Apart from natural wonders such as Lombok’s beaches, jungles and the towering Rinjani volcano, there is nothing in the way of child-specific entertainment on the island. If your child enjoys the beach and sea however, there is plenty of excitement and fun available. For some visitors, the absence of modern entertainment such as shopping malls, movie theatres and amusement parks is one of Lombok’s greatest appeals.

Gili Islands
The best beaches in the Lombok region are the three on the Gili Islands, located just off the western coast of Lombok. The waters here are clean and clear, the beaches long and sandy, and there are unparalleled levels of safety and relaxation. Kids can snorkel in the shallow waters, go sea kayaking or play with the local kids on the beach. There is plenty on these little islands for parents to enjoy too.

Senaru Traditional Village
If you want your child to experience a taste of Lombok’s traditional ethnic hill tribes, the Senaru Traditional Village makes for a good destination. Having developed into something of a tourist spot, visitors to the village can explore this mountain village without trepidation. The Senaru still live an animist life in tune with nature that hasn’t changed in hundreds of years.

Taman Narmada
If your kids are too young to climb the mysterious-looking Rinjani volcano, there is an impressive replica of the 12,224 foot volcano’s crater, rim and lake at this popular park. An ancient Balinese temple and spring said to be a fountain of youth are also on the grounds of this beautiful place.

Unlike on neighbouring Bali, tourism on Lombok is low-key. There are plenty of rustic villages in various stages of cultural preservation that are worth exploring. The mix of Muslim and animist culture provides an interesting social backdrop wherever you go, making it worth getting out of the resort for a few days to experience the artistry of the locals.

Ampenan-Sweta
Just south of the airport, the towns of Ampenan, Cakranegara, Mataram and Sweta fuse into a large urban sprawl offering the best in city exploration on Lombok. Despite the size of these towns, there isn’t much congestion or pollution, making forays along the streets enjoyable. The fresh markets with their unusual food items for sale, small shops selling handicrafts and good restaurants offer a decent urban scene for an island the size of Lombok. This is where you can find an authentic fiery Sasak meal that isn’t toned down for foreign tastes. The distinct absence of tourists is another bonus.

Bayan Old Mosque
Lombok’s oldest mosque is believed to have been built in the 16^th century, when Islam first arrived on the island. The building is impressive in its own right. Worshippers gather here daily to engage in prayer, making this a fascinating site at which to experience the Muslim heritage that dominates Lombok.

Bertais Market
If there’s one daily market you should visit in Lombok, it’s the impressive Bertais Market in Mataram. As the biggest fresh market on the island, this place buzzes every day as locals buy and sell exotic vegetables and animals. The heady scent of spices fills the air, and even items like antiques and art and crafts can be found among the stalls.

Senaru Traditional Village
If you’re short on time but want to experience the daily life of one of Lombok’s traditional animist mountain tribes, a daytrip to Senaru Village is your best bet. Although there are many other rural villages on the island that welcome intrepid travellers, Senaru is one of the most developed for tourism. Here, visitors can get a good feel for how these people have been living in harmony with nature for centuries and pick up some great handicrafts.

Sukarare Village
One of the crafts which Lombok is famous for is textile weaving. The small, traditional village of Sukarare is a great place to go for an afternoon excursion if you want to see weaving being done. Visitors will also find the prices of textiles in Sukarare are much lower than in the cities or resorts.

Taman Narmada
Named after a sacred Indian river, this unusual but beautiful park has been laid out to look exactly like the cratered summit of Rinjani volcano, complete with lake and volcanic rim. If you don’t have time to climb the 12,000 foot volcano, visiting this attraction is the next best thing. The grounds are also home to a lovely temple that is used for Balinese celebrations, the former palace of a Balinese king dating to 1805, and a fountain of youth. Visit on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

Lombok has a decent dining scene that is concentrated in the island’s urban centres and resort towns. Individual resorts are good for meals, as they are both convenient and offer menus that cater to foreign tastes. Despite the fact that the name Lombok means ‘chili pepper’ in the local Bahasa language, Lombok’s native cuisine isn’t as spicy as its name suggests. Most dishes served in Lombok have chili peppers in them, but not in quantities that are enough to make your eyes water.

The island’s most popular local dish is ayam taliwang, or Lombok curry, a curry-style chicken dish covered in a rich galangal, chili and turmeric sauce. Visitors can find this staple at most Indonesian restaurants around the island, as well as other specialties such as sate ikan tanjung (grilled pieces of snapper or tuna that have been marinated in coconut cream and spices) and ares (banana tree hearts cooked in coconut milk, chili and spices). Dishes are always accompanied by white rice. You won’t see any pork on the menu due to Islamic dietary laws.

