The only airport on Lombok is Selaparang Airport, located just outside Mataram. Most of the flights into this small airport originate in Indonesia, although there are a couple of weekly direct flights from Singapore and Malaysia. There are frequent flights to Denpasar on Bali, as well as to Surabaya and Jakarta with Garuda Indonesia, Merpati, Wings Air and GT Air handling all of the business. Merpati flies to Kuala Lumpur daily, while Silk Air offers direct service to Singapore three times a week.

The single terminal is modest, but has all the basic facilities a traveller will need upon arriving in Lombok. Currency exchange kiosks, shops and a couple of restaurants will prepare you for the journey to your destination on the island. Unless your resort is planning to pick you up at the airport, you’ll need to hire a taxi to take you to your hotel.

Even though flying into Lombok is Selaparang Airport at Mataram is quick, it’s not necessarily the easiest or most relaxing way to get to Lombok. Many travellers prefer the large public ferry, which departs every two hours to make the four-hour cruise from Bali’s Padangbai to Lembar Harbour at Mataram.

A couple of private boat companies such as Perama provide service on smaller boats from Bali to Lombok’s Senggigi Beach, stopping at the Gili Islands along the way. It’s also possible to take a bus/ferry combination from many towns in Bali to Lombok using Perama. This popular ticketing system is convenient, if you don’t want to make your way to Padangbai on your own.

Once you get to Lombok, there are very few transport options for getting around the island. There are plenty of roads covering Lombok, but the public buses stick to the main routes and the most popular destinations. Bemos are private minibuses that serve as shared taxis, picking up where the public buses don’t go. You can even hire your own bemo for the day, if you want to tour the island. Buses and bemos are good for getting from one place to another, but you may need to use a cidomo, or pony cart, to get around locally.

Renting your own motorbike is another fun way to explore Lombok, if you feel comfortable driving on two wheels. Your resort or hotel can usually set you up with a motorbike or car rental. On the seas, outrigger boats called prahu make short jaunts from the shore to surf breaks or snorkelling spots.

Metered taxis are a relatively new phenomenon on Lombok, but they are very popular in Senggigi and Mataram. Blue Bird is the island’s largest taxi company, followed by a handful of smaller outfits. The cost is cheap and they are much more convenient that sharing a bemo with a dozen other people. Traffic is light throughout most of Lombok, so travelling around the island is more of a pleasure than hassle.