Lombok

Lombok is the island directly east of Bali: one landmass with surf beaches in the south, a volcano in the middle, and far less development along its coast than its famous neighbour. It sits in West Nusa Tenggara province and is home mainly to the Sasak people. Unlike Hindu Bali, Lombok is majority Muslim, so the rhythm of the day and the dress code away from the beaches feel different. Tourism here is younger and thinner on the ground, which means fewer crowds and generally lower prices, but also longer drives and less choice. Away from resorts and tourist beaches, covering shoulders and knees is the respectful default.

The south coast around Kuta is Lombok's surf and beach heartland, a run of horseshoe bays split by headlands. Kuta Lombok, which is a different place entirely from Kuta in Bali, is the base most travellers use. Tanjung Aan lies just east of town and is better for swimming and the short climb up Merese Hill, Mawun sits west in a steep-sided bay, and Selong Belanak further west is where most first surf lessons happen, thanks to its gentle sand-bottom waves. This stretch is also the Mandalika tourism zone, which brought a bypass road and the MotoGP circuit.

Mount Rinjani is the island's headline trek and a serious multi-day climb, not a day walk. Routes from Senaru and Sembalun typically run two or three days to the crater rim, the crater lake Segara Anak, or the 3,726-metre summit, with steep loose ground, cold nights and camping. Entry goes through the national park's online booking system, with a permit, a registered guide and quotas. Trails also close in the wet season: as of July 2026 the park had announced a closure from 1 January to 31 March 2026, and comparable closures have been repeated in other years. Check the current park status before booking flights around a trek.

West and north Lombok are the greener, cooler side of the island, with Senggigi as the long-established beach strip and the Senaru waterfalls inland. Senggigi sits on the west coast north of Mataram and has been a tourist base far longer than Kuta, so it now feels quieter than in its peak years, with sunset views back towards Bali's Mount Agung on clear days. Inland at Senaru, Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep are the two best-known falls, on the same stepped path. Tiu Kelep is the further of the two and involves stream crossings, so wear footwear that can get wet.

You reach Lombok either by fast boat from Bali or by a short flight into Lombok International Airport (LOP), near Praya in the south. Flights from Denpasar are frequent and take roughly half an hour, which is the simplest option if you are heading to Kuta, since the airport is around 20 to 30 minutes away by car. Fast boats run from Padang Bai and other Bali harbours to Senggigi and to Bangsal or Teluk Nare in the northwest, commonly a couple of hours or more depending on route, operator and sea conditions, and crossings can be rough or cancelled in bad weather. On the island itself, a hired driver or a scooter covers most trips.

Lombok has workable mobile coverage across its populated areas, and Goodbars runs on Telkomsel, the Indonesian network with the widest reach. Expect 4G/LTE rather than 5G: as of July 2026 the 5G rollout has not reached Lombok the way it has parts of Bali's south, and signal thins on mountain roads, inside Rinjani National Park and along the emptier stretches of the south coast. Hotel and cafe Wi-Fi is common in Kuta, Senggigi and Mataram, and much less dependable elsewhere. Because a travel eSIM installs before you fly and switches on when you land, you arrive connected rather than hunting for a SIM counter, which matters here because you will lean on maps and messaging for drivers and boat times.