The Dangers of Motorbiking Around Nusa Penida
The other day I was scrolling through my Instagram feed when I came across this post. It was a stunning photo taken at Kelingking Beach on the island of Nusa Penida – one of my favorite places in Bali.
I’m obsessed with Nusa Penida so I always love seeing pretty pictures of it, but when I went on to read the caption my heart dropped.
It turns out that during the very day the photo was taken, a 22-year-old Russian woman fell to her death just down the road from this scenic viewpoint. According to this article, the woman was driving a motorbike on a cliffside road, attempting to get a better view of the beach below. This particular stretch of road is very narrow, measuring only one-meter-wide. Apparently, the woman lost control of her scooter – presumably by slipping on loose gravel – and fell from a 200-meter cliff.
The story is tragic, and it’s one that really got me thinking.
Ever since my first trip to the island in 2015, I’ve been a big booster of traveling to Nusa Penida. My most popular blog post, by far, is all about Nusa Penida. And it’s also one of the destinations I get the most questions about from readers.
While I highly recommend that people visit Nusa Penida, I’m diligent about emphasizing – and reemphasizing – that people should only visit the island if they’re super comfortable riding a motorbike. If not, I always recommend visiting neighboring Nusa Lembongan instead.
Because tourism on Nusa Penida is just starting to ramp up, renting a motorbike is really the only practical way to get around the island. And because the island’s attractions are so spread apart, it’s almost not worth visiting Nusa Penida unless you rent a motorbike.
UPDATE (May 2019): Things have changed a lot on Nusa Penida since my visit. While there were no tours offered during my trips, it’s now possible to book tours and hire drivers to take you around the island and see all of Nusa Penida’s famous sights.
Riding a motorbike around Nusa Penida is a necessity and it’s no joke. Part of the issue is that at first it seems like a deceptively easy place to ride. The roads near the main pier – where most tourists base themselves – are surprisingly good. But in order to reach most of the island’s famous attractions – like Broken Beach, Angel’s Billabong, Atuh Beach and Kelingking Beach – things get really sketchy.
There will be steep, slippery hills, patches of loose gravel and sand, and frequent potholes. In some places the “roads” will turn into treacherous dirt or rock-studded paths. Locals will refer to these as “broken roads.”
I’m fairly comfortable riding motorbikes in rural places with little traffic, but I was definitely thrown by how tough it was to motorbike around Nusa Penida. Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast during both of my visits to the island. Obviously there’s a reason I’ve been there twice.
I love Nusa Penida. But looking back, I’m realizing that perhaps during both of my visits I was being just a tad bit reckless. And I’m definitely not the only one who’s guilty of this. It seems to be quite common among travelers who visit Nusa Penida.
During my first trip to the island, my boyfriend crashed his bike going down the super steep and slippery moss-covered hill that leads to Temeling Waterfall. We both stopped in our tracks when we reached the hill. And just when I was about to ask, Do you think this is a good idea?, he just went for it.
As he dipped to go down the hill, he immediately lost control. He fell off his bike and watched as it skidded to the bottom of the hill. As we soon realized, he also came uncomfortably close to falling into a ravine. He could have been seriously injured, but thankfully he walked away from it with nothing more than a scratched knee.
We immediately realized that neither of us had any business going down that hill. We could have easily just parked our bikes and walked. It was foolish. We learned a very valuable lesson that day and we made a rule then and there that when it comes to riding scooters, if one of us doesn’t feel comfortable, we’ll stop and turn around. No questions asked.
During our second visit to Nusa Penida in 2016, there were a few times where we stopped, gauged the situation and decided to turn around. Even though we were more careful that time around, I didn’t walk away totally unscathed.
On that trip I had two very minor accidents. The first time, I flipped my bike over while gassing it too hard on a patch of gravel going up a steep incline (go me!). And the second time, I lost my balance driving on one of those rocky roads I mentioned, and I veered right into a ditch (#notembarrasingatall).
