Less famous than Bali but just as beautiful, Lombok has volcanic black beaches and shining white sands, calm turquoise waters and huge surfable waves, dense tropical jungle full of wildlife, beautiful waterfalls and fascinating traditional culture. The scenery and landscapes of Lombok are diverse, with dramatic mountain slopes, rugged hills, agricultural plains with checkerboard paddy fields and coffee plantations, dry savannah and wet rainforest, all of which can be explored in a few days, most practically by hiring an off-road motorbike or taking one of the many organized tours available.
There are several traditional Sasak villages that are open to tourists, where you can experience and learn about the local culture and way of life. The people are Muslim, and you can also visit the oldest mosque on Lombok, Bayan Beleq Mosque, unique because it’s made in the traditional Sasak way with a bamboo, stone, and thatch construction.
The most well-known activities for visitors to Lombok are hiking Mount Rinjani and surfing the waves on the south coast. But there’s much more to Lombok than that, and here we’ll give you the low-down on all the other things you can do on the island.
Getting Around Lombok
There is a noticeable lack of public transport such as buses on the island, but otherwise Lombok is generally quite easy to travel around.
The best option is to rent a motorbike. It’s how the locals get around the island, and it’s a cheap option. It’s also the best option for adventurous exploration, because you can hire an off-road bike and then not only travel from A to B but also venture down rough forest trails to find hidden waterfalls.
For those who don’t like the idea of biking everywhere you can also rent a car, take a taxi, book a private driver or take the option of organised group day tours.
There are several different types of taxi service available on Lombok. One commonly seen type of taxi is the “bemo”, a converted minivan that comes in two types: big bright yellow ones in urban areas and smaller ones open at the back and sides that operate in rural areas. You catch a bemo by hailing it at the roadside as you pass, telling the driver where you want to go and paying a small fee. Bemos are not commonly available on the slopes of Mount Rinjani north and north-west of Senggigi.
A popular taxi option is the “ojek”, motorbike taxis for individual passengers riding pillion. You can find ojek stations all over Lombok, especially at busy road intersections. You negotiate the fare with the ojek driver, who will be happy to wait for you if you want to go shopping or use the service to visit more than one place.
Western-style car taxi services are available in Mataram and Senggigi, but become scarce away from them.
You can always hire a car with a driver just as you can on Bali.
The Lombok Loop
This is a brand new venture for Lombok, and if you are visiting for a week and want to explore the whole island, this is the perfect way to do so.
The Loop is a four-day, three-night group motorbike tour, following a scenic route through villages and mountain foothills. It includes stops at several of the main attractions of the islands away from Mount Rinjani, all of which will be covered in more detail below.
The Loop is a great way to meet people if you are travelling alone and want to join in with guided, shared activities. You don’t have to have ridden a motorbike before – basic training is given to newbies at the outset, and everyone is provided with a helmet, elbow and knee pads.
The tour starts in Senggigi every Thursday morning. The first day begins at 7:30 am with a full briefing, explaining the itinerary and all safety information. You will be introduced to your guides and fellow explorers.
Day One takes you to the southern beaches, white sand havens whose waves attract surfers from around the world. The tour begins by biking up winding mountain paths to the top of Melase Hill, with great views over the whole of Lombok, then down to a village to experience a traditional market and a coconut oil workshop. In the afternoon you will bike round the celebrated beaches of south-west Lombok, including Mawi, Mawun, Selong Belanak, and Tampah, ending at Kuta and a night in a hostel.
Day Two of the tour goes from Kuta to Tetebatu in the north, along back roads in between rice terraces. There are several stops to experience the local culture, including hand weaving. Lunch is taken at Tetebatu waterfall, where you can swim in the pool (and jump off the cliff into it!). In the afternoon you will ride through jungle roads at the foot of Mount Rinjani to Sembalun village, and stay in a camp site overnight, with a fireside party.
Day Three starts with the ride from Semnalun to Senaru, taking in viewpoints, a traditional village, beautiful scenic roads, strawberry farms and the oldest mosque on Lombok. Tiu Kelep waterfall is seen from above, and lunch is taken by the pool at a jungle resort. In the afternoon the tour winds back down to the coast, for another fireside party with karaoke and fire dancing.