In Senggigi, most of the eateries are along Jalan Raya road, in the heart of the town. Hotel restaurants are reliable places to grab a meal and international cuisine usually features on their menus. Kuta is one town where it’s better to eat at the hotels, with the Novotel, Kuta Indah and Matahari Inn being popular choices.

Tourist-focused restaurants have the highest prices, followed by local restorans and the simple warungs that dot the roadsides. Alcohol is not easy to find on Lombok, as most of the locals are Muslim. Hotels offer alcoholic drinks, especially in Senggigi, where you can try the locally-made tuak, a palm wine with a low alcohol content.

Unlike on Bali, there are decidedly more crafts for sale here than pieces of art. Many of Lombok’s most popular crafts are practical items used in everyday living and the skill and quality of these products is such that they make for wonderful souvenirs and home decor. Each village typically specialises in one particular craft, so if you are a big collector of basket ware you’ll want to seek out the appropriate village and see how it’s made here.

Pottery, basket weaving and textiles are the three main crafts produced on Lombok. There are three villages famous for their pottery: Masbagik, Banyumulek and Penujak. Each village’s beautifully decorated ceramics has unique qualities and no machinery is used to create them.

Textile weaving is another craft in which the locals excel. The island’s two main weaving villages are Sukarara and Pringgasela. Clothing items such as colourful sarongs and intricate songket weavings are great buys. By going direct to the source, visitors can expect better prices and better quality.

Limestone carving is another craft that is fast becoming popular with tourists. Motifs based around nature are hued from the soft stone in all shapes and sizes, after which the hand chiseled piece is glazed with a special liquid to protect the stone’s colour and form. Wooden masks, boxes and carvings are also great buys, especially in the villages of Labuapi and Rungkang Jangkuk. For a special jewellery purchase, check out the beautiful pearls that are harvested from the surrounding seas.

Lombok has some excellent natural scenery and a wide range of environments which allow visitors to engage in plenty of outdoor recreation. The island’s beaches and neighbouring Gili Islands provide plenty of water activities such as snorkelling, scuba diving, sea kayaking, surfing and fishing. Inland, the massive Rinjani volcano beckons able trekkers, and many of Lombok’s jungles are slowly being opened to tourism. Outside of the beach resorts and Rinjani, visitors may need to play a more active role in seeking out and pursuing their recreational desires, but this just adds to the adventure.

Beaches
Lombok is dotted with sandy beaches all around the island. The resort towns of Kuta and Senggigi are the two most popular and developed beach areas. Kuta has better sand than Senggigi, making it the more popular of the two. Both beaches have plenty of places that rent water sports equipment. If you want a change of scene, there are dozens of nice beaches farther south of Senggigi. If you can make it over to the Gili Islands, you’ll find an even more idyllic beach environment where life moves along at a snail’s pace.

Snorkelling and Scuba Diving
The Gili Islands off Lombok’s western coast are the best place for snorkelling and diving. There are a number of designated dive sites in the area and plenty of dive shops on Gili Trawangan offering instructions and dives. There are some incredible reefs and marine life around these little islets, including sea turtles and manta rays. Snorkellers are also spoilt for choice, as all three islands are surrounded by shallow coral reefs.

Surfing
Lombok’s south coast is the best place on the island to catch waves, offering a less-crowded alternative to riding Bali’s legendary surf breaks. Kuta Beach is a good place to start. Its long sandy bay, Selong Blanak, has several surf breaks when conditions are right, as does Mawan, Mawi and Tampa, which are all in the same area. The reefs which surround Lombok offer decent breaks, but you’ll need to hire a boat to really explore the surfing potential around here. Check out Desert Point to experience Lombok’s most famous surf spot.

Trekking
Lombok’s sole volcano is a major part of this island’s character. It rises up more than 12,000 feet from the coast, with its summit often shrouded in clouds. One of the most popular and hardcore outdoor excursions on Lombok is to trek to the top of Rinjani volcano, where the hardy are rewarded with mind-boggling views all the way to Bali. In the crater is a picturesque lake named Segara Anak and some natural hot springs in which to soak yourself. It takes about three days to reach the summit and you’ll need to hire an experienced guide, which can be arranged at virtually every guesthouse in Lombok. Shorter treks are offered up the slopes for a taste of the views.