Overview
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Kuta
Kuta is a great place to start your Lombok itinerary. It is a wonderful town in the south of Lombok, mainly known for surfing. There is a very cozy atmosphere, with a lot of lovely bars and restaurants. You will find many beautiful beaches for a day of relaxing or surfing and you can enjoy a beautiful sunset at one of the many stunning viewpoints along the shore.
Recommended time to stay
We recommend 2 to 3 days.
What to do in and around Senggigi
Visit Pink Beach on Ekas Peninsula
Explore the bat caves
Go Surfing
Have a beach day on tanjung aan beach
Watch the sunset from bukit merese
Pink Beach
It will probably not surprise you but Pink beach is a beautiful beach with a unique pink color. The beach gets its color from the pink corals in this area. It is one of the most famous places on Lombok, yet not so easy to reach. Pink beach is located on the Ekas Peninsula of Lombok, about a 1,5 to 2 hours drive from Kuta. Besides the beach, there is not so much to do in the area. However, the road there is in good condition and takes you along the real local life of Lombok, making it a fun and interesting ride.
Bat Caves
A very interesting place to visit on your Lombok itinerary are the Bat Cave in Kuta. You might know these caves from the magical pictures on Instagram with the big ray of light shining in, but nothing is less true. Inside the cave are thousands of bats, but you will also find large geckos, sometimes snakes and countless cockroaches running across the floor. So be prepared for this! At the right time on a sunny day, you will be able to make this magical picture with a large beam of light , but keep the bat droppings and cockroaches in mind.
When you visit the bat cave at sunset, you can see the thousands of bats flying out of the cave for tens of minutes!
Go surfing
Kuta Lombok is mainly known for surfing with many beautiful beaches to hit the waves. The area has a lot of reef breaks, causing more challenging and powerful waves compared to beach breaks. There are different surfing spots with a variety of surf breaks for all levels. There are several surf shops around where you can rent your gear or you can take surf lessons at one of the surf schools in the area.
Tanjung Aan and Bukit Merese
Tanjung Aan is a stunning white sand beach with crystal clears waters, a restaurant and lounge chairs. It is the perfect place to enjoy some time on the beach and go for a refreshing swim. Next to this beach, you find Bukit Merese, a popular hill to watch the sunset. It’s about a 15 minute walk to the viewpoint which is known to be the best sunset spot of Lombok!
Senggigi
Senggigi is a popular tourist area on the west coast of Lombok. It has some beautiful beaches and a big range of accommodations, from luxury resorts to budget-friendly guesthouses. It is the perfect base to explore central Lombok and also a convenient base to visit the nearby Gili Islands. You’ll find many boat companies in Senggigi sailing to these paradise islands.
Recommended time to stay
We recommend 2 to 3 days.
What to do in and around Senggigi
Explore Nipah Beach and Pandanan Beach
Go on a day trip to tetebatu
Visit the Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu Waterfall
Take a snorkel trip to the Gili Islands
Day Trip to Tetebatu
Tetebatu is a lovely village, located in central Lombok. It is often referred to as the Ubud of Lombok, because you will also find beautiful rice terraces, a monkey forest and some nice waterfalls in the area. The Tetebatu rice terraces can only be visited during a guided trekking. The nice thing about this tour is that in addition to the rice fields, you also visit the other highlights of Tetebatu, so it’s all in one!
Along the way, your guide will also tell you interesting information about the process of rice production and many other plants that you pass along the way. We thought it was a super fun and interesting experience! You find more information in our guide to exploring the Tetebatu Rice Terraces.
Benan Stokel and Benang Kelambu Waterfall
Besides the Tiu Kelep waterfall, Lombok is home to even more impressive waterfalls. The Benang Stokel and Kelambu waterfall are two waterfalls not far from each other, making it easy to visit them during one trek. They are located at the foot of Mount Rinjani, almost in the heart of Lombok.
Together with Tetebatu, visiting these waterfalls is the perfect day trip from Senggigi on this Lombok itinerary.
Snorkeling trip to the Gili Islands
Senggigi is the perfect base to explore the Gili Islands. If you are short in time, but still want to explore the Gili Islands, you can take a snorkel day trip from Lombok. However, if you have more time, you can spend a few days on the Gili islands, which is the next destination on this Lombok itinerary!
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Gili Islands
Jump on a boat to the Gili Islands and spend a few days in paradise. The Gili Islands are your place to be if you are looking for the tropical island life. These 3 islands are located right off shore in the north west of Lombok. They each have their own characteristics and are therefore a destination for every kind of traveler. The best activity to do on these islands is snorkeling, as the chances are very big you will see turtles along the shore! Gili Trawangan, or just Gili T, is the biggest and most famous islands. If you are looking for a little party, this is the islands you should go for. Gili Air and Gili Meno are perfect to spend some time relaxing on the beach!
Recommended time to stay
We recommend enjoying the Gili Islands for 2 to 3 days.