Day Four is the slow scenic return to Senggigi, along coast roads, stopping at beaches along the way and ending with a final group lunch back home where the Loop started.
The Lombok Loop costs 4.26 million Rupiah per person, $260 USD, $400 AUD, £200 GBP.
Tetebatu
For those familiar with Bali’s Ubud, Tetebatu is a quieter, less touristy version of the same, with beautiful greenery, rice paddies and terraces. Found in the very middle of the island, 15 kilometres south of Mount Rinjani, Tetebatu is a small village surrounded by jungle hikes, waterfalls, and a monkey forest.
Tourism is slowly coming to Tetebatu but it’s still unspoilt. The area’s agriculture is dominated by layered rice terraces with platforms dedicated to different varieties of rice, watered by an ancient irrigation technique called ‘subak’. The locals also grow coffee, cocoa, nutmeg, chili, macadamia nuts, durian, candle nut and vanilla.
As an undeveloped place there’s not much that’s touristy and no nightlife, but there is enough accommodation and there are local restaurants, so if you are looking for a retreat for a few days to experience local culture and the natural world in a wonderfully scenic setting then Tetebatu is the perfect spot.
For a great introduction to Tetebatu check out this YouTube video.
You can book a one-day Tetebatu private tour here.
Tetebatu waterfall
Known as Durian Indah and locally as Tibu Duran, Tetebatu waterfall is a lovely place. There’s a ten-metre high cascade into a deep pool surrounded by cliffs and dense jungle vegetation.
To get there, start at the warung Alam Erat Tojang. There’s a path leading out into the rice paddies with a makeshift sign for Tibu Duran. You then stroll through rice fields and past a fish farm for five minutes until you see the sign for the waterfall where you pay the 20,000 Rupiah entrance fee. There’s a steep slope with a bamboo ladder leading to a small cascade and then the main one with its two-metre-deep pool a bit further on. If you get there in the late morning around 10 am you can see the sunlight shining on the cascade through the thick jungle greenery.
You can jump into the pool from the cliffs, and many locals enjoy doing just that – it’s not isolated and could well be crowded with swimmers!
The monkey forest
Four kilometres to the north of Tetebatu village is Tetebatu Monkey Forest. This is a unique experience, since as well as the common grey macaques this area of forest is also home to a troop of rarer black monkeys, called Javan Lutung.
“Lutung” is Indonesian for “leaf monkey”. The Javan Lutung, or Ebony Leaf Monkey, is an uncommon species of langur whose population is classified as vulnerable to endangered. Its numbers are in decline because of hunting and habitat loss. It is found on Java, Bali, Lombok and some surrounding small islands. Adult Javan Lutungs have fur which is a deep glossy black, while the young are bright orange. In a rare form, some adults can keep the orange colour all their lives.
Populations of Javan Lutung survive in various habitats on Java from swamp forest to primary mountain forest on the slopes of volcanoes. The population on Lombok lives in scattered troops on the forested slopes of Mount Rinjani.
Local handicrafts around Tetebatu
Tetebatu is an area as well as a village, and there are several other traditional villages in the region where people still live and work in the traditional manner. Several of these have opened up to tourists, and you can now encounter sarong weaving, artisan black terracotta pottery and bamboo basketry. You can visit on your own, but for the best experience take a handicraft tour starting from Tetebatu. One such tour starts at Les Rizieres Hotel.
Pringgasela is the village where you can learn the artistry of sarong fabric weaving. The women weavers use natural dyes from indigenous plants to colour the threads that are then woven using traditional looms and techniques. The villagers here say that all women should know how to weave, and a courting young woman should be able to weave a cloth for the man she loves.
Nearby Loyok village specializes in braided bamboo basketry. You can take a class and learn traditional basketry yourself.
Very close to Loyok is the village of Kotaraja. Here you can witness and learn the secrets of traditional metalwork and blacksmithing. Kotaraja is also a centre for a less peaceful tradition – presean, the stick fighting of the Sasak people, where for sport men fight with sticks and shields while dressed in traditional costumes.
Accommodation in Tetebatu
Although it’s much quieter and more rural than Bali’s Ubud, nonetheless in recent years a number of good accommodation options have become established in Tetebatu, from budget homestays to upmarket hotels.
