Ultimate Travel Guide – Lombok Island, Indonesia

When traveling to Indonesia, Bali is usually the first place that comes to mind. Many people spend the whole trip in Bali, but the large neighbouring island of Lombok is definitely worth a visit as well.

Read more in our Lombok ultimate travel guide, where we give you tips for e.g. transport, experiences and good hotels.

Transport to and from Lombok

Lombok has its own airport, so it makes sense to travel from Bali to the Gili Islands and then continue on to the city of Lombok before flying back from here to Bali or home.

From the Gili Islands it is simply too risky e.g. to sail to Bali in the morning if you have a flight home on the same day – the waves can be too high, engines can break, etc.

You can avoid this by traveling from the Gili Islands to Lombok first. From here you can take a flight from Lombok to Bali (the flight only takes about half an hour) and then travel home from the same airport a few hours later.

You can also fly from Lombok to e.g. Singapore, but Bali has far more international routes. It takes an hour to drive from Senggigi Beach to Lombok Airport. If you need transport on the trip, let us help – read more below.

Lombok – you have to experience it

Lombok is a relatively large island, which mainly consists of jungles, waterfalls and volcanoes – here are all opportunities to get some magnificent nature experiences and get a little away from the usual tourist roads.

Mount Rinjani

One of the absolute top attractions on Lombok is a trip to Mount Rinjani. The volcano has an altitude of 3600 meters, and many call the mountain the world’s most beautiful volcano. It is an extremely pleasant experience to pull up on Rinjani, but it is not for beginners.

Senaru

Most people who climb Mount Rinjani start their trip in Senaru. Even if you do not have to pull, Senaru is definitely worth a visit. Here you can take a slightly easier trip into the jungle that hides the most beautiful waterfalls (see photo above). In the area you can also visit the Sasak people, who are the island’s indigenous people.

Gili Islands

Lombok is located next to the popular Gili Islands, which you can sail to in 15-20 minutes. The beaches in the northern part of Lombok are regular, but in the Gili Islands you get the real thing. Think chalk white sand and crystal clear water. Gili Air and Gili Meno are quiet while there is life and happy days on the somewhat larger Gili Trawangan.

Pusuk Pass and Monkey Forest

High up behind Senggigi and the coast are Pusuk Pass and Monkey Forest. Hennes 980 m.o.h. of course you have a beautiful view of the coast and you can see both the Gili Islands and Bali. If you stop here, you are guaranteed to see monkeys, but you must indulge in a walk on the paths between the locals’ houses. However, it is a good idea to bring a local guide.

Areas of Lombok – where should you live?

Although part of Lombok is covered by jungle and on the northern island very mountainous, there are of course a number of larger cities on the Indonesian island, where the population in general (unlike in Bali, where they are Hindus) are mainly Muslims.

Senggigi – near the Gili Islands

Senggigi is Lombok’s most developed “tourist town”. Here there are quite a few hotels along the coast, and then there is also a good selection of restaurants. It is not tourism in full swing, as we know it from e.g. Kuta in Bali, but it is a developed city that is used to tourists.

In fact, Senggigi consists of a longer stretch of coastline with small towns, but the tourism itself and the large selection of hotels and eateries can be found along the main street in Senggigi itself.

Senggigi is located on the northwest side of Lombok quite close to the Gili Islands. The beaches are not as beautiful as on the islands, but probably closer as we know them from Bali – you do not have to travel to Lombok for the sake of the beaches.

In return, you must travel to Lombok to get exciting nature experiences with jungles, waterfalls and volcanoes – here Senggigi is an excellent base.

As mentioned, you eat well in Senggigi, and we can only recommend trying a real rijstaffel – visit the Asmara restaurant on the main street.

The southern part of Lombok

South of Lombok Airport you are a good distance away from tourism. It takes a couple of hours to drive to the south coast from Senggigi, but then you also come to an area with one of the very best beaches in the entire Bali / Gili / Lombok area.

In other words: if you are looking for a place to holiday on Lombok far away from tourism, you can advantageously travel to the southern part of the island.

Hotels in Lombok – recommendations of good places

There are many hotels, guesthouses and hostels on Lombok. We have chosen a good number of them and would below recommend the hotels we think are the best.

And let’s start with the recommendation of hotels in Lombok – we start with the good hotels in Senggigi.

Holiday Resort Lombok – good hotel with pool by the beach

One of the hotels on Lombok that can be booked quite cheaply and where you get really good value for money. It is a larger resort where there is plenty of space in the area.

Here are several different room types and also the possibility of family rooms for you who travel to Lombok with children.

For the price you get a lot of quality with a newly renovated pool area and of course the beach, which is located right in front of the hotel.

A good middle-class hotel for you who do not want to spend too much money on accommodation, but in return do not want to compromise on comfort. The hotel has 188 rooms, three restaurants, free wi-fi and more.

Puri Mas – small and very popular hotel

Puri Mas on Lombok is one of our favourite hotels on the Indonesian holiday island. It is a place where you get a lot for your money – here is both a nice pool area and beach right in front of the hotel.

The cheapest rooms are quite good and kept in a special bold style. The location of the hotel is also excellent.

Of course there is free wi-fi here, and it is worth noting that the hotel right now has a score of 9.4 out of 10 – so it is a very popular hotel at a cheap price.

There is not much else to say – Puri Mas at Lombok is a safe choice.

Kila Senggigi – Top location in Senggigi

A larger resort perfectly located next to the best part of the beach in central Senggigi with a few minutes walk to the shops and restaurants of the main street.

Kila Senggigi offers both bungalows and rooms in one of the many 2-storey buildings. All rooms have TV, kettle, and free wifi.

Of facilities you will find i.a. swimming pool and restaurants. We received good service and we think that Kila Senggigi has a nice atmosphere.

Of other hotels in the Senggigi area on Lombok we can e.g. recommends the following:

• Living Asia Resort
• Sudamala Suites (LUXURY)

We hope you find our Ultimate Lombok Travel Guide above useful.

 

Source : https://traveleast.dk/