Is Lombok the new Bali? I had been seeing more and more people travelling to Bali's neighbour and decided to book a flight and give it a go. As soon as you land, you can feel the difference... Quiet streets, cheaper prices, untouched beaches with bright blue water, palm trees dotting the coastline; I couldn't believe the beauty Lombok had and all I had seen was the road side views from the airport to our hotel.
The island felt untouched and filled with wild nature and beauty. I got so many messages asking for recommendations so I have compiled everything you need to know below:
HOW TO GET TO LOMBOK?
You have two options; either a boat or plane departing from Bali. The boat option takes around 3 hours, however I get seasick and didn't want to risk a rocky ride. We opted for the plane option and flew with Citilink. It was on time, affordable, a large plane, and the quickest flight I had ever been on! I think we were in the air for 20 minutes max. Find the latest Citilink flight deals here.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT LOMBOK?
Like Bali, Lombok has the rainy and wet season, however it is still a great destination to visit all year round. To minimise your chances of rain, I recommend going between April - October. We went in June and only had one cloudy day!
HOW LONG SHOULD I SPEND IN LOMBOK?
HOW LONG SHOULD I SPEND IN LOMBOK?
If you are on a schedule, it would make a great weekend trip from Bali, however I would recommend a week to ensure that you can see everything the island has to offer! The island itself is almost the same size as Bali, however due to the minimal traffic, it takes a quarter of the time to get around. Each part of the island has something to see which is why I recommend breaking up the trip to stay in different areas.
We spent time in 2 parts of the island; the North West of the island and then the South. Kuta in the south is the main hotspot where you will find the most going on; restaurants, shops, accommodation etc. The north is much quieter and is where the good waterfalls are as well as some incredible beaches.
My itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive and head to accommodation in North West Lombok
Day 2 - Explore the area and visit a waterfall
Day 3 - Day trip to Gili Islands
Day 4 - Head to the south and change accommodations
Day 5 - Spend the day exploring the area
Day 6 - Spend the day exploring the area
Day 7 - Leave
HOW DO YOU GET AROUND LOMBOK?
There aren't any Gojeks driving around here waiting to pick you up. I highly recommend hiring a scooter to get around as the roads are empty and it feels much safer than in Bali. The only cars I saw driving around Lombok were taxis; which were very easy to organise if that's what you prefer! We kept our airport taxi drivers contact information and used him whenever we needed a taxi throughout our trip.
We hired a scooter for our first few days in the North West; the scooter got dropped off at our accommodation for us and cost $45 AUD for 3 days. We then got a taxi to our accommodation in the south and hired another scooter through our accommodation which cost the same.
Another place in the same area that I wish we had time to stay at is Makalele Dome villas.
WHERE TO STAY IN LOMBOK?
I did a lotttt of research on the most unique and beautiful places to stay in Lombok; there are SO many.
The first place we stayed was called 'Living Asia Resort and Spa' which was right on the beach with a massive pool, restaurant and bar on site, room service, complementary buffet breakfast and you could also organise boat trips to the Gili's through them too. It cost $230 AUD for 3 nights; book here.
Another place in the same area that I wish we had time to stay at is Makalele Dome villas.
In the south, we stayed at the beautiful Boni Beach hotel which is probably one of my new favourite places to stay. Just a 1 minute walk to the beach and located in a quiet area just outside of Kuta, Boni Beach was everything you could hope for in a hotel. The restaurant on site was INCREDIBLE and breakfast is complementary, however you can order off a menu rather than a buffet.
Another two places that looked amazing in the area were Somewhere Lombok and Anima Eco Lodge.
WHAT TO DO IN LOMBOK?
You will never get bored in Lombok, that's for sure. Whether you want to relax by the pool, go for a surf or hike Mt. Rinjani, there is something for everyone here.
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Hike Mt Rinjani - you have probably seen people travel to Lombok purely for this. We didn't have time to do it but from what I can see from other peoples photos, this is a must!
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Do a day trip to the Gili Islands - the Gili islands are located right next to Lombok so it makes for an easier day trip than if you were to do it from Bali. There are plenty of private and group trips available, some even starting from $20AUD.
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Beach hop the many beautiful beaches - from what I saw, the most beautiful ones were located in the south - Tanjun Aan and Selong Belanak are the most popular for sure! If you go to Selong Belanak around 5pm, a local farmer takes his herd of buffalo across the beach and it was the cutest thing ever!
- Go surfing or take a surf lesson - Lombok is known for its surfing and there are plenty of places to book a lesson or hire a board.
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Go for a drive and see the many view points. The most beautiful drive we went on was by far near Sengiggi in the North West. Every 5 minutes we were stopping to take in the views - blue beaches with fishermen and palm trees scattered along the shore. Watch my tiktok on the beautiful views you can see in Lombok here.
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Spend some time shopping and eating in Kuta - this is where you will find most of the good cafes and restaurants, as well as shops to get all your souvenirs and trinkets! I am suchhhh a sucker for trinkets.
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Watch the sunset at Bukit Merese Hill - such an incredible place to sit and watch the sun go down.
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Go for a drive to see the rice terraces called Tetebatu - it is almost like Lombok's version of Bali's tegalalang rice terraces.
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Relax at your accommodation - there are so many incredible places to stay and one of my favourite things to do was sit by the pool at Boni Beach Hotel.
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Visit the many waterfalls - majority of the waterfalls are located in the North of Lombok. I visited Tiu Kelep and it was by far the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen (go early to have it to yourself). Another waterfall that I wished we visited is called Benang Stokel - definitely check this out if you have time!
WHERE TO EAT IN LOMBOK?
The food in Lombok was top tier! Some of my recommendations:
Okay let's move on to WHY you should plan a trip to Lombok:
Lombok is essentially Bali but better (in my opinion). You have the same beautiful selection of waterfalls to explore, the same great food and aesthetic restaurants, the same incredible and unique accommodation BUT the prices are cheaper, the roads look brand new, zero traffic, the beaches are better and you almost always have everything to yourself. The only thing that I would say Bali does better is the shopping!
If you are looking for an affordable and quiet place to travel to that is beautiful, tropical and packed full of things to do - I could not recommend visiting Lombok more.