The most popular and recommended option in Tetebatu, sama Sama Bungalows is set amid rice fields with beautiful views. Contact samasamabungalows@gmail.com.
Half an hour’s walk from the village, set in the trees near the monkey forest, Dream Catcher Camp is an adventurous place to stay. The accommodation is in one-room bungalows, dormitories or tents with a shared outdoor eating space.
The best upmarket hotel is Les Rizieres, offering deluxe accommodation including family rooms.
Lombok Monkey Forest
This is one of the best excursions to make when staying at Senggigi.
Lombok Monkey Forest is found in the Baun Pusuk region, in the mountainous north-west of the island between Mount Rinjani and the sea, on a winding forest trail over a mountain pass with great views. Find it on Google maps at the Pusuk Forest Viewpoint. It’s a newly-created protected sanctuary with a diverse ecosystem and rich biodiversity, home to a large troop of long-tailed macaques as well as many other animals and tropical plants.
It is considered a sacred place by the local Sasak community, who believe that the forest helps safeguard their traditions and beliefs. They consider the monkeys to be the guardians of the mountain pass. The establishment of the protected area has happened to protect these guardians and their habitat from logging, poaching and tourist development.
The protected area consists of six hectares of dense tropical forest, with huge dipterocarp trees, aromatic shrubs, ferns, mosses and wildflowers including orchids. The height of the area puts it in a different ecosystem to the coast. As well as monkeys, the forest is also home to the oriental garden lizard, the endemic black-winged starling, and the iridescent Rajah Brooke’s birdwing butterfly.
The experience is made possible with forest trails and canopy walkways, with panoramic views of the surrounding hills and the sea in the distance. The entrance to the forest is clearly marked from the road, and there are designated pathways to follow. These can be damp and slippery, especially during the rainy season.
When visiting the monkey forest wear comfortable shoes, and bring water, sunscreen and insect repellent.
The monkeys are used to humans and seem quite tame, but they are nonetheless wild animals. It is very important to keep your belongings safe when photographing the monkeys. Put your bag down for a moment and it will be snatched!
Waterfalls
There are a large number of beautiful waterfalls to be found on Lombok, and because of its dramatic mountain terrain and the amount of rainfall the island gets, most of the falls are impressive all year round. The slopes of Mount Rinjani are home to some of them, but by no means all. No tour of Lombok would be complete without visiting at least some of the falls mentioned below.
- Benang Stokel And Benang Kelambu
Two highlights of Central Lombok in the same geopark, Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu are definitely worth a visit because the two falls are very different and offer distinct experiences.
They can be found near Batukliang Village, an hour and a half from Senggigi and three-quarters of an hour from from Tetebatu.
Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu waterfalls are two of the best on the island of Lombok, and the most popular after Tiu Kelep and Sendang.
They are found in Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu Waterfall Geopark. The entrance fee is the highest for any of the waterfalls on Lombok, with some people being charged 125,000 Rupiah, although you can haggle for less. There is no need for a paid guide, even though local guides at the entrance will push for you to employ them. If you do take a guide expect to pay 70,000 Rupiah.
Benang Kelambu is a unique thread-curtain fall flowing in sheets over a steep wall in dense greenery, while Benang Stokel is a more traditional fall.
Benang Stokel is the first waterfall you encounter, a fifteen minute walk along a clear path into the geopark. It’s 40 metres tall. It has three cascades into a shallow pool, although by the end of the dry season only the main one will be flowing strongly. The pool is too shallow to swim in.
Benang Kelambu is a bit more difficult to get to, another fifteen minutes’ walk along forest paths and through a banana plantation, ending in a steep descent.
Kelambu means “net”, and this name is very descriptive of the fall. The water flows down a wide green wall 35 metres into an artificial concrete swimming pool. If you head just to the left of the main cascade and slip behind a curtain of vines you will find another small waterfall. From here, you can even walk up to your right to get an epic shower inside Benang Kelambu waterfall.
Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu Waterfall Geopark contains two other less-well-known falls, called Kilwun and Sesere. They are difficult to find, so for these two it will be best to hire a guide at the geopark entrance.
If you want to strike out for them alone, here are the directions. Three quarters of the way from Benang Stokel to Benang Kelambu, after passing some stalls you will see two small, quite hidden and not at all obvious paths on your left (or right coming back from Benang Kelambu). It’s the second one, or first on the way back from Kelambu, that you need to take. The wrong one leads to a flat path in a banana plantation. The correct path is a steep, sandy and slippery slope.
