What's on in Nusa Penida (Penida), Indonesia through the year

Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year peak, Year-end break in Indonesia

• Rule

  Bali tourist levy

  1 Jan – 31 Dec

  Penida falls under the same provincial levy as the mainland: a one-off payment made online before arrival or at the airport counter, with the voucher spot-checked at some sites. Source ↗

Still on: Wet season, cancelled crossings (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)), Christmas and New Year peak (18 Dec – 5 Jan)

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Wet season, cancelled crossings (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Lebaran holiday peak, Lebaran (Idul Fitri) break in Indonesia

• Holiday

  Lebaran holiday peak

  20–24 MarRamadan & EidCrowdedBook early

  Idul Fitri and the cuti bersama days around it make Indonesia's biggest travel week. Domestic flights, ferries and hotels sell out and rise in price as families travel home or on holiday, so book well ahead. Source ↗

• Closure

  Nyepi, the day of silence

  19–20 Mar

  Penida is Bali province and observes it fully: no boats from Sanur, no scooters, no lights after dark, and hotel guests asked to stay inside for twenty-four hours. Source ↗

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Wet season, cancelled crossings (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Lebaran holiday peak (20–24 Mar), Nyepi, the day of silence (19–20 Mar)

Busy — Dry season and the day-boat crush, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Dry season and the day-boat crush

  1 May – 31 Oct · usuallyCrowded

  Calm crossings mean every fast boat from Sanur runs full, and Kelingking and Diamond Beach have queues for the descent by nine in the morning. Stay the night or come out of season.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Peak crowds — Dry season and the day-boat crush, Mid-year break in Indonesia

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Dry season and the day-boat crush (1 May – 31 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Dry season and the day-boat crush, Mid-year break in Indonesia

• Nature

  Mola season

  1 Jul – 31 Oct · usuallyDive season

  Cold upwelling in the Badung Strait brings oceanic sunfish up to the cleaning stations at Crystal Bay, with August and September the most reliable weeks. The same water makes it a genuinely cold dive.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Dry season and the day-boat crush (1 May – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Dry season and the day-boat crush, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Dry season and the day-boat crush (1 May – 31 Oct (usually)), Mola season (1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Dry season and the day-boat crush, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Dry season and the day-boat crush (1 May – 31 Oct (usually)), Mola season (1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Dry season and the day-boat crush, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Dry season and the day-boat crush (1 May – 31 Oct (usually)), Mola season (1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year peak, Year-end break in Indonesia

• Season

  Wet season, cancelled crossings

  1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyMonsoonRisk

  Swell in the strait stops the fast boats for a day at a time and the clifftop tracks turn to mud. The island is at its greenest and its emptiest.

• Holiday

  Christmas and New Year peak

  18 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

  Full and expensive despite being the wettest part of the year, and the crossing is the thing most likely to be cancelled. Leave a spare day before an onward flight from Denpasar. Source ↗

Still on: Bali tourist levy (1 Jan – 31 Dec)