An overlooked beauty, with so much attention and tourism in neighbouring Bali, Lombok promotes itself as an “unspoiled Bali”. Lombok boasts its own pristine Kuta Beach, and quietude in a number of homey, cheap hotels, bookable with HotelTravel.com.
Measuring 80km by 70km, Lombok is slightly smaller than Bali as well as being a lot quieter. In recent years the insurgence of yacht based surfing tours means that some of the more remote spots aren't always crowd free but on the whole the island is quieter. The tourist industry is less developed here than on Bali yet it is still thriving and places to stay are beginning to spring up all over the place. The surf spots are remote and often difficult to get to without a boat.
Often touted as the ‘next Bali’, Lombok offers its own unique version of Indonesian culture and society at a much slower pace than its more popular neighbour to the west. In Lombok, there are certainly similarities to Indonesia’s other islands, such as volcanoes, beautiful beaches, clear warm waters, jungle terrain and plenty of traditional villages which have yet to be grossly modernised. However, the low-key character of Lombok’s tourism means that visitors need to do more of the legwork to find the really special sights on this island.
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.
Islamic New Year: being a predominantly Islamic island, Lombok’s Muslims celebrate the start of the new year with prayer and readings. Some locals exchange cards and gifts.
From the natural to the spiritual, Lombok has an engaging range of things to see and do. The beaches are an obvious highlight, as is the majestic Rinjani volcano. The small urban enclaves and traditional animist villages tucked away in the interior also offer plenty of cultural immersion. Lombok’s tourism potential has barely been scratched, so visitors need to be resourceful if they want to experience the island’s culture aside from the obvious tourist highlights.
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.
Banks: 08:30 to 15:30, Monday to Friday; 09:30 to 12:30, Saturdays
Post Offices: 09:00 to 15:00; Monday to Friday; 08:00 to 13:00, Saturdays
Department Stores and Shops: 08:00 to 17:00, daily
Museums: 09:00 to 15:30, Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays
Business Offices: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
The Oberoi, was prefectly suited to our needs away from any hustle and bustle, location is for anyone seeking peace and quiet, Staff were an absolute delight they took our son straight to their hearts...