At the bottom of the slope you will hear the falls and be able to find Kilwun by following the path. If you keep on descending, you will also find Sesere falls. Kilwun is a small cascade, only eleven metres, in a narrow green gorge that falls into a shallow pool. It’s very photogenic. The stream then flows out of the pool and down to Sesere, a small, narrow fall that you can take a shower in!
- Tiu Teja and Tiu Sekeper
Tiu Teja and Tiu Sekeper waterfalls are found in the remote northern foothills of Mount Rinjani near Santong Village, an hour and a half from Senggigi and one hour from Senaru. There are currently no tours available that visit these falls. The location is largely unfrequented by tourists, and you will likely have the falls to yourself, and possibly also the elusive black Javan Lutung or Ebony Leaf Monkey that lives in the area.
Tiu Teja is a dramatic 45-metre single fall with a shallow pool in a natural amphitheatre, at the end of a scenic 3.6 km half-hour hike through cacao and banana plantations at an altitude of 580 metres.
Sekeper is a powerful, impressive 110-metre fall, the tallest on Lombok, hidden away in dense jungle.
Tiu Teja means “rainbow waterfall”, and it’s named after the rainbow that can be seen when the sun shines on the misty cascade. It used to be called the Twin Falls, but recently these have merged, possibly as a result of the 2018 earthquake.
The fall is found near Waker village in the Santong area, on the Kali Sedutan river. Start at the trailhead marked as parkiran air terjun tiu teja on Google maps. There is a warung there, and you can use their parking space for free. You can also hire a local guide from the warung if you like, although you don’t need one.
The trail begins as a scenic route on a concrete path used by plantation workers. If you have an off-road motorbike you can bike this section. After a bit more than one kilometre there is a cluster of buildings where you’ll find a path off to the right with a blue handrail.
Descend for ten minutes and you will see the river and the waterfall. It will take another 20 minutes to get there. If it’s sunny you should see the rainbow that gives the fall its name. You can swim in the pool and climb into a cave behind the cascade that makes for a dramatic experience. It’s a beautiful place that you could happily spend some time enjoying.
If you then continue along the same path you will eventually reach Sekeper, but this is a difficult path and not the recommended one.
- Tiu Sekeper
Tiu Sekeper is a huge 110-metre fall, the 10th highest in all Indonesia, hidden away deep inside the jungle 900 metres above sea level. It isn’t on the popular tourist trail but if you are willing to undertake the adventure of getting there it is very well worth it. The trek starts from the same trailhead at the Tiu Teja waterfall trail, and wanders through remote plantations into the forest through slippery and overgrown tracks with stinging plants to a wide basin, where the Sekeper river plunges over a cliff in three cascades into a wide pool.
The trek is just under six kilometres long, with an elevation gain of 463 metres, taking two and a half hours or more to hike. There are no signposts and internet connectivity is intermittent, so you may not be able to use Google maps. If possible, take a physical map. Wear long trousers, thick socks and stout hiking boots.
To begin with, follow the instructions for getting to Tiu Teja above, until the route to that waterfall turns right along the path with a blue handrail. For Sekeper, don’t turn right but keep going straight for two kilometres until you reach the entrance to Mount Rinjani National Park.
You will reach a small waterfall with a bridge and a pool, at which point you need to turn right, and follow the trail to a hut at the edge of the plantations, where there is a difficult-to-see overgrown path leading upwards to a ridge, and an 800-metre hike through dense jungle with a steep drop to one side. The trail finishes with a steep 150-metre descent to the river, and round a bend to be greeted with the full force of Tiu Sekeper.
The strength of the fall creates a thundering sound and a powerful torrent, with a fierce wind driving the spray. The pool is technically swimmable but that’s not recommended because of the power of the falls. There are safer pools to swim in on Lombok! There is however a cave behind the fall where you can find an even more dramatic experience right behind the thundering waters.
- Batu Santek and Tibu Bunter
Much more accessible than Tiu Sepeker, Batu Santek and Tibu Bunter are near the village of Sesaot in Central Lombok, not far from Mataram. They are not famous and are not part of any guided tours, but if you have your own transport they are worth visiting.