I was fine, but my confidence was rattled. I’d never ever had any issues riding a scooter before. And I spent the rest of the trip feeling super anxious about riding
Based on these experiences, I’ve always warned people that they should be really careful when motorbiking around Nusa Penida. But then something happened that made me realize that perhaps I should warn people a little more adamantly.
One day, I got a comment on one of my Nusa Penida posts from my blogger friend Chantae (from Chantae Was Here) who was planning a trip to the island with another travel blogger named Hannah (of Eat Sleep Breathe Travel). “Hannah and I are devouring this guide! We love the tips and are heading there next week,” she said.
Chantae and I are both Bali enthusiasts, so I was super excited that she was finally going to Nusa Penida. She’s going to LOVE it, I remember thinking.
A few days later, I got a message from Chantae: “Hannah and I took matching falls – had an amazing day until the very end. You weren’t kidding that the roads can be sketch!”
It was accompanied by this photo:
I felt so guilty that somehow I hadn’t properly warned them of just how intense and dangerous riding a motorbike on Nusa Penida is.
Nusa Penida is a phenomenally beautiful place. There’s a reason it’s gaining more and more popularity as a travel destination. But I also don’t think that most people really know what they’re getting into.
It’s not one of those places where you can just walk outside of your hotel and lounge on a beach or go get that picture-perfect Instagram shot by walking up a hill. If you want to see Nusa Penida’s otherworldy attractions, you have to work for it. And because of that, it’s one of those places that makes people (me included) take risks that perhaps they shouldn’t.
I feel lucky that I was able to learn my lesson about the dangers of riding a motorbike on Nusa Penida the easy way. But some people – like this young Russian woman – aren’t so lucky.
I guess as someone who is constantly fielding questions about whether or not to visit Nusa Penida, I feel a sense of responsibility to write this post.
We all make our own decisions and take our own risks when we travel. I’m not here to tell anyone what to do. But if you are considering a trip to Nusa Penida and you’re not comfortable riding a scooter perhaps it’s a destination that’s better left off your list. And if you’ve never ridden a motorbike before, this is definitely not the place to learn. But don’t worry too much about missing out. After all, Bali is chock full of beautiful places to visit that don’t require any motorbiking skills.
And if you are comfortable riding a motorbike, then go for it. Because Nusa Penida is a rare gem. Just please, please wear a helmet! And if you’re not comfortable on a motorbike but really want to visit Nusa Penida, then please book a tour or hire a driver.
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Have you ever made a reckless decision while traveling? That’s probably a silly question. I’m sure everyone’s answer is yes!
Great post Justine! Amazing shot if the natural pool! I like your agreement about not riding somewhere if any one of you is uncomfortable with the situation. That is an unwritten rule that almost all horseback riders observe! No questions asked!
Thanks! Nusa Penida is by far one of the most naturally beautiful places we’ve ever been. It’s just amazing. But yeah, we did learn our lessons when it comes to staying safe. I love the comparison to horseback riding. It’s so true. You just have to go with your gut! On another note, we can’t wait to see you guys!!!!!!!!
Great post ! Lots of people do not mesure the danger, I booked flights to go to Bali with a friend in september and we both never ride a motorbike and I am super scared. I am not found of tours, but I will definitly hire a tour company for our stay in Nusa Penida.
Even in Bali, I know a very sad story that happened to a couple, friends of friends, they were in Bali for their honeymoon, had an accident and only the wife came back…
Thanks Claire! Bali is a fairly scary place to learn how to ride a motorbike. I’ve ridden them in many places, but I personally prefer only to ride them in rural areas with little traffic. I don’t feel comfortable riding around most of Bali since the traffic can be overwhelming. Nusa Penida is a fine place to ride around but it’s definitely not the place to learn, so I do recommend finding someone to either drive you in a car (if that’s possible?) or take you around on the back of their motorbike. It’s just not worth risking your life or health. Happy and safe travels. Say hello to Bali for me 🙂
Wow, Nusa Penida looks like a dream. Unfortunately scooter accidents throughout Southeast Asia are far too common, but the locals make it look soooooo easy!
It is a dream! I know. They are so common. I had my first motorbike injury in Bali this past summer. We sideswiped a parked motorbike… with my bare foot. It was super sprained for weeks but at least nothing was broken. And at least it wasn’t worse. Some people aren’t so lucky though. Just a reminder for all of us to be as cautious as we can 😊
‘Love the post Justine!
And yes, sadly, I’ve done a few reckless things that resulted in me luckily, not breaking anything but flooding into tears. A lot!
As Cindy above said, horse-riding was my first downfall. I took a horse-riding tour in the Dominican Republic, having not ridden before. The guide said a few words, put us on a horse, and then it happened. My horse galloped off with me on it. And because we weren’t trained on how to control our horse, I accidentally kept nudging it on instead of slowing it down! The tour guide had to chase my horse, before he caught us. And the only thing that kept me on that horse was the fear that if I fell off it, it would crush me underfoot!
A few years later, I went to Wales(UK), and learnt how to ride a horse properly.
The really stupid one was when I first learnt to ski. In the Czech Republic. It was the 90’s, and I went off with a bunch of German friends who had been skiing for years. They convinced me to go on the Black Run Piste. Big Mistake!
I was “put” on one of the ski lifts, but it was so fast that I wasn’t sitting in properly. My leg was sticking out, and I was quite uncomfortable, so I lifted up the ski handle, and promptly fell into the forest!
I fell sort of twisted, but luckily, I didn’t break anything.
Yeah, I didn’t ski for 10 years after that!
Oh my gosh, those are such scary stories! I can’t believe you fell from the ski lift. That’s a serious fear of mine. I’m so glad you weren’t seriously hurt! It is crazy how many careless things I’ve done over the years. I’ve been so lucky 😉
Always wear proper gear when riding in south east Asia! I know, it’s stupid hot! But after my bf came off his bike (and his an experienced rider) we both only ever rode with proper helmets, jeans and shoes… I’ll admit I was always hesitant about the gloves and hated getting in those jeans but I felt much better for it. If you speak to most advanced riders they’ll agree. (Normally through making the same mistakes)
I know what you mean Rebecca! We were taught to ride scooters by a family member who is a serious BMX rider. And he gave the exact advice. So we’re always diligent about wearing shoes and helmets. I used to be super strict about wearing jeans, but I have to admit I don’t always. I do wear jeans when doing more hardcore riding. It’s a good idea when riding in a place like Nusa Penida. Luckily my boyfriends was wearing shoes, a helmet and jeans when he crashed so he didn’t get all scratched up!
There were some occasions when I traveled in Indonesia and happened to rent a motorbike, I had to navigate my way through challenging road conditions. When I went to Nusa Lembongan with my ex-boss back in 2013, there was this part of the road which went downhill, and it was quite steep. I gauged the situation and decided to ask him to get off the motorbike since I wasn’t sure whether I would be good enough to bring both of us safely until the end of that curve. Then in 2015 my best friend and I traveled to Ternate in eastern Indonesia, and we rented a motorbike. To get to one of the places on the island, we had to go up a 30-degree road — at least to me it felt like 30-degree. I asked him to get off while I tried to take the motorbike as high up as possible. But there were times when I wasn’t so lucky. In Sabang, one of the westernmost islands of Indonesia, I miscalculated the speed and didn’t change the gear quickly enough. So I fell, and thanks to the wound I couldn’t go snorkeling at a supposedly nice place to do just that. The key is you should understand your own capability and limit.
Totally! I feel like this is the exact lesson my boyfriend and I learned after he crashed his bike on Nusa Penida. Luckily he wasn’t hurt, but we’ve always vowed to only motorbike in places where we feel comfortable and safe. After all, we are sharing the road with others. So if we don’t know what we’re doing we might not only hurt ourselves but we could hurt someone else. Great advice. And I’m glad you’ve come away from all your adventures relatively unscathed!!
Great and important post! I spend 5 days in Penida last week and yes, the roads are horrible.
But renting a bike is not the only way to see the best places of the island. It’s getting more and more popular to take a driver with car / motorbike who is used to the roads. I always drive a motorbike myself but on Penida I took a driver instead, and it was amazing. He drove us safely to all the popular + hidden spots for 3 full days. So I don’t think renting a scooter is the best way to see the island, but taking a driver is the best way.
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed yourself and I’m glad that there are safe ways of getting around now. When I was there that wasn’t really an option, but given how popular Nusa Penida has become I’m not surprised that people are catering to tourists more. That’s a great suggestion to hire your own driver! I’d like to add an update to this post. Do you mind if I ask how much it cost to hire a driver? Thanks!!
I just arrived from a day trip in Nusa Penida and had two scooter accidents, one parking in Kelingking beach and the other leaving Angel’s Billabong. Fortunately, I the injuries were minor and the locals helped me clean the wounds. The main roads are in good conditions but there are many roads, including the ones you need to take to reach the main sights, that are horrendous as they are a mix of cement, rocks and dirt, super bumpy and dangerous even if you go slowly.
I recommend everyone visiting to hire a car that will show you the island.
Ah, I’m so sorry to hear that Marcel! Clearly, I agree that some of those roads are really bad. And everyone should be cautious, even experienced riders. Glad you didn’t get too hurt! And thanks for your advice. I agree that more tourists in Nusa Penida should hire drivers.
Great post ! Lots of people do not mesure the danger, I booked flights to go to Bali with a friend in september and we both never ride a motorbike and I am super scared. I am not found of tours, but I will definitly hire a tour company for our stay in Nusa Penida.
Ah, I’m glad you read this post then! I’ve heard that there a tons of tour operators that will take you around by car or motorbike. Wise decision. It’s not a place for beginners. Stay safe and enjoy. Nusa Penida is my favorite 💕
hello! was wondering if youve noticed any bicycle rental shops in nusa penida? would love to just roam around in 2wheels safely 🙂
I’m not sure but I will say it would be very challenging to bike around Nusa Penida. It’s a pretty big island and the hills are pretty steep and very rough in places. It might be better to hire a moto driver to take you around. That should be east to arrange!
A fascinating read.
We are looking to spend 7 nights at NL and NP. Diving and mopeding
How many nights would you suggest on each island if we base our diving off NL ? Am thinking either 5/2 or 4/3 ? (NL/NP )
That’s exciting! The diving there is supposed to be amazing. The two islands are super close to each other and both are famous for diving so staying on either won’t be an issue. I will say that Nusa Penida is much bigger and seeing the sights takes more time. If you actually want to explore NP by land, I’d say three days is better than two. NL is pretty small and easy to explore in one day. Enjoy!!
Looking forward to it
We now have 3full days (2nights) one night Atuh beach end and one night crystal beach.
All our diving will start from Lembongan (6N)
Yay excited ….. great blog thnx 🙂
Update : june2019
We did it 💕 absolutely stunning island. I’m pretty proud as a young 56yo no spills for either of us and we went everywhere !
Roads still as bad as ever although it is tarmac almost all the way to Atuh Beach and Crystal bay now. None of the other roads have improved at all. tembling forest Kelingking and road to angels billabong probably the worst we encountered. Totally doable if you go very slow and steady in the hard parts but you Definately need moped experience and I would always chose an automatic with no gears to worry about. And watch out for those day tripping vans they’ll wipe you out in a heart beat
Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sue! And I’m glad you made it through unscathed. I never did find Kelingking Beach on my two trips but I’ve heard the road is treacherous. The road to Angels Billabong was pretty crazy. That’s too bad it hasn’t improved. There were so few cars and no tour vans when I visited. It’s so crazy to hear how touristy it has become! Happy to hear you had a great trip 🙂
Driving is one thing, but tell me.. How do you know the roads?? Haha. That’s the only thing stopping me at the moment..
The reasons listed on your post are the exact reason we didn’t even look into motorbikes for nusa penida. We had a private two day, one night snorkelling tour booked through BaliSafestDriver and it was such a great decision.
A lovely skilled driver, and English speaking tour guide took us to all those destinations safely, and the guide also accompanied us to the destinations, guiding us on what to do and gave us really handy tips whilst taking amazing photos of us. Between destinations, we had the luxury of taking naps in the car and were only woken up by the bumpy roads (well and truly ‘broken’ as they call it!).
The tour also included snorkelling – and the snorkelling guide made sure conditions were safe before he dropped us off (we missed out on two spots because he thought the currents were too strong, so went to calmer places instead! – the boat also stayed close to us so you have that reassurance too, and since it was private it was only us two and another couple). The tour was one of the best we did in Bali!
I would definitely suggest a private tour in a car and wouldn’t do Nusa Penida again any other way.
That’s great. I’m glad you found a safe option for you. I just updated the post to mention that booking tours and drivers is an easy option for anyone who’s not comfortable on a scooter 🙂
Good post. We read it prior to going to Nusa Penida and ended up hiring a car with driver. I wrote a blog about it here to help others as well:
https://docsinthewild.com/getting-around-nusa-penida-without-a-scooter/
Amazing. So glad that you found a safe way to explore the island!
good post … i used to live in hawaii and know just how dangerous rogue waves can be … many tourists die every year in hawaii from rip current and rogue waves but very little publicity is given to them lest it cut into the steady stream of tourists to the islands… and yes, a few selfie deaths occur each year there also; most on the cliffs guarding the narrow Maui roads in the mountains… and i had the horrid experience of viewing from an adjacent golf course a newlywed from the mainland US on a motoribike hit by a UPS truck the day ofter her wedding … i will never get over that one; a senseless tragedy of the worst order … I always tell my friends; unless you are an expert with motorbikes, pay the extra bucks and either rent a car or take a taxi … good luck with your travels
Ah, that’s such a terrible story. What a horrible thing to happen and to see it happen…I just can’t imagine. It’s a good reminder to really think things through while we’re traveling and make responsible decisions, no matter how tempting it is to do the reckless thing.
Hi Justine,
I know there are some great rides around that area. Yes you must be careful with the dangerous tracks. Have a nasty fall or two myself. Thanks for the post. Great work.
Nathan
Thanks, Nathan! Ugh, sorry to hear about your falls. Hopefully, it was nothing too bad! I think we all have to know our limits. Sometimes it’s tough to resist renting motorbikes and driving around such beautiful destinations!
Justine, thanks for this post! It should be summarized, printed and displayed in every tourist area on the as a friendly reminder. We’ve just had an accident on our way to the Kelingking beach 🙁 Even though we’ve driving super carefull, minding the road and not being cocky. Fortunately the accident was minor, just a few shallow wounds that were taken care of at the hospital. The spot was breathtaking, beautiful, but to get there one has to make an effort. Please take care everyone, don’t speed. And definitely wear helmets!
Oh no, I’m so bummed to hear that. I’m glad it was nothing too serious. That’s the exact reason I wrote the post. I felt so terrible about the fact that I had told so many people to visit Nusa Penida but felt I had not properly warned people about what to expect. While I always warned people about the roads and said it’s not a place for beginners, I don’t think my message got through. Agreed, the island is magical but you’ve got to work for it and it’s not the safest. Take care and safe travels!
I just want to say thank you for this article, we are headed to NL in about 2 weeks with our 2 & 3 yr old. We are currently living in THailand and would never put the kids on the bike( we have a car here) but NL seemed small and safe enough to do so as both my husband and I are comfortable with/on bikes.. but im glad to know its a NO GO for NP, we may not even do NP since we only have 2.5 days at our hotel in NL…. hmm… but thank you anyways and grateful to come across this post!
Happy to help! Nusa Lembongan is amazing. A lot has changed in Nusa Penida since I wrote this. It’s super easy to hire a driver and car to take you around for the day to see the main attractions. But yeah, I wouldn’t recommend a motorbike with your little ones there. Enjoy!