Why
Lombok Island
is special

Lombok (means "chili pepper") is the most popular side-trip for Bali-based tourists. The chief reason is its proximity to Bali. Another major draw is Lombok's Gili Islands.

The Gili Islands

of Lombok

Don't miss them

Whatever you do in Lombok, visit the three petite Gili Islands (named Air, Meno and Trawangan). They are just off the Lombok mainland. You can reach the nearest Gili Island in 20 minutes on a small outboard outrigger boat from the nearby Bangsal harbor beach. Its sunsets are romantic.

Snorkeling & scuba diving

The three Gili Islands are praised for snorkeling and scuba diving. Each island is abutted by clear-water reefs teeming with fascinating coral formations and marine life, including giant clams and colorful tropical fish. If you never snorkeled or dived before, local dive shops have qualified instructors to teach you.

Laid-back

Even if you don't put your toe in the water, do experience the Gili Island's youthful, laid-back tone, typical of relatively undiscovered, not-yet-mainstream travel destinations. Life is slow-paced. No one is in a hurry. There are no cars or motorbikes. You travel the islands' unpaved dirt roads on foot or in minuscule horse-drawn carts.

Gili Island accommodations

Virtually all are rather basic, with minimum amenities. If that sleep-over adventure is not on your wish list, no problem. It's easy to make day trips to one or all three islands and return to sleep in your comfy Lombok Island hotel room (though you will miss the Gili Islands' nighttime spirit generated by carefree vacationers, mostly in their 20s to early 30s).

Redundancy

"Gili" means "island", so "Gili Islands" means "island islands", a classic redundancy. However, the "Gili Islands" term is so widely used in the local tourist trade that is now a valid appellation.

Lombok
tips & insights

Other Lombok destinations

Visitors heading to Lombok's southern coast should visit the traditional Sasak fishing villages. Surfers will relish Lombok's Kuta Beach (far less crowded and commercialized than its namesake, Bali's Kuta Beach).

Lombok accommodations

Comfort-seeking tourists can enjoy Lombok's luxury resorts, ideal for unwinding. The Sheraton is directly on a palm-fringed, white-sand beach front in Senggigi, the island's tourism epi-center. The more isolated and upscale Oberoi resort is a 45-minute drive to the north, but lacks an adjacent beach front.

Cannot afford the pricey track? Lombok has accommodations to suit all budgets.

Shopping

You can bargain for the wares in the craft villages. Best bets in Lombok: pottery, basketry and weaving.

Climbing

In-shape hikers climb Mt. Rinjani, an active volcano (it last erupted about five years ago).  At 3726 meters (13,250 feet), Mt. Rinjani is Indonesia's second highest peak and dominates Lombok's northern landscape. The view from the top is inspiring. Plan on two or three days for this trek. Hire a professional guide.

How Lombok

compares with Bali

Although relatively close geographically, Lombok and Bali are dissimilar in many ways.

Lombok is drier, less lush (especially in the island's east and south). However, overall, Lombok has better swimming and surfing beaches. Its character is less hurried and touristy.

The two islands are ethnically different. Bali is inhabited chiefly by the Balinese while nearly 90% of Lombok's population is Sasak. The two peoples have different languages, cultures and religions. In Bali, the predominant faith is Hindu-Dharmaism while in Lombok, it's Islam.

Lombok is

easy to reach

By air

It takes just 30 minutes to fly from Bali to Lombok's Mataram Airport.

By boat

You can travel to Lombok on a large, modern, comfortable passenger-only ferry in 2.5 hours. The ferry service operated by Bounty Cruises transports you directly to strategically situated Senggigi while the Mabua Express ferry service drops you off farther south, at Lembar. If you have an automobile or motorcycle, you need to take a considerably slower car ferry.

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