The location is Air Terjun Tibu Bunter. Note that there are two falls with this name on Lombok, the other is at Tetebatu. To get there you will follow a short trail from a car park. The path is obvious. Follow it over a river to a T-junction where you can turn right to Batu Santek and left to Tibu Bunter. If you turn right the waterfall is a ten minute’s walk away. Turning left takes you up through fields and rice plantations. Follow the path for ten minutes until you come to a small gorge, where you will hear the falls. You will see a wooden sign pointing to the right, where a track will take you down to the waterfall.
Both falls are scenic and photogenic.
- The Blue Lake
While exploring the waterfalls of central Lombok, take a detour to the Lombok Blue Lake. This is a natural freshwater spring where you can go swimming. It’s an unspoilt, natural place with blue-green water, surrounded by deep shady trees. The water comes from underground and is therefore pleasantly cool.
The lake is found is a protected nature reserve called The Nuraksa Protected Forest Area in Karang Sidemen Village, North Batukliang District. There is little infrastructure around it, apart from some concrete paths, but there are some nearby warungs where you can stop for refreshments.
Beaches
The article on Surfing Lombok goes into detail about all the best surfing beaches in South Lombok. Here are some more must-visits that are not suitable for surfing but have their own charm.
Nambung Beach
Nambung is a one-hour drive West of Kuta. Find it on Google maps at Air Terjun Pantai Nambung. When you get to that point park and walk down to the left headland.
What’s special about this beach is its “sea waterfall”. The big waves that make South Lombok so good for surfing here crash onto big rocks, then the water cascades back down the rocks with a waterfall effect. (Air Terjun Pantai means “beach waterfall”.)
At low tide the effect is bigger, with the water draining into pools along the beach, while at high tide the sea swells come right up to the rocks and can be dangerous.
If you come on a day with big swell the beach waterfall will be dramatic. If you come on a day when the sea is relatively calm you can snorkel off the beach where there are turtles.
Senggigi
The chances are that if you are not staying in Kuta then you will be staying in Senggigi, for a long time the tourist capital of Lombok. Along this western coastline you will find both white sand beaches and black volcanic beaches. Senggigi beach itself can be busy with people and boats, so it’s a good idea to get out of the town and explore the rugged coastline.
- Senggigi Beach
Senggigi town is set in a deep, wide bay, with a coral reef at the southern end. The beach itself is the most convenient place to chill on Lombok.
Just 15 minutes’ drive from Senggigi, Nipah beach is stunningly beautiful, with pristine white sands backed by coconut palm trees and clear turquoise water. There’s a free car park, and the beach is a fifteen-minute walk from there. A bit out from the shoreline is a reef of hard coral that’s great for snorkeling.
Exactly the same could be said of Padanan beach’s loveliness. Not only is this beach also paradise, but being more visited there are warungs on the beach offering barbecued fish and seafood and cold coconut.
This is a great beach to visit at sunset. Its golden sands, clear waters and palms are a perfect place to chill out with beers and dinner at a beach barbecue. This beach is maintained by locals and has sun loungers, showers, changing rooms and toilets.
Lombok is home to black volcanic beaches as well as white and golden sands. Kerandangan beach is very near Senggigi, and is a long stretch of black sand with a palm tree plantation behind it. It isn’t well developed but there are some warungs and a resort.
The attraction of Malimbu beach is its overshadowing hill, palm-tree covered Malimbu Hill, the highest point on the Senggigi coastline. The beach itself is set in a deep bay and is quiet and largely unfrequented.
There are only a small number of genuinely pink beaches in the world, and one of them is found on the south-east cost of Lombok, near the village of Sekaroh on the Ekas Peninsula. (There’s another one on nearby Komodo island.)
It’s a one and a half hour drive or motorbike ride from Kuta on an only partially paved road – the east road from Kuta has tarmac but the side road down Ekas Peninsula is less maintained.
The beach itself is ticketed with a 50,000 Rupiah entry fee, $3 USD, $4.60 AUD, £2.40 GBP. It’s quite a small beach, but very beautiful. The pink seems more intense at high tide, which is when the bay is perfect for snorkeling.
- Orong Bukal and Pilling Beach
These two places are remote, difficult to access and very beautiful. To access them involves a long, steep and hot hike whose start point is itself remote. Find the start of the trail on Google maps at ‘tempat pemandu ke pantai Orongbukal dan pantai Pilling’. It’s a good idea to hire a local guide, for 150,000 Rupiah, $9 USD, 13.75 AUD. £7 GBP. With the guide you can do a loop and take in both spots.
Pilling is a beautiful beach, while Orong Bukal is different and a unique spot – “Orong Bukal” means “Bat Tunnel” in Sasak.
The hike is along a slippery dirt track with some steep sections that are roped. After 40 minutes the trail arrives at a junction with two paths leading to Orung Bukal on the left and Pilling on the right.
The path to Orong Bukal is steep and a little bit dangerous. When you get there you will find a real bat cave, with big bats. In front of the cave is a cliff-jumping spot where you can jump or dive into the water below from a height of ten metres.
If this isn’t your cup of tea, take the steep and slippery right-hand path through thick jungle for another 35 minutes’ walk to Pilling beach. This is a stunningly beautiful place, a pebble beach with a wall of jungle behind it, crystal-clear azure waters and dramatic islands rising steeply in the bay, where the swell from the Indian Ocean can produce huge waves.
The Secret Gili Islands
Just off the north coast of Lombok’s south-west peninsula, not far from the famous Desert Point surfing waves at Bangko-Bangko, are two groups of tiny islands that are mostly unknown to the rest of the world. While the three north-western Gili Islands are now famous, and have therefore attracted modern tourist development, from expensive honeymoon hotels to backpacker parties, most of these hidden Gili Islands are almost completely unspoilt.
The larger of these islands have now got accommodation, but the smaller ones are completely undeveloped – though you can book an organized tour that includes camping out on an otherwise deserted little piece of paradise.
The exception to this rule is Gili Gede, the largest of these islands, which has only just in the last year or so started to be developed in the manner of Gili Trawangan and Gili Air, with a luxury resort, a dive school and more. For this reason the Secret Islands are not completely secret anymore, so now is the time to explore them before they get turned into a developed tourist destination.
The beaches and the snorkeling opportunities in the Secret Gili Islands are wonderful, if anything even more amazing than the well-known Gili Islands because of their untouched nature. There are beautiful coral reefs and sandbars surrounding little palm-tree islands that look just like the typical castaway stereotype.
The Secret Gili Islands form two groups. To the east are Gili Sudak, Gili Tangkong, Gili Nanggu and Gili Kedis, while to the west are Gili Gede, Gili Asahan, Gili Layar, Gili Anyaran and Gili Rengit. Gili Gede is the largest, and the only one with any real development.
The western Secret Gilis are hilly, with steep forested slopes offering great views after hiking to the top.
Boats to the western Secret Gilis leave from Tembowong port, while boats to the eastern islands leave from Sekotong.
There is no public transport in the area, but taxis and private drivers can be hired if you haven’t already rented a car or motorbike. Taxi drivers can put their prices up a lot, so it’s recommended that you book either an all-inclusive Secret Gili Islands tour or get a driver with wherever you are staying in Senggigi or Kuta rather than negotiate a price yourself. A metered Bluebird Taxi to Sekotong (on the mainland opposite the eastern islands) from Senggigi will cost 27,000 Rupiah, $1.65 USD, $2.50 AUD, £1.30 GBP, but for an unmetered taxi you can spend $17 USD for the same trip.
You can join a Secret Gilis tour from three Lombok towns, Senggigi, Mataram and Kuta. These use local motorized outrigger boats called lebars, and the tours include hotel pickup and drop-off and snorkeling equipment. The tours visit at least three of the islands, and include lunch.
One drawback of these otherwise lovely little islands is that, like everywhere in the islands of South-East Asia, a lot of plastic washes up on the beaches and the reefs. Unlike the northern Gili Islands there is no organized collection and removal of this rubbish. Some of the islands do however charge a small fee to tourists on arrival to go towards cleanups – expect to pay 5,000 Rupiah, 30 cents or 25p for this.
The Eastern Secret Gilis
- Gili Nanggu is the best island for snorkeling and underwater photography, with beautiful coral reefs and marine life rivalling the famous northern Gili Islands. There is a hotel offering bungalow accommodation with a restaurant, and they also rent snorkeling gear. As well as a pristine natural reef, there is an artificial reef made from a deliberately sunk traditional gazebo called a berugak.
- Gili Kedis is tiny and uninhabited, and is essentially one unspoilt white sand beach with a grove of trees in the middle. There are tours that organize camping trips that include an overnight stay on Gili Kedis, watching the sunset and having a barbecue dinner dinner of fresh fish, vegetables and rice and singing traditional Sasak songs around the camp fire. (For this reason there is a basic outdoor toilet in the trees on the island.)
- Gili Sudak is the biggest of the eastern Secret Gilis, and also the closest to mainland Lombok. The restaurant at Nirvana hotel has a barbecue on the beach where you can eat lunch as a day-tripper or dinner watching the beautiful sunset if you stay at the hotel.
- Gili Tangkong is small, undeveloped and less-visited, but it has an artificial reef-structure that is taking on new corals, providing a good spot for snorkeling. Although uninhabited, when they know tours are coming a local family come to sell coconuts on the beach.
There are several accommodation options just across from the islands on Lombok mainland where you can base yourself while exploring and snorkeling. One of these is Lombok Volunteer Homestay, where you can stay for an extended period of time in exchange for teaching the local children, and learn all about the local Sasak culture.
The Western Secret Gilis
- Gili Gede the largest and most developed of the Secret Gilis, Gede is the only one that at all resembles the famous northern Gili Islands in activities and infrastructure, though in a much smaller way. It has a small local population that survives using traditional methods of fishing and boat building, like a much smaller version of Gili Air, and here on Gede that includes pearl diving. Like the northern islands it also has facilities for stand-up paddle and kayaking. There are several local restaurants on the island, as well as at the new resorts, and seafood is a speciality. At 4 kilometres by 1.6, Gede is the only Secret Gili that compares in size to the well-known ones. The west coast of Gili Gede has a muddy mangrove swamp, while the rest of the coastline has lovely beaches. Inland the island is hilly and forested. Gili Gede is home to the Lombok Eco Dive resort, a professional scuba diving school where you can complete the SSI Open Water Diver Certification in a three-day course, and also take introductory scuba diving lessons and go on island-hopping snorkeling tours. Eco Dive has accommodation in air-conditioned private bungalows and a restaurant offering local Sasak cuisine. To book your stay contact Eco Dive at lombokecodiveresort@gmail.com. There is a new luxury resort Ko-Ko-Mo Gede, the sister resort to the one on Gili Air. Boat transfers are now available from the northern Gili Islands to Gili Gede.
- Gili Asahan Much less developed than Gili Gede, Asahan has a few hotels offering bungalow accommodation. It also hosts the Secret Gilis Fun Cruise, a trip around the islands in a traditional sailing boat that includes snorkeling and lunch. There is a boat service to and from Gili Asahan three times a day, organized by Pearl Beach resort.
- Gili Layar Even less developed, Layar has one simple hotel, Layar Beach Bungalows, with wonderful snorkeling just in front of it, right on the beach. The restaurant serves local cuisine. There is a road round the island that enables you to explore other snorkeling spots.
- Gili Anyaran has no development or accommodation at all, though it does have a pier where boats can dock to allow exploration of the beaches and snorkeling spots.
Stay In Sekotong
If you are not taking a chartered tour by boat from Kuta, Senggigi or Mataram, a great option is to stay in Sekotong and use it as a base for exploring the islands without staying on them overnight. This is particularly recommended for the eastern islands. Sekotong is actually the name for the region, rather than a village or town, but there is a string of villages along the north coast of the region next to the islands that offer accommodation and restaurants.
The mainland coast by the Secret Gilis has its own fabulous beaches, including Elak Elak, which has its own tiny Gili Island that you can walk to at low tide.
Krisna Bungalows is an inexpensive convenient option, not least because there is a place next door where you can rent motorbikes to explore the beaches of the Sekotong region, for 100,000 Rupiah a day, $6 USD, $9.30 AUD, £4.80 GBP.
Worth checking out if you are a seafood lover is the restaurant Bluefin Seafood Lombok. This is accessible only by boat, or by walking through a mangrove swamp. The restaurant is set up on floating gazebos. The experience is an adventure and the fish and seafood are wonderful.
