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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 JUNE 2017 41 MARC CASOLANI INDONESIA is made up of 17,500 islands, of which 6,000 are inhab- ited. Nusa Penida is one of these many islands that can be found amongst the hotchpotch of tropi- cal paradises in South East Asia. A small island in comparison to the rest, but the size of this island only emphasises its sheer beauty. Home to some rare native bird species, this island is one of the most lush and fertile lands in the area and is a perfect setting for an adventurous day out. Located in the straits of Lombok, Nusa Penida holds some of the most pristine beaches you are un- likely to find anywhere else in the region. These beaches are tucked away near magnificent over-hang- ing cliffs which makes them pretty difficult to get to. However fear not as this makes it unlikely you will be sharing the beach with any- one else, making it well worth the sweat. Although the beaches are a great feature 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 between 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 wa- terfall, 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 islands to get to by sea. This makes it a prime destination for both local and foreign 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 over- priced or exploited. When it comes to lodging, there is a great selection to choose from no matter 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 accommoda- tions, which in my opinion helps to preserve the island's beauty and tranquillity. In general, the majori- ty of good accommodations can be found on Jalan Raya Batumulapan and Jalan Pedang Buluk. Booking in advance on religious holidays or peak season is be recommended as 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 wit- ness the whole process from cul- tivation to harvesting. All in all, the Balinese Hindu communities live simple lives from subsistence agriculture, fishing, seaweed farm- ing and eco-cultural tourism in coastal and remote, inland villag- es. 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 mis- take 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 gar- dens. 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 under- water 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. Getting there Emirates operate regular flights between Malta and Bali with a stop over in Dubai. Flights departing from Malta on 15 June and returning on 29 June were priced at €1,277 including tax at the time of going to print. The best way to get to Nusa Penida 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. Travel Discovering Indonesia's Islands