{"id":1650,"date":"2024-09-25T12:56:46","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T12:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelwithanda.com\/?p=1650"},"modified":"2024-09-30T16:08:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T16:08:51","slug":"lombok-travel-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelwithanda.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/25\/lombok-travel-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Charming Lombok, Indonesia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following a business trip to Singapore in September 2018<\/strong>, we decided to visit Lombok<\/strong> as a part of our belated summer vacation. With a good climate, cheap prices, and direct flights from Singapore, Lombok seemed like a perfect alternative to its overcrowded neighbor Bali. Unfortunately, less than one month before our departure, a series of destructive earthquakes happened, and we had some doubts about whether it was safe to travel to Lombok. The situation got stable a couple of days before our departure, so we decided to take a risk and go anyway. This decision turned out to be one of the best ones in my travel \u201ccareer\u201d, and it led to another Lombok visit in September 2024.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this post, I will share a quick Lombok travel guide<\/strong>, with places to stay, things to do, safety, and other tips that will help you plan your next Indonesian adventure. In the end, you will also find some useful links and discount codes for your reference.<\/p>\n

Where is Lombok – Getting there and around\u00a0<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara<\/strong> province, in the eastern part of Indonesia. Hence, you only have 2 options to get to Lombok: by air or by boat<\/strong>. The most frequent local flights are from Jakarta, while Lombok Airport also offers\u00a0direct flights<\/a> from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, and some other Indonesian cities. The boat option is mostly used by tourists, visiting Lombok from Bali (the island is less than 2 hours drive away), or Sumbawa Island. There is a big difference between speed boats and local boats – not only in prices but also in the duration of travel, so I suggest you do your homework carefully.<\/p>\n

To reach your hotel from the airport or harbor you can either rent a taxi or download the Bluebird app<\/strong> (similar to Uber). The roads are quite busy, bumpy, and narrow, and Indonesians drive on the left, so renting a car in Lombok is not a good idea. I strongly recommend renting a scooter,<\/strong> which is cheap (costs from 5-10 \u20ac per day) and it gets you anywhere. You can get one from your hotel, or in the street.<\/p>\n

When to go<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Thanks to its tropical climate<\/strong> the island is hot, and the ocean is warm all year round. However, if you don\u2019t want to get wet too often, you will want to visit Lombok in the dry season<\/strong> from June to September.<\/strong> Dry season means warm sunny days with an average temperature of around 30 \u00b0C, with occasional light rain in the inner-western part. The wet season<\/strong> is hot and humid, but still drier than in neighboring Bali. If you want to avoid the peak season<\/strong> and save money, don\u2019t visit Lombok during summer vacation (July-August) and the Christmas period.<\/p>\n

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How many days do you need to visit Lombok<\/strong><\/h6>\n

With approximately 80 x 110 km<\/strong> you can easily spend a week there and still see only half of it. Before planning your trip, know that even if some places seem close on Google Maps, it will take forever to reach them.\u00a0If you just want to take a few Instagram shots in the most popular places, count one day per each area<\/strong> (south, east, west, and central Lombok). But if you are a true nature lover you will probably want to hike to some waterfalls and perhaps even climb the Mt Rinjani volcano. For that, you will need at least 2 days and a good fitness level, as its peak rises to 3,726 meters.<\/p>\n

Where to stay in Lombok – accommodation suggestions<\/strong><\/h6>\n

If you are feeling adventurous, I strongly suggest staying in 2 different locations<\/strong>. With that, you can rent a scooter and explore the nearby attractions. Best options are Kuta in the south and Senggigi on the Western coast. The famous Gili islands are a bit further north and you can visit them as a part of a day trip, or spend a couple of days there.<\/p>\n

We visited Lombok twice and were happy with the following choices (starting from 50\u20ac per night):<\/p>\n