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Why
Lombok Island
is special
 Lombok (means "chili pepper") is the most popular side-trip for Bali-based
tourists. The chief reason is its proximity to Bali. Another major draw is
Lombok's Gili Islands.
Lombok is
easy to reach
It takes just 30 minutes to fly from Bali to Lombok's Mataram Airport.
Alternatively,
you can travel to Lombok on a large, modern, comfortable passenger-only ferry in
2.5 hours. The ferry service operated by Bounty Cruises transports you directly
to strategically situated Senggigi while the Mabua Express ferry service drops
you off farther south, at Lembar. If you have an automobile or motorcycle, you
need to take a considerