Lombok: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Lombok lies just east of Bali, but most of its people are Sasak, a Muslim people with their own language and customs. From the seventeenth century to 1894 the west of the island was ruled by Balinese princes, who left Hindu temples and water gardens around Mataram. Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Israel, so check the entry rules for Israeli passports before travelling. Half a day by car.

A short history of Lombok

Most of Lombok's inhabitants are Sasak, Muslims who are very different from the Hindu Balinese on the neighbouring island. In 1257 the Samalas volcano on the island erupted in one of the most powerful eruptions of the last thousand years, and its ash has been found even in polar ice. In the 18th century a Balinese kingdom took control of Lombok, and in 1894 the Dutch conquered the island. Above the island rises the Rinjani volcano, 3,726 metres high, the second highest in Indonesia. In 2018 a series of earthquakes struck the island, killing more than 500 people.

The ten best sights in Lombok

1
Mataram
The island’s capital and its markets
2
Pura Meru
The largest Hindu temple on Lombok
3
Taman Mayura
A pavilion floating in a royal pool
4
Pura Lingsar
A temple shared by Hindus and Muslims
5
Taman Narmada
A royal garden modelled on the volcano
6
Senggigi
The old resort coast, facing Bali
7
Pura Batu Bolong
A temple on a rock arch over the sea
8
Malimbu Hill
Sunset over the Gilis and Bali
9
Gili Trawangan
The party island; no cars or motorbikes
10
Gili Meno
The quietest island; underwater statues

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Lombok →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Lombok:

Free walking tours in Lombok

The Balinese west

Pura Meru · The largest Hindu temple on Lombok, built in 1720 by a Balinese prince. Its three courtyards hold thatched towers with eleven, nine and seven roofs, for the gods Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
Taman Mayura · Across the road, a royal garden of 1744 with a pavilion standing in the middle of a large pool, once the hall of justice of the Balinese court. Here in 1894 Dutch troops were ambushed by the prince’s forces, before the Dutch took the island.
Pura Lingsar · A temple of 1714 shared by Balinese Hindus and Sasak followers of Wetu Telu, a local blend of Islam and older beliefs. Each year, at the start of the rains, the two communities hold Perang Topat, a mock war in which they pelt each other with packets of rice.
Taman Narmada · A royal garden laid out in 1727 as a model of Mount Rinjani and its crater lake, so that the ageing king could make his offerings to the mountain without climbing it.
Pura Batu Bolong · A small temple built on a rock pierced by a natural arch, pointing west across the strait toward Mount Agung, the holy volcano of Bali, which can be seen on clear evenings.
Malimbu Hill · A bend in the coast road where everyone stops at sunset, with the three Gili islands below and Bali’s volcano on the horizon.

The Sasak south

The dry south of Lombok is Sasak country, of weaving villages and thatched houses, ending at a coast of empty white bays and surf. A full day by car or scooter.

Sukarara · A village of weavers who make songket, cloth woven with gold or silver thread on back-strap looms. By tradition a Sasak girl here had to master weaving before she was allowed to marry.
Sade · A traditional village of thatched houses and rice barns with tall pointed roofs, the barn shape that has become the symbol of Lombok. The floors of the houses are polished with buffalo dung, which keeps them hard and keeps insects away.
Selong Belanak · A wide curved bay with gentle waves, the place where beginners learn to surf, and where in the late afternoon water buffalo are herded along the sand.
Kuta · Each year in February or March thousands come to the beaches here for Bau Nyale, to catch the sea worms that rise from the reef for a night or two. Legend says they are the hair of Princess Mandalika, who threw herself into the sea rather than choose between her suitors.
Tanjung Aan · Two bays side by side, one of fine white sand and one of coarse grains like peppercorns. A short climb up Merese hill above them gives a view of the whole southern coast.
Pink Beach · In the far south-east, a beach whose sand is tinted pink by fragments of red coral mixed with white sand, one of only a handful of pink beaches in the world.

The Gilis and the volcano

Off the north-west coast lie the three Gili islands, ringed by coral; inland rises Rinjani, the volcano that dominates the island. Two days at least; the summit trek takes two or three more.

Gili Trawangan · The largest of the three islands, which can be walked around in about two hours. Motor vehicles are banned on all the Gilis; people get around by bicycle or cidomo, small horse-drawn carts.
Gili Meno · The smallest and quietest island. Off its west coast lies Nest, a ring of life-size human figures cast in concrete by the sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor in 2017, now growing coral, which snorkellers can reach from the beach.
Gili Air · The island closest to Lombok, with a real village life among the guesthouses, and reefs where green turtles feed close to shore.
Bayan Beleq Mosque · One of the oldest mosques on Lombok, a small square building of bamboo walls under a tiered thatched roof, the heart of the Wetu Telu faith, whose followers traditionally pray only on special occasions and leave daily prayer to their religious leaders.
Sendang Gile · A waterfall in the jungle below Senaru, reached down a few hundred steps, with a second fall, Tiu Kelep, an hour’s walk upstream through the river.
Segara Anak · The crater lake of Rinjani, the child of the sea, with a new cone rising from it. The crater was left by the eruption of Samalas in 1257, one of the largest of the past few thousand years, which cooled the climate of the whole world; its source was identified only in 2013.

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Getting to Lombok and getting around

Lombok Airport · In the south, half an hour from Kuta
Lembar Port · The slow ferry to Bali, about five hours

Cheap eats in Lombok

Lombok means chilli in Indonesian, and the food lives up to it: ayam taliwang, grilled chicken basted in a fiery paste of chilli and shrimp; plecing kangkung, water spinach with a raw chilli-tomato sambal; and sate rembiga, sweet-spicy beef satay. Warungs serve nasi campur, rice with a little of everything, for about two dollars.

Mataram · Ayam taliwang at its source
Gili Trawangan · The night market of grilled fish
Kuta · Warungs and surfers’ cafés

Museums in Lombok

Lombok’s heritage is in its villages and royal gardens rather than museums.

Sade · The Sasak village
Sukarara · The weavers
Taman Mayura · The royal pool

Nature and day trips near Lombok

A volcano of over three thousand seven hundred metres, jungle waterfalls, rice terraces and coral islands.

Mount Rinjani · The summit trek
Sendang Gile · The waterfalls
Tetebatu · Rice terraces

Things to do in Lombok with kids

With children: horse carts and turtles on the Gilis, gentle waves to learn surfing, and waterfalls.

Gili Air · Turtles from the beach
Gili Meno · The underwater statues
Selong Belanak · Surf lessons

Holy places in Lombok

An island of a thousand mosques, with Balinese Hindu temples in the west and the local Wetu Telu faith in the north.

Pura Lingsar · The shared temple
Pura Meru · The three towers
Bayan Beleq Mosque · The thatched mosque

Nightlife in Lombok

Lombok’s nightlife is on Gili Trawangan, with beach bars and rotating party nights; the rest of the island sleeps early.

Gili Trawangan · The party nights
Kuta · Surf bars
Senggigi · Sunset bars facing Bali

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Frequently asked questions about Lombok

What is there to see in Lombok?

The top sights in Lombok are Mataram, Pura Meru and Taman Mayura. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Lombok?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Lombok without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Lombok?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Lombok, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Balinese west.

How do you get to Lombok and get around?

The main ways are Lombok Airport and Lembar Port. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Lombok, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Lombok that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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