Nusa Penida vs Nusa Lembongan

[ponny93]

I want to dive at Nusa Penida on May for 2-3 days.

I heard it is also possible to day trip from sanur or padan bai. But I think staying on the island would be cheaper and also can save time on the boat to relax.

So. I heard there is one dive center named MM diving on Nusa Penida and there are several dive centers on Nusa Lembongan.

Does anyone have experience on staying on both/one of islands and/or diving with one of those dive centers?
It would be really helpful to share your experience about this.

I am also interested in the islands itself. How beautiful and relaxing they are.
Nusa Penida is bigger so it would be more adventurous and diverse, but Nusa Lembongan is just at the pretty beach, so convenient to hang out.

I also want to compare these islands with gilis on lombok, I am wondering why gilis are much popular than these islands... these islands are much closer to Bali, so it would be convenient... hmm gilis are that much prettier than these islands?

 

[Andy_from_Germany]

Hi Ponny93,

Nusa Penida is just 30 to maximum 60 minutes from Sanur by boat (depending on it's speed). Therefore I would recommend staying on Bali itself.
"Pros":
+ More nightlife
+ In case the weather is not good enough for diving you still can visit other places on Bali
+ More hotels to choose from
+ More dive operators to choose from

"Cons":
- Well, a 30 to 60 minute boat trip to Nusa Penida

Regarding Gilis (near Lombok) versus Bali:
- Gilis are popular amongst backpackers as there usually is a lot of party going on.
- Diving around the Gilis is average compared to Bali (NOT necessarily Nusa Penida)
- Corals around the Gilis are mostly broken but you will see heaps of turtles
- Around Nusa Penida you have good chances to see Mantas and, depending on the season, Mola Mola (sunfish or in German: Mondfisch).

Although I prefer Bali due to your profile (less than 50 dives) I would recommend the Gilis for you. Reason: Usually less current than around Nusa Penida. Of course, if you have experience with currents and feel comfortable with them Nusa Penida would be my first choice. Maybe others can comment on this statement, too!

Regarding MM diving: I can't recommend them as, if rumors I heard whilst on Bali are true, their accident statistic doesn't look good. BUT: I can't confirm these rumors as I never was around when they have been supposed to have happened!

The only thing I can say about those Tschech (MM diving is owned by Tschech) divers I dove with (not all are like that, of course!) is: They dive very deep, drink a lot and sometimes don't care much about dive-related "rules" or recommendations.

HTH and have fun in Indonesia,

Andy