Tembeling Beach, Natural Pool & Forest on Nusa Penida

TEMBELING BEACH & NATURAL POOLS

Tembeling Beach & Natural Pools is one of those places I came across back in 2017. I’m always looking for new or lesser-known spots and back then there was hardly anything online about it. I was advised about it by a local who gave me some directions to explore. In this blog post, I’ll share everything you need to know about visiting Tembeling Beach & Natural Pools.

WHERE IS TEMBELING BEACH

Tembeling Beach is a pretty interesting spot to reach. Actually, that is an understatement. Buckle up this is going to be a ride. Firstly you will need to drive towards the pin on this map. That is the easy part. You won’t be able to reach the pin completely but you will reach a little hut on the side of the road at the turn-off.

This map shows the pin for the second parking lot. Remember you may want to get off at the first parking lot and walk. Your call.

Here the locals will warn you that the road is terrible and you might want to walk. If you are two people on the moped I would walk. If you aren’t 100% confident on the moped, I would walk. It will take about 30 minutes to walk from this point to the beach. But you will arrive safely.

The road is very steep, is single file and often so rocky that you are walking pace anyway just trying not to fall off. I managed to get up and down fine so I’m not trying to be over the top. However, I just want you to be aware that this will probably be the worst drive for your time on Nusa Penida and it can be dangerous.

The photo below is not a photo of the steep part. During the steep part, I was busy trying to avoid my third moped crash of the month, not taking photos!

So, whether you chose to get off your bike and walk or ride down you will slowly make your way to the second parking lot. You will need to park here as there are steps from this point on. From here it is just a five-minute walk down to the beach. However, on your way on the right-hand side, you can duck into the Tembeling Forest on the right for a quick look.

Head down the steps and now you can’t get lost. You will head straight to the Tembeling Natural Pools and then Tembeling Beach.

BEST NUSA PENIDA TOURS!

These are the four most popular Nusa Penida Tours. I’ve done all four and they are AWESOME!

• Manta Ray Snorkel Tour (from Bali) – Most amazing experience to swim with Giant Manta’s.
• Manta Ray Snorkel Tour (from Penida) This is the cheaper option if already on Nusa Penida.
• BEST of Nusa Penida Day Tour (from Bali) Most booked day trip fro Bali to Penida with all highlights
• Nusa Penida Car Rental with Driver: Great way to see all the highlights and tourist spots.

TEMBELING FOREST

Now that you have hopefully made it down this very interesting road, make sure to drop into the forest on the right. As I was driving down, I thought about sliding down the hill for a look a few times but ended up waiting until the parking lot. Here you can enjoy the canyon by taking the stairs.

I didn’t know there was something like this on Nusa Penida. I think it would be amazing in the rainy season but I can’t imagine driving down that road when it is slippery.

TEMBELING NATURAL POOLS

After checking out the Tembeling Forest you can head down the spiral stairs towards the Tembeling Natural Pools. There are two but the first one is the biggest. Set nicely below the large cliff wall, the crystal clear water has a beautiful blue tone to it, which is strange considering all of the stones and cliffs around are orange and brown.

A number of traditional statues and fountains decorate this spot and are used for water ritual. You are able to swim here although the women are meant to swim in the second pool traditionally. I don’t think this is enforced these days but just ask to be sure and respect the decision of the locals. You can cliff jump from a couple of ledges at this first pool but check the depth and debris first as things can change over time.

Head down a bit further and you will reach the second pool. This one is a bit more of a jacuzzi and I actually liked it better. There are small pipe fountains you can wash under and it’s a great place to hang out. From here you can also keep an eye on the beach!

TEMBELING BEACH

If you continue the trail down you will reach Tembeling Beach. It isn’t anything too crazy especially by Nusa Penida’s lofty standards. Big cliffs on either side dwarf the small patch of sand.

The best swimming here is in the natural pools not in the ocean as the waves can get quite interesting here. Stay safe and watch the currents.

TEMBELING (SECRET) BEACH

At the bottom of the natural pools, you can head right and you will find a little cave. Here hundreds of rocks have been carefully balanced on top of each other. Carefully walking through the cave as to not knock any of the rock towers over, you will eventually reach Secret Beach.

Here you can watch the waves come crashing in towards the shore, which is surrounded by huge, cliffs. They almost seem like a dam wall because of their circular nature and how oddly smooth they are. It’s worth a quick look once you get down there.

How to get to the Nusa Islands

There are three main options to get to Nusa Penida depending on your budget and how many logistics you want to manage. Here are the three options with the cheapest first:

1. Book your ticket: Sanur (Bali) to Nusa Lembongan – Book a regular ferry that leaves from Sanur to Nusa Penida on the reliable website 12go. You then need to moped or taxi across to Nusa Penida via another ferry/boat.
2. Book a fast boat: Sanur (Bali) to Nusa Penida – This option is great as you go direct from Bali to Penida without having to stop in Lembongan. This option is only slightly more expensive than stopping in Lembongan. This is my favorite option of the three and can be booked on Klook.
3. Book a fast boat with hotel pick-up: Sanur (Bali) to Nusa Penida – This option includes a fast boat from Sanur (Bali) to Nusa Penida but also includes pick-up from your hotel in Bali in a van. This option from GetYourGuide is a bit more expensive but takes all the hassle out of the transit from Bali to Nusa Penida.

MORE NUSA ISLANDS BLOG POSTS

There are a ton of epic things to do on Nusa Penida, but I also wrote detailed guides for all of the adventurous things to do on Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan. You can explore more of my guides by clicking one of the links below.

• NUSA ISLANDS GUIDE: LEMBONGAN, PENIDA, CENINGAN
• 27 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON NUSA PENIDA
• 9 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON NUSA LEMBONGAN
• 5 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON NUSA CENINGAN
• BEST CLIFF JUMP SPOTS IN BALI, INDONESIA
• WHERE TO STAY ON NUSA PENIDA: EAST & WEST REGION
• THE PERFECT 3-DAY NUSA PENIDA ITINERARY
• BEST NUSA PENIDA DAY TRIP TOURS FROM BALI
• HOW TO GET TO NUSA PENIDA FROM BALI VIA FERRY/BOAT