LE PIRATE BEACH CLUB - NUSA CENINGAN, BALI

      

      Nusa Ceningan is a tiny island located roughly 15km south east of Sanur’s coast. It is one of the Trio Islands that include Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida. We love Nusa Ceningan for its unspoiled natural beauty -- there really is no way to explain how breathtaking the crystal clear waters and stunning white sand beaches are. These sights are fast becoming a rarity in other parts of Bali. Rugged landscapes and stunning picturesque panorama can also be found scattered on all sides of the Trio Islands.

      This place has everything you value from the mainland – minus the swarming crowds of tourists and jam-packed traffic! The scarcity of cars is awesome! The locals prefer going around on bicycle or motorbike. Another reason why you’ll find very few tourists is because it’s still relatively unknown and have yet to become mainstream to the public; we like to call it one of Bali’s best kept secrets. Because it’s so scarcely populated, it’s the ideal place to withdraw from the world and enjoy some self-rejuvenation. 

      A few months ago, we set sail to a weekend-getaway there with a group of friends, and chose to stay at Le Pirate Beach Club. Le Pirate Beach Club is an amazing, affordable, ‘non star resort’ situated right on the coast of Ceningan. It was the perfect place for us to stay because just like what the website promises you—it gave us a true island experience! 

      What added to its allure are the picture-perfect turquoise and white beach boxes they provide. The resort boasts only 10 of them in total so it feels very private. You won’t feel like you’re staying at an every-day overcrowded resort. Even with other guests around, it’ll feel like you have the place to yourself.

       We must admit, the beach boxes were tiny! And when we say tiny, we mean 2m x 2m with almost no roaming space. (If you were expecting some kind of glamorous mega resort similar to The Mulia or Ayana, don’t read any further!) In it, you’ll only find the essentials (each box has its own private outdoor bathroom, don’t worry). Nevertheless, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in charm and a whole lot of personality. 

      We'd also like to give huge thanks to the very friendly staff who were there to assist us anytime we had a concern or question. They gave us helpful advice on how to get around the island and which spots were worth seeing!

Reserving a Room at Le Pirate Beach Club

We recommend to book long ahead of time, as rooms are rather limited. The best time to go is around August-November; the weather is perfect and you’ll avoid high season crowds and prices.

1.     You can directly call them at +62 361 7416833 to make arrangements

2.     Book a room through their website www.lepirate-beachclub.com

3.     You can also easily reserve a room through online travel agencies such as Agoda

Prices

There are two types of rooms/beach boxes that they provide

1.     Standard: Contains a double bed, fan, and private outdoor bathroom suitable for two people max - 
     320,000 IDR/night or $32.00

2.    Shared: Contains 2 bunk beds, fan, and private outdoor bathroom suitable for four people max - 

      480,000 IDR/night or $42.000

(Air conditioning requires an additional charge!)

How to Get There

1.    You must first take a speedboat from Sanur Beach to Nusa Lembongan. Tickets sell for 60,000 IDR or roughly around $5.00, and are available at a booth near the famous fish restaurant ‘Warung Ikan Mak Beng’ at the end of Jalan Han. Choose the speedboat that takes you to Mushroom Bay, Nusa Lembongan. This will take approximately 30-40 minutes. You must go via Nusa Lembongan because there are no boats that directly go to Nusa Ceningan.

2.   Once you arrive at Mushroom Bay, we suggest renting a motorbike to crossover to Nusa Ceningan, which will take approximately 20-30 minutes. Motorbike rentals are available near the boat drop off point. If you're unable to ride a motorbike, you can easily arrange a pick-up from Le Pirate Beach Club, which will cost you 150,000 IDR one way. 

PEEK OF BLUE

Clean lines, simple silhouette, with a pop of color! We usually stick with our beloved neutrals, but adding color here and there is quite refreshing! This blue knee-length dress is the type that hugs you in all the right places; allowing you to show off all those curves but yet also still demure given the length. Hence, why we've been obsessing over knee-length dresses/skirts as of late! Moreover, it completely compliments the atmosphere that is beautiful tropical Bali. Paired the dress with nude strappy heels and voilà! 

xx

DOUBLE DECKER DENIM

TOP: Zara, SHORTS: Maverick, NECKLACE: Rosemary, HEELS: Zara

Jeans on Jeans

Can't believe this is the first time I've tried layering jeans on jeans. Love this casual look so much -- rolled up oversized boyfriend button-up and high-waist shorts -- its clean pallet a nod to Summer easiness. The necklace from Rosemary gives just the right amount of shimmer to the somewhat basic getup. 

Less is so much more.

ROAD TRIP: MENJANGAN ISLAND

Clear skies, translucent waters with a backdrop of Java's beautiful mountains in the distance. 

This was the atmosphere that Menjangan Island bestowed upon us, which we happily soaked in. We call it a road trip because it takes roughly 3 hours from the capital Denpasar depending on the traffic, located 5 miles North-West of Bali. Close cities near Menjangan are Singaraja, North of Bali, and Banyuwangi, located on the Eastern Coast of Java.

It is greatly advised that one travels to Menjangan in the early hours of morning to get the best experience. We traveled with three other friends of ours and made our trip at 6 am. We arrived around 8:30 AM and rented a boat (with two travel guides) out with 5 other tourists. Each person payed a fee of 135k rupiah, which is roughly 13 USD. This fee includes all equipment needed for snorkeling. The boat ride to Menjangan Island takes about half an hour.

It is said that this is one of the best locations in Bali for snorkeling/diving and we wouldn't argue with that statement! The waters were absolutely crystal clear, making the colorful fish and corral all the more evident. It's a shame we didn't bring an underwater camera to capture all the beauty!! We were given two hours to snorkel in two different locations around the island and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Frankly, two hours is not nearly enough to take in this piece of heaven! Planning our next trip here already :) 

xx

KNOT ME UP

A great combination of design, pattern, and simplicity is found in the products from local Indonesian brand, Knot. They design their products with both modern and traditional elements while not forgetting to add rich colors into the mix as well. We have the 'Little India Clutch Bag' as well as the 'Sunshine Camera Strap' to share with you guys today. We've been using both recently and we love it! 

We find the Little India Clutch Bag quite versatile; great for both casual days out to the beach or more formal nights out with friends. This particular bag uses India's songket material--which from different angles and lighting--creates change in it's color, and is quite unique. The songket has a rich sand yellow color with a slight of magenta and turquoise hue peacock pattern. The inner and outer material of the clutch is of rust brown colored suede. 

The camera strap on the other hand uses Thailand's songket as the material with a very pretty geometric pattern. The back of the strap is brown synthetic leather and black nylon. The camera stopper is changeable, which is very convenient, since the strap has a universal width size of 1.5 cm. This is a fun alternative that turned our very boring black camera strap into a very chic one!

For more information on Knot's products, please check out their website! 

xx