What to do on the Gili Islands
Go snorkeling with turtles
Rent a bike and make a tour
White Beaches And Beach Bars
Snorkeling with turtles
The fun part about the Gili Islands is that you can snorkel with turtles right of shore. We took our snorkeling gear and simply went into the sea from the beach. We spotted several turtles here. If you are lucky you can also see small sharks! If you didn’t bring your own gear, you can rent snorkel equipment from one of the stalls at the beach.
Cycle around the island
Since there is no motorized traffic on the Gili islands, you have to travel on foot or by bicycle. As the islands are so small, you can easily cycle all around!
Beaches and beach bars
While exploring the island by bike, you will see that there are many white beaches around the islands. Treat yourself to a good cocktail at one of the beach bars and enjoy the peace and quiet that you can find on these islands.
How to get to the Gili Islands from Lombok: You can take a ferry from the port in Bangsal to one of the Gili Islands. You can book your ferry directly on 12go.asia or Getyourguide. Alternatively, you can book also book a one day trip to the Gili Islands from Lombok.
Activities
Discover the Gili Islands in a unique way through our partner GetYourGuide.
Senaru
You can end this Lombok itinerary in Senaru. This picturesque village is located in the northern part of Lombok and a popular starting point for perhaps one of Lombok’s most famous highlights: a trek to Mount Rinjani. It is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia and a significant natural landmark on the island. Several trekking routes start from Senaru and often includes camping, hot springs and breathtaking views of the surrounding scenery.
Besides being a starting point for the Mount Rinjani trekkings, Senaru is also the perfect base to visit the famous Tiu Kelep waterfalls and the Bukit Selong viewpoint.
Recommended time to stay
If you are going to do the Mount Rinjani trekking, you should allow 4 to 5 days. Without this walk, 2 days should be enough.
What to do in Senaru
Mt. Rinjani
Tiu Kelep and Sendang gile Waterfalls
Bukit Selong Viewpoint
Mount Rinjani Trekking
Trekking Mount Rinjani is probably one of the most famous and adventurous things to do on Lombok. During this trek, you climb up 3726 meters to the top of the Rinjani volcano, where you can spend the night on the volcano rim. There are different tours and you can choose to do a trekking of 2 or 3 days. It is a challenging trek, but it is definitely a unique experience and you’ll be rewarded with some incredible views along the way!
Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile Waterfall
Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile are probably the most famous and spectacular waterfalls on Lombok. They are located close to each other, so you can easily combine a visit to both these waterfalls. It was definitely one of the highlights of our Lombok itinerary.
Bukit Selong viewpoint
Bukit Selong is a magical viewpoint in the north of Lombok. You have an incredible view of a big field of colorful patches, like a patchwork quilt covering the area with the mountains in the background.
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Practical Information
Best time to visit Lombok
Lombok experiences only two seasons: wet season and dry season. Due to its location, the island experiences high temperatures all year round.
The best time for this Lombok itinerary is generally between April and October, during dry season. Know that the months of July and August are high season with the biggest crowds. You can, of course, expect dry weather during dry season and also the beaches are cleaner in this period. Therefore, we recommend you to visit Lombok in the shoulder seasons April to May or September to October.
How to get around
The roads on Lombok are generally in good condition. One of the best, easiest and cheapest ways to discover the island is by scooter. Prices vary from 60.000 to 100.000 IDR per 24hours.
However, the distances between different interesting areas on this Lombok itinerary are sometimes quite long. Depending on your planning, it is sometimes better or more pleasant to hire a private driver or join a day trip.
For travel between the different regions with your luggage, you can easily book a shuttle service with tour operators or even at your accommodation.
How many days for Lombok
Lombok is definitely not a small island and you can easily spend more than a week or two on this island. The minimum time we recommend for Lombok is at least 5 days. To visit all the places of this Lombok itinerary, you’ll need at least one week. If you are planning to do a Mount Rinjani trek, it is better to allow an extra day or 2 to be sure you have enough time to see some of the other highlights as well. Ideally, we would say 7 to 10 days to explore at a leisurely pace.
How to get to Lombok
Lombok has its own international airport. It’s well-connected to major Indonesian cities like Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali) and Surabaya, as well as to some international destinations.
If you are coming from Bali, you can either take a plane from Denpasar, or you can come to Lombok by ferry or speedboat.
If you have the time and you are coming from Flores to Lombok, we highly recommend you doing the 3day-2night or 4day-4night boat tour along the Komodo National Park. It is a unique experience, a fun way to discover multiple islands in one tour and at the same time your transportation between the two islands.
Where to Stay
Lombok is a large island and can be divided into different regions to stay. Depending on what you want to visit, there are different villages and towns where it is best to stay. In the south, Kuta is the best place to stay. This is a super cozy village, mostly known among surfers. In the north and for the mount Rinjani Trekking, Senaru is the best place to stay. Don’t expect large luxury resorts here, but nice guesthouses, ideal for a Mount Rinjani trekking. The most famous place in the west of Lombok is Senggigi, where you will find the more luxurious resorts of the island.
Hotels in Lombok
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Win-Win for everyone
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However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!
