The small island off the east coast of Bali, Nusa Penida, has been crowned as the top destination for backpackers in 2020 by hostel-booking platform Hostelworld.
“Move over Bali, this new kid on the block is our top backpacking destination for 2020,” Hostelworld wrote on their website.
First things first, Nusa Penida is technically its own island, but let us take a moment to highlight here that it’s still part of Indonesia’s Bali province.
Nusa Penida is the biggest of three Nusa islands (the others being Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan) located just to the southeast of Bali (island, that is), all of which are part of the Nusa Penida sub-district of Bali’s Klungkung regency.
Only a 30-minute boat ride away from the main island, the destination has evidently attracted adventure-seeking travelers and Instagram bloggers, both domestic and foreign, in recent years.
Though Nusa Penida is relatively underdeveloped, the lack of infrastructure doesn’t seem to drive tourists away. Instead, it’s part of that “laid-back charm” that draws more visitors. Now that it’s made its way to the Hostelworld radar, its jaw-dropping cliff panoramas, amazing diving spots and rugged beauty might gain even more popularity.
Hostelworld highlighted how Nusa Penida is offering travelers a chance to attend prayer services in a sacred cave, hike to an abandoned treehouse to reach a spectacular lookout point, swim with manta rays, and enjoy affordable meals at Indonesian-style food stalls, or warung.
Through these experiences, Hostelworld says “it’ll soon become obvious why it’s our number one backpacker hotspot for 2020.”
There’s certainly plenty of good reasons why Nusa Penida should be on your list of places-to-visit, but it’s worth noting that the island’s lack of infrastructure also means that travelers need to be extra careful on their adventures.
