Skip to Content
Tembeling Beach – Epic Forest Adventure With Natural Pool (Nusa Penida)

Tembeling Beach – Epic Forest Adventure With Natural Pool (Nusa Penida)

A complete travel guide to Tembeling Beach forest and natural pools on Nusa Penida, Indonesia

Tembeling Beach is a hidden beach off the regular tourist beat in Nusa Penida. Getting To Tembeling Nusa Penida is an adventure in itself, riding through slightly sketchy roads through beautiful forest and past several amazing natural pools along the way.

In this guide, I’ll detail everything you need to know about Tembeling Nusa Penida, including how to get here through the forest, information about the natural pools, and the beach itself.

TEMBELING BEACH NATURAL POOLS NUSA PENIDA

About Tembeling Nusa Penida

If you're looking for an epic forest adventure with overhead, vine-swinging monkeys and steep dirt tracks down to off-the-beaten-path swimming spots in Nusa Penida, definitely check out Tembeling Beach.

This beach is located on the West Coast of Nusa Penida near Bali. You'll find it between other worthwhile attractions like Kelingking Beach and Peguyangan Waterfall.

You won't find any tourist buses or large groups visiting this spot, meaning you'll likely get to enjoy the "secret" white sand beach, unique Tembeling forests, natural pools, limestone caves, and some awesome cliff jumps.

With that said, getting here is a bit of a wild ride! I definitely wouldn't advise it if you're not super comfortable riding motorbikes off-road.

TEMBELING BEACH NATURAL POOLS NUSA PENIDA

How To Get To Tembeling Beach on Nusa Penida

The only way to get to Tembeling Beach on Nusa Penida is to rent your own motorbike. You can get these from your accommodation or the many rental shops at the harbor port.

A daily rental costs between 50,000 to 70,000 rupiah for a decent scooter.

Alternatively, if you'd like to save the hassle of bartering, you can book one in advance on this website for 50,000 rupiah.

Book the cheap ferry from Bali online: Sanur (Bali) Ferry Transfer (fast-boat)

What you'll want to do is head to the pin below. If you just type in "Tembeling Beach" into Google Maps, you'll soon realize that it's not that straightforward.

Once you arrive at the pin, you'll notice a small warung and hut. From here, you'll begin the very steep descent down to Tembeling Beach. Note that this road is eroded, bumpy, steep, and very narrow. Again, if you're not confident, leave your bike at the start of this road and walk down.

  • Google Maps Pin: "Pos Ojek Tembeling"
Map of Nusa Penida showing Tembeling Beach

Hike or Motorbike to Tembeling?

After a couple of years of backpacking in Asia, I'd still say that this road is one of the more "hectic" scooter missions I've been on. Apparently, there are a lot of motorbike accidents that happen on Nusa Penida, and this particular spot is a good example of why.

Again, I don't want to paint the wrong picture and maybe I'm being a little bit dramatic. But I'm writing this because I know that many people come to Bali and Nusa Penida to learn how to ride scooters. This definitely isn't the spot for that!

Haylea and I went down together on the bike but she had to get off to walk some of the steep sections a few times. I wouldn't recommend trying two people on the bike down to Tembeling Beach through the forest tracks!

Walking down instead takes about 30 minutes. So, if you're not confident, leave your bike at the top and enjoy the hike instead!

Alternatively, you might be lucky to meet a group of locals sitting at the hut at the turn-off. These opportunistic characters will be quick to offer you a return trip on a bike for 50,000 rupiah each.

TEMBELING BEACH NATURAL POOLS NUSA PENIDA

Alternative: Best of Nusa Penida from Bali

While Nusa Penida is definitely smaller in Bali, I wouldn’t say it’s possible to check out all the attractions in a single day.

Therefore, if you’re only planning a day trip from Bali, you’ll want the best bang-for-time possible.

Unfortunately, there aren't any trips that include a visit to Tembeling Beach, forest, and natural pools. However, if you're going to pick one, I'd suggest the one below, which visits Broken Beach, Crystal Bay and Kelingking, with an included fast-boat transfer.

Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, Bali
Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida Travel Guide

The Ultimate Nusa Penida Travel Resource

Looking for more Nusa Penida travel guides & adventure inspiration? Below are my most comprehensive blog posts that will serve as a great free resource for your trip.

Tembeling Beach Natural Pools & Forest

Eventually, you'll reach the bottom scooter car park for Tembeling Beach, forest and natural pools on Nusa Penida. Unlike many of the popular attractions on the island, you don't have to pay to leave your bike here, nor an entrance fee!

From this point on, it's a pleasant walk down concrete steps through the Tembeling Beach forest. You'll pass a couple of blue lagoons and natural pools along the way.

HIKING TO TEMBELING NUSA PENIDA
TEMBELING BEACH NATURAL POOLS NUSA PENIDA
TEMBELING BEACH NATURAL POOLS NUSA PENIDA CLIFF JUMPING SPOT

It's possible to cliff-jump into these pools. The larger jump is about 5 metres, and the pool below is deep enough not to touch. Just make sure to always do a depth-check first.

The main attraction at Tembeling Nusa Penida is the large, man-made blue pool fed by a flow of directed water. You'll find this natural pool just before Tembeling Beach. When we visited, we shared the entire place with one local character who seemed to really be enjoying his shower.

TEMBELING NUSA PENIDA

Tembeling Beach

Tembeling Beach is a beautiful white-sand beach with a dramatic cliff backdrop. There are so many incredible beaches on Nusa Penida but this one had a special touch. Maybe it was because we had it all to ourselves!

TEMBELING BEACH ON NUSA PENIDA

Cairn Cave

Just around the corner from the natural pools on Tembeling Beach, you'll find a low entrance to a small cave. If you peer through here, you'll see thousands of cairns (rocks-stacks).

ROCK STACK, CAIRN CAVE ON NUSA PENIDA

Where to Stay on Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida isn't a huge island, but there are several options to pick from when choosing where to stay. Below I've included my 3 picks for budget, mid-range, and luxury accommodation.

  • Luxury: Adiwana Warnakali Resort - This isn't the most expensive luxury resort on Nusa Penida but it's definitely one of the best! This resort is waterfront located with large, luxury suites and an incredibly included breakfast.
  • Mid-range: Jukung Cottage - This epic, beachside resort-style cottage retreat offers great bang for buck. It features a restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool, a bar, and a shared lounge.
  • Budget: Hostel Bukit Sangcure - This is the accommodation I chose in Nusa Penida. It's a cheap backpacker hostel that is close to the port and offers breakfast and bike rentals.
Nusa Penida Treehouse

More Things to do in Nusa Penida & INdonesia

I really hope you've enjoyed this quick and up-to-date travel guide to Tembeling Beach forest and natural pools on Nusa Penida, Bali.

If you stick around, I've got loads more articles to Nusa Penida, Bali and Indonesia that I'm sure you'll enjoy.