Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is a district of Klungkung Regency and, with neighbouring Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, forms a cluster of islands separated from mainland Bali by the Badung Strait. In the era of the Klungkung kingdom it had a reputation as a place of exile for criminals, political opponents and those accused of black magic, and an early twentieth-century Dutch map is said to have labelled it as an island of bandits.

Today the island is better known for conservation. In 2006 its villages agreed to make bird protection part of their customary rules, turning the islands into a sanctuary that helped the critically endangered Bali starling recover. The surrounding waters were designated a marine conservation area in 2014, covering roughly 20,000 hectares of reef and open sea that serve as a cleaning station for oceanic sunfish (mola-mola) and support hundreds of coral and fish species.

Like mainland Bali, Nusa Penida is predominantly Balinese Hindu, and village temples, offerings and ceremonies are part of everyday life. Many families have traditionally lived from farming and seaweed cultivation, and tourism has grown quickly on top of that rural base. Visitors should dress modestly away from the beaches and wear a sarong and sash if entering any temple, as is the custom across Bali. Halal food is less common here than on Lombok, so Muslim travellers may prefer to bring snacks or ask their tour operator to arrange suitable meals.