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maltatoday, SATURDAY 31 DECEMBER 2016 40 Travel DISCOVERING INDONESIA'S ISLANDS INDONESIA is made up of 17,500 is- lands, of which 6,000 are inhabited. Nu- sa Penida is one of these many islands that can be found amongst the hotch- potch of tropical paradises in South East Asia. A small island in comparison to the rest, but the size of this island only emphasises the sheer beauty of this little island. Home to some rare native bird species, this island is one of most lush and fertile lands in the area and is a per- fect setting for an adventurous day out. Located in the straits of Lombok, Nusa Penida holds some of the most pristine beaches you are unlikely to find any- where else in the region. These beaches are tucked away near magnificent over- hanging cliffs which makes them pretty difficult to get to. However fear not as this makes it unlikely you will be shar- ing the beach with anyone else, making it well worth the sweat. Although the beaches are a great fea- ture of the island, they are not all she has to offer. This place is full of hidden gems, such as an area called Angels Billabong, a natural pool of turquoise colour in be- tween limestone cliffs, that comes right out to the open water. The terrace-like pool overlooks the entire bay and when there is a swell the water comes right up into the air over the terrace wall. Manta point, Broken beach, Seganing waterfall, Pura Gunung Cening are just some of the many other sites that you can visit. Without any air strips on the island, Nusa Penida is one of the more easy is- lands to get to by sea. This makes it a prime destination for both local and for- eign tourists, but luckily there is never a high volume of visitors at one go there- fore when exploring the island you feel very in tune with the local community and nothing is overpriced or exploited. The best way to get here would be by catching the ferry from Sanur in Bali. There are two other options that are over an hour long ferry rides, whilst the ferry from Sanur takes only 35 minutes and runs twice a day. When it comes to lodging, there is a great selection to choose from no mat- ter what budget you are on. The island is not over run by resorts, in fact there is only one 4-star accommodation and the rest are boutique style and tradi- tional island style accommodations, which in my opinion helps to preserve the island's beauty and tranquillity. In general, the majority of good accom- modations can be found on Jalan Raya Batumulapan and Jalan Pedang Buluk. Booking in advance on religious holi- days or peak season is recommended because most places can get packed out quite quickly. The island's main source of income comes from seaweed; therefore it also makes for a very interesting tour. You get to witness the whole process from cultivation to harvesting. All in all, the Balinese Hindu communities live simple lives from subsistence agriculture, fish- ing, seaweed farming and eco-cultural tourism in coastal and remote, inland villages. Depending on how much down time you would like, two to seven days would be a decent amount of time to discovers the islands gems, meet the locals, soak up the sun, and explore the coral gardens that surround the island. Make no mistake however, you will need almost a full day to go out on a boat to explore the coastal formations and dive into hard to reach coral gardens. To top all this though, you will get a chance to chill in Manta Bay where you will find dozens of large manta rays hovering underwater in crystal blue waters. This would be my top choice activity for Nusa Penida, there is nothing like being in the water amongst these magnificent creatures that seem like they come from another planet. Until next time, let the world be your playground. NUSA PENIDA – INDONESIA