravel found this little slice of travel heaven.

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39 Comments
Rob+Ann @TravelLatte(.net) link
3/3/2017 04:18:39 am

We have not been to Lembongan, but holy moley do we want to go now! All of those beaches look great! We've had our eye on Bali, now we're looking at a little island hopping while we're there. :)

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:37:39 am

I would definitely recommend going to Lembongan if you are in Bali... it's close, quiet, relaxing with enough to keep anyone busy for a good few days - well worth the trip for sure! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did :-)

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Dot link
10/3/2017 06:33:36 am

What a wonderful place! We had never heard of it but it looks wonderful! The mangrove tour sounds fantastic and hope you get to dive with the manta rays next time, we did it in Hawaii and it is an amazing experience!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:40:28 am

It is honestly a great island! Fortunately we weren't too upset about not diving with Mantas, we had just been to Sangalaki and dived with them and shortly after Lembongan we dived in Komodo which was Manta heaven so our luck was more than in! :-) Thank you.

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Stephanie (1AdventureTraveler) link
10/3/2017 03:10:47 pm

Wow, What a fascinating place. I missed Lembongan on my last trip to Bali. I will definitely put this on my next trip. Great travel information on how to get there and what to do. Love the white sand, blue water and the coral reef looks good. Good point on plastic bottles. I have seen so many empty ones showing up on Island beaches. So sad. Have fun on your adventures. I pinned this for later :-)

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:42:14 am

It does seem to be a place that most people miss - we only went there as we had a friend working at Blue Corner dive, so visiting him led us to find this gem! I hope you do get to visit, it was a really beautiful place.

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Garth link
10/3/2017 03:28:17 pm

Wonderful post angie, I'd not heard of Lembongan until you mentioned you were going there. It looks beautiful and so glad you finally got to tick off your infinity pool ! Even if you had crappy service there! Beaches with bean bags and wifi sound great, and super snorkelling.. you've put Lembongan on my radar!!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:44:05 am

It is definitely a place to go to if you are going to be near by, it really isn't far from Bali. Beautiful place to relax, eat great food and enjoy wonderful beaches at a slow pace. Hope you like it should you go :-)

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tracy collins link
10/3/2017 04:13:19 pm

Oh my that looks my idea of heaven right now - i could do with a week/month/year on that island!! One day!! Looks like you are having an amazing time! :-) #followmefriday

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:45:20 am

Amen to that!! We went for 3 days to visit a friend but ended up staying just over a week! Loved the place - defo one to put on the ever growing list. Thank you.

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Ava Meena link
10/3/2017 06:13:41 pm

What a great trip! I love the beaches and all the info you provided for visiting. Awesome :)

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:46:29 am

It is a little hidden secret that many overlook, great place for a week of relaxation but with plenty of places to look around and keep you interested. Thank you.

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Oana link
10/3/2017 09:57:43 pm

Wow, this place looks stunning, I would love to lay on the beach or on the infinity pool with a cocktail in my hand. Looking at the pictures, I don't wonder why you decided to stay one week instead of a few days. I love the wildlife photos, I hope one day I can visit this place as see it for myself. Thanks for sharing.

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:47:45 am

I hope you do get to visit, I'm sure you will love it - plenty to do and see whilst keeping that relaxed vibe - cocktails on the beach is the way to go!! Thank you!

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Shona link
11/3/2017 12:19:06 pm

Lembongan looks like paradise. I've only been to Bali once so stayed put but next time I go I'll do some island hopping and definitely include Lembongan. Great info! Thanks!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:49:27 am

Even we wouldn't have considered Lembongan had we not had a friend there so now we feel like we have found a real gem - hope you get to go there, I'm sure you will love it! Thanks.

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Scarlett Begonias link
11/3/2017 11:08:57 pm

Devil's tear was epic looking, and the full moon party sounds amazing- you have to go back for that. We are all about cheap food and beer, we can't wait to have an opportunity to visit Bali one day. :)

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:51:03 am

The Devils tear was great to see, but the beach just behind it was wonderful too! Cheap food and beer in paradise - surely everyone's dream right? Thank you.

