Bali is bustling. Thousands of Indonesians and foreign tourists press through Poppies Lane 1 and 2, while Legian Street is clogged with sputtering motorcycles and automobiles. This is Kuta, the island's main resort. Either you love the chaos or you hate it.
When the band in the Espresso Bar begins to play 'Welcome to My Paradise,' the crowd can contain itself no longer. Holidaymakers and locals dance with wild abandon. Giuseppe from Sicily is among them, and Antonia from Britain, and Ashley from Sydney.
The three are going to bed earlier tonight, though, because they have booked an outing for the next day to Nusa Lembongan, a small island near Bali.
In the morning, as the catamaran approaches Nusa Lembongan after an hour-and-a-half's journey, it is immediately clear that its inhabitants do not give a hoot for hubbub and discos. A white beach awaits the visitors, colourful fishing boats rock in the wind, and the only sound is the lapping of the waves.
Nusa Lembongan lies in the Badung Strait about 12 nautical miles from Bali, and is near the islands of Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan. Just 2.5 kilometres wide and 4 kilometres long, it is situated directly on Wallace's Line, which marks the boundary between the Oriental and Australian zoogeographic regions.
The island not only offers splendid snorkelling and diving areas, spotless beaches, and pristine, turquoise-coloured water, but also marvellous views of Gunung Agung, Bali's highest and most sacred mountain.
Most visitors take a day trip to Nusa Lembongan. Their first destination is the mangrove forests, where they glide by boat through dense jungle. It is quiet, hot and humid. The main attraction follows: algae farming, which is the island's chief source of income.
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ReplyDeleteThanks Tanas, I have now included links to the article and the map of Lembongan in the original post
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