Indonesia Traveling Guide

Prepare to be amazed by the virginal beaches of Lombok, meet with a magnificent mountainous landscape; a blend of man-made and natural beauty awaits you.

Because of the lack of development on the island, the majority of the sights here are natural marvels, The Gili islands offer a taste of isolated tropical living, where horse-drawn carts provide an ecologically and friendly alternative to motorbikes and cars.

The main visual attraction of Lombok is Mount Rinjani, an active volcano that towers over the island's fertile plains.

Attractive villages creating complicated crafts with handicraft methods passed down by generations; pepper the island, while the main form of architecture can be found in the temples and mosques that serve the two religions on the island - Islam and Hinduism.
Places to visit around Lombok Island:

Gili Islands

One of the most gorgeous tourist destinations is the Gili islands. Gili means ‘Small Island’, this cluster of three islands has escaped the trappings of modern life, with their undeveloped, perfect sandy beaches and lush tropical vegetation.

Gili Trawangan is the most developed, Gili Meno the smallest and quietest, while Gili Air is the closest to the mainland with the largest population. Each island offers pretty much the same in the way of activities; world class surfing, diving and snorkeling and some tropical island lounging.

To access the islands, you can catch one of the regular shuttle boats.

Komodo Island

Komodo Island is located between Sumbawa and Flores, the Komodo Island is quite barren – a fact which makes the giant lizard, stand out all the more. These monitor lizards are indigenous to the region and grow up to three metres long, the world's largest living lizard.

Feeding on goats and deer, the people live in the fishing villages supplement their income by breeding goats for tourists to feed the lizards, an interesting experience to say the least. The nature reserve is easiest reached by ferry from Flores.

Kuta Beach

Besides Bali’s Kuta Beach, this is Lombok's Kuta Beach, a very own surfer's paradise with virginal white sand and turquoise waters, fringed by a hilly terrain.

The best-known place on the south coast, relatively lively and atmospheric; the area is one held in deep affection by its returning visitors and instantly wins over the hearts of the first-timers.

To get there, you need a 90-minute drive from Senggigi, Kuta is a great daytrip opportunity, one that should be enjoyed by all visitors.

Mount Rinjani Trekking and Eco Adventure

The second highest volcanic peak in Indonesia, it is part of the ‘Ring of fire’ and is considered a sacred place on Lombok. Please check the status of the volcano before visiting.

The chance to visit a volcano is always one that should not be missed. The highlands near the volcano are undeveloped and forested, while the lowlands are highly cultivated with fertile soil where rice, tobacco, cotton and soya beans are produced.

Protected by National Park status, visitors can attempt the three-day Rinjani Trek route from Senaru to the crater rim (Plawangan), down to the stunning crater lake then on to Sembalun Lawang. The track is considered as one of the best and most challenging treks in Southeast Asia.

Mantaram

Mataram is the capital city of Lombok, comprised of four towns, Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara (Cakra) and Sweta.

For art exhibitions, puppet shows or theatre be sure to head to the Mataram main square, which is about as busy as the whole island gets. Ampenan has the Negeri Nusa Tenggara Barat museum, which gives a good overview of the culture of Lombok.

Narmada Park

Known as the resting place of the King of Lombok, this park has a Hindu temple and a small pond replicating in miniature the Crater Lake at Gunung Riniani. The Balinese Pujawali festival takes place here every year.

Narmada Park is situated 10 km east of Mataram, and is modeled on the basis of Mount Rinjani's pinnacle.

Pura Lingsar

Built in 1714, Pura Lingsar is a spiritual center for both Balinese Hinduism and the Wektu Telu religion, with temple buildings dedicated to both faiths.

Pura Lingsar is a sea temple situated at the far north end of the beach at Ampenan, Mataram.

One of the attraction is to feed hard-boiled eggs (available for sale outside) to holy eels in an enclosed pond dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The best time to visit the temple is December.

Sukarara

Famous for its unique handicrafts, in particular its hand-woven textiles, it is incredibly beautiful and the small village portrays the quaint lifestyle of the islanders. This place can be reached with 15 minutes ride to south of Mataram.

Take a trip and witness the production of this art form and the extent of the work and overriding quality belonging to each item produced. The surrounding view is incredible, the scenes are mountains and looming volcanic backdrop.

Tanjung Lunar

Inhabited by mainly fishermen Buginese migrants from South Sulawesi, In this long, meandering black beach, you can experience Indonesia’s old-world charm and observe the simplicity of the fishermen’s life.

Popular with surfers, it is set on the Southeastern coast of this island. At low tide the locals take to the beach to collect shells while the fishermen go about their day-to-day business.

A visit to this port will be an enjoyable experience.