Learn how to visit Tembeling Beach, a hidden beach off the regular tourist beat in Nusa Penida
Getting To Tembeling Nusa Penida is an adventure in itself, riding through slightly sketchy roads through beautiful forest and past several amazing natural pools along the way.
In this guide, I’ll detail everything you need to know about Tembeling Nusa Penida, including how to get here through the forest, information about the natural pools, and the beach.
About The Tembeling Area
If you're looking for an epic forest adventure with overhead, vine-swinging monkeys and steep dirt tracks down to off-the-beaten-path swimming spots in Nusa Penida, definitely check out Tembeling Beach.
This beach is located on the West Coast of Nusa Penida near Bali. You'll find it between other worthwhile attractions like Kelingking Beach and Peguyangan Waterfall.
You won't find any tourist buses or large groups visiting this spot, meaning you'll likely get to enjoy the "secret" white sand beach, unique Tembeling forests, natural pools, limestone caves, and some awesome cliff jumps.
With that said, getting here is a bit of a wild ride! I definitely wouldn't advise it if you're not super comfortable riding motorbikes off-road.
How To Get To Tembeling Beach
The only way to get to Tembeling Beach on Nusa Penida is to rent your own motorbike. You can get these from your accommodation or the many rental shops at the harbor port.
A daily rental costs between 70,000 to 100,000 rupiah for a decent scooter.
What you'll want to do is head to the pin below. If you just type in "Tembeling Beach" into Google Maps, you'll soon realize that it's not that straightforward.
Once you arrive at the pin, you'll notice a small warung and hut. From here, you'll begin the very steep descent down to the beach. Note that this road is eroded, bumpy, steep, and very narrow. Again, if you're not confident, leave your bike at the start of this road and walk down.
Google Maps Pin: "Pos Ojek Tembeling"
Hike or Motorbike to Tembeling?
After a couple of years of backpacking in Asia, I'd still say that this road is one of the more "hectic" scooter missions I've been on. Apparently, there are a lot of motorbike accidents that happen on Nusa Penida, and this particular spot is a good example of why.
Again, I don't want to paint the wrong picture and maybe I'm being a little bit dramatic. But I'm writing this because I know that many people come to Bali and Nusa Penida to learn how to ride scooters. This definitely isn't the spot for that!
Haylea and I went down together on the bike but she had to get off to walk some of the steep sections a few times. I wouldn't recommend trying two people on the bike down to Tembeling Beach through the forest tracks!
Walking down instead takes about 30 minutes. So, if you're not confident, leave your bike at the top and enjoy the hike instead!
Alternatively, you might be lucky to meet a group of locals sitting at the hut at the turn-off. These opportunistic characters will be quick to offer you a return trip on a bike for 50,000 rupiah each.
Tembeling Beach Natural Pools & Forest Hike
Eventually, you'll reach the bottom scooter car park. Unlike many of the popular attractions on the island, you don't have to pay to leave your bike here, nor an entrance fee!
From this point on, it's a pleasant walk down concrete steps through the Tembeling Beach forest. You'll pass a couple of blue lagoons and natural pools along the way.
It's possible to cliff-jump into these pools. The larger jump is about 5 metres, and the pool below is deep enough not to touch. Just make sure to always do a depth check first.
The main attraction at Tembeling Beach is the large, man-made blue pool fed by a flow of directed water. You'll find this natural pool just before the beach. When we visited, we shared the entire place with one local character who seemed to really be enjoying his shower.
What to Expect at Tembeling Beach
Tembeling Beach is a beautiful white-sand beach with a dramatic cliff backdrop. There are so many incredible beaches on Nusa Penida but this one had a special touch. Maybe it was because we had it all to ourselves!
The Mystical Cairn Cave
Just around the corner from the natural pools on Tembeling Beach, you'll find a low entrance to a small cave. If you peer through here, you'll see thousands of cairns (rocks-stacks).
Where to Stay on Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida isn't a huge island, but there are several options to pick from when choosing where to stay. Below I've included my 3 picks for budget, mid-range, and luxury accommodation.
1. Adiwana Warnakali Resort Luxury
This isn't the most expensive luxury resort on Nusa Penida but it's definitely one of the best! This resort is waterfront located with large, luxury suites and an incredibly included breakfast.
2. Jukung Cottage Mid-Range
This epic, beachside resort-style cottage retreat offers great bang for buck. It features a restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool, a bar, and a shared lounge.
3. Hostel Bukit Sangcure Budget
This is the accommodation I chose in Nusa Penida. It's a cheap backpacker hostel that is close to the port and offers breakfast and bike rentals.
I really hope you've enjoyed this quick and up-to-date travel guide! If you stick around, I've got loads more articles on Nusa Penida, Bali, and Indonesia that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
- Nusa Penida Travel Guide - explore the best of the island with this list of the top things to do!
- How to Get to Nusa Penida - complete guide with the best current options.
- Things to do in Lombok - visit the epic adventure island of Lombok after your trip to Nusa Penida.