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Travel Lexx link
11/3/2017 11:57:47 pm

Such a stunning island - I didn't get to go on my previous visit to Indonesia but would love to head here when I eventually go back. It would be great to spend time on the beautiful beach, exploring the mangroves and grabbing a drink in the beach bars. Looks so relaxing and definitely straight onto my list!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:52:23 am

It sounds like you have taken good note of the highlights Lex - hope you get to experience it for yourself, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

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Paul and Carole link
12/3/2017 05:10:08 am

This looks perfect and with the added bonus of a bacon sandwich this is certainly paradise! Great post have pinned for future reference. #feetdotravel

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:53:47 am

The bacon certainly was the icing on this paradise cake! I hope you get to visit yourself, Lembongan is a place I am so glad we found!

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Midori link
12/3/2017 08:21:05 am

WOOOOW! never been there but is right now on my bucket list! It looks like you had a great time there! Can't wait summer to arrive!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:55:23 am

Glad to help you grow your bucket list!! Hope you get to visit, I'm sure you will really appreciate its beauty!

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Lisa link
12/3/2017 06:57:40 pm

Oh, Angie your adventures just keep getting better and better. What absolute beauty this place is and so much to explore. I had not heard of this area so that's always intriguing. Glad you two are having the best times and I'll keep following!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 07:56:57 am

Thank you! We are having the best time and love sharing places like this with our friends in the community - so pleased you enjoy following our adventures :-)

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Anna | slightly astray link
13/3/2017 02:42:09 am

This island looks exactly like the kind of beach experience I want. I currently have a ticket to Bali for beginning of April, but I haven't decided if I want to use it yet. For some reason, I'm not too sold on Bali and wonder if I'll like it as much as everyone else seem to. THis one looks perfect though and so close to Bali too. How is the wifi out there? The only sucky thing is that I NEED a strong wifi connection so I can work along the way.

Love the underwater photos, btw... they're so crisp!!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 08:00:39 am

You'll be pleased to know Anna that Blue Corner Dive and Beach bar has a very good WiFi and Internet connection - we sat there and drank cocktails, ate Jalepeno poppers while blogging and working quite happily so it can be done!! I hope you do go to Bali and experience Lembongan, I'm sure you will enjoy it!

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Siddharth and Shruti link
16/3/2017 10:35:39 am

Woaw! We have been looking at Bali as an option for an upcoming trip. This looks way prettier and less explored. The infinity pool sounds amazing. Hadn't heard of Lembongan, so glad we did. Thanks for sharing :) #feetdotravel

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Simon link
22/3/2017 08:02:32 am

It isn't very well known but it is worth the trip! You can explore the island on scooter quite safely and very quickly and see some great things on the way, such as Dream Beach with the Infinity pool! Enjoy Bali - Look up Lembongan while you are there :-)

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Kreete link
16/3/2017 12:21:02 pm

Two weeks in Bali is not enough time for me to soak in all this travel inspiration and then be faced with the fact that I won't have time to go ha! So happy you found a place you both liked and decided to stay for longer. Love the choice of accommodation and the underwater pictures too! Too bad about the staff at the resort with the infinity pool. I would have enjoyed myself nevertheless and seems like you did too! So jealous now!

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Simon link
22/3/2017 08:04:09 am

I was surprised how quickly you can burn 2 weeks in Bali as well.. especially when you find a gem like Lembongan on 30mins boat ride away! Hope you get to see it one day, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we did! :-)

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Sandy N Vyjay link
17/3/2017 05:34:01 pm

Lembongan is indeed a revelation. Such as an exotic place and so near to Bali. It is an unknown gem and still unspoilt. Hope it retains its seclusive nature.

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Simon link
22/3/2017 08:08:54 am

We hope it remains the same too so we can visit again at some point in the future - as we said it is what Bali used to be so we hope it gets to stay that way! Thanks

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David link
29/3/2017 09:20:24 pm

Lembongan looks amazing and it's really good to read this as I'm considering visiting Indonesia for the first time near the end of the year. Bali has such a rep that it's nice to learn of somewhere similar without the baggage. Will definitely be using this and chatting to you guys if it happens.

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FeetDoTravel
2/12/2017 05:56:50 am

Head on over to Lembongan if you are in Indonesia, it's a great island and so close to Bali, it's worth the short boat ride :D

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Therie link
14/4/2017 10:47:55 am

The underwater scenery looks absolutely AMAZING! I love the idea of bean bags by the beach!

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FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:57:37 am

Bean bags on the beach are such a reading way to hang out, loved it here!

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Fleur
2/9/2021 07:48:35 pm

Aaah my friends reading this again after several years really really brings back all the good memories! Go to Bali they said... well go to Lembongan that's where the sun shines! You can ask Logan lol. Can't wait for more memories and crazy adventures together! Xx

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