Island Escapes and Urban Eats: What Nusa Penida and Ubud’s New Venues Mean for Bali Residents and Buyers

Unexplored, less developed Nusa Penida in East Bali with its off the beaten track landscapes offers fewer tourists than the main island of Bali and accordingly the opportunities for nature, beaches, temples, eco lodges and diving in Nusa Penida present a perfect retreat for a slower form of Bali’s travel experiences. The fast boat from Sanur will get you to Nusa Penida in only 45 minutes.

Many of the roads are unfinished and quite narrow, so traveling on the island can be quite an adventure. Even though there are plenty of accommodation options, the island’s basic facilities make it less suitable for families and older people who are used to having everything at their doorstep and who need to be able to travel easily.

One of the island’s most famous beaches is Kelingking Beach which is known by tourists as the Tinewelek Dolphin Beach. This beach is famous because of its unique cliff with stairs leading down to the white sandy beach. Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong are two famous spots that can be visited by following a short walking path. These two spots are well known for their crystal clear blue sea and their unique natural formation. For snorkeling fans, there are many beaches that can be visited around the island, including Crystal Bay and Gamat Bay. However, swimming at the beaches around Nusa Penida is not recommended for families with children because of the strong currents.

While trekking down the many staircases to the stunning eastern coastline of Nusa Penida can be arduous, the scenery at the bottom is breathtaking, and most of the beaches on this side of the island are less crowded and more peaceful than those on the west coast. For example, Diamond Beach, and Atuh Beach have some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the world and are a real find. While there are many restaurants and cafes on the west coast of Nusa Penida, the number of eateries on the east coast is limited to small local warungs. For those interested in visiting temples and other cultural locations on Nusa Penida, the historic Pura Paluang (Car Temple) and Pura Dalem Ped are definitely worth a visit to experience the island’s rich history and culture.

Bali property for sale on Nusa Penida Island. This off the grid island in remote Bali provides a natural and peaceful environment for a holiday home or a unique and individual resort. For the buyer seeking a permanent residence the island is not suitable, due to lack of facilities and transport links, but is perfect for a property investor looking for a special and unique project.

Back on the main island in Ubud, a new culinary development has just opened up, it’s a bakery during the morning and a steakhouse in the evening and it’s called Baker Butcher Barista (B3) and it has an all-day menu made up of local Indonesian dishes, international dishes and plant-based, healthy options, so it’s a new venue in Ubud that offers up a variety of options and it’s sure to be a hit, especially with the health-conscious-eaters and those looking for eclectic options.

Baker Butcher Barista, known as B3 to locals and visitors to Ubud, is the perfect venue for those who lead a variety of lifestyles such as families, expats, digital nomads, and of course property investors and home owners alike. The cafe serves an all day menu that highlights the local Indonesian flavors, however, there are many other international dishes for the eclectic eater, as well as a plant based menu option to cater for the health conscious visitor and resident alike.

The biggest risk however is that a lot of new developments are being offered for sale on Islands such as Nusa Penida and that many of these developments will not have finished their infrastructure and could take years to reach the life style that the marketing collateral has promoted. In many cases the frequency and quality of the services will continue to fluctuate over the years to come and must be weighed up against the price tag of the venue or property being considered, and that the accessibility can be affected by many factors including weather.

Practical Takeaways for Buyers & Investors:

1. Nusa Penida still has undeveloped roads and basic facilities for a holiday home so not suitable for a property to live in daily.
2. For families or retirees who want comfort and ease of use and of access to services and shops of all kinds, then a venue or property in Ubud’s areas, with its growing dining and social scenes (e.g. B3 – above) would be the safer choice.
3. Digital nomads and property investors looking for places to live and work and who are interested in diverse ranges of restaurants, cafes and nightlife venues, often find that Ubud provides the perfect “lifestyle in balance” – especially with all the new, extended hours of service.
4. Take numerous trips to numerous destinations at different times of day to accurately assess venues and island access. Will suit your lifestyle and that of your investment.

In conclusion, while a selection of less known destinations are beginning to emerge, as well as various new venues for dining and entertainment across the Island, for buyers looking for new homes in Bali the various options provide a broad and often contradictory array of lifestyle opportunities and difficulties. The question for potential property buyers is, are they looking for an isolated, rugged and uncompleted Island experience on an island such as Nusa Penida or a mixed lifestyle and community based environment found in places such as Ubud, or is there something else. Either way it seems the ‘new’ Bali is here and, good or bad, it’s only going to develop further.