Organized Tours in Nusa Lembongan
Day trips are a popular option for the hurried, and a 1-day cruise will bring you to Nusa Lembongan with possibly 100 other similar-minded folk where you will be offered snorkeling, banana boat rides, glass-bottom boat trips, sea kayaking, and maybe even a trip to the mangrove forest or a cultural village tour. A buffet lunch and later some form of water slide will also be thrown in. The approximate price is US$90. The following are the main cruise operators serving Nusa Lembongan:
Bali Hai, Benoa Harbour (tel. 0361/720331; fax 0361/720-334; www.balihaicruises.com; cruises 9:15am-4:15pm US$95, sunset dinner cruise 5:45 -- 8:45pm US$45, overnight US$125-US$145 per night), the most popular of the day cruises, offers as many options as you could think of, with sailboats, diving, and sunset dinners. This is a one-stop shop.
Bounty, Benoa Harbour (tel. 0361/726666; fax 0361/726688; www.balibountycruises.com; one-way US$35, round-trip US$70, day cruise 10am-4pm US$95, dinner cruise 6-8:30pm US$49; MC, V) runs similar day trips to Lembongan.
Waka Louka Cruise, Jl. Pulau Moyo 25x (tel. 0361/723629; fax 0361/722077; www.wakaexperience.com; catamaran 9am-5:30pm US$104, dinner cruise and sailing, charter only; MC, V), a delightful catamaran, is more stylish than anything else on the market, and organizes day trips and dinner cruises on board.
Sail Sensations, Benoa Harbour (tel. 0361/725864; fax 0361/725866; www.sailsensations.com; day cruise 9am-5pm US$85, twilight cruise 6:30-9pm US$55, overnight US$285-US$325; MC, V), part of Nusa Lembongan Resort, organizes day trips for US$95, which includes high-speed ferry, village tour, buffet lunch, snorkeling, a 5-minute banana boat ride, and, for those wishing to part with another US$17, a bicycle and car mangrove tour.
Island Explorer Cruises, Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai 622, Suwung (tel. 0361/728088; fax 0361/728089; www.bali-cruise.com; day cruises 9am-5pm US$69-US$79; MC, V), part of Coconuts Beach Resort on Lembongan, does cruise and stay packages or even just transfer only from Benoa Harbour at US$35 round-trip. The day cruise includes lunch and activities, such as a village and seaweed tour, banana boats, kayaking, fish feeding, or just leisurely sailing a yacht to the island if you prefer a slower pace. Both the Fun Ship and the Sail Boat depart Benoa at 9am but the yacht takes 2 hours while the fast boat only takes 1 hour. And, yes, the Fun Ship comes complete with its own water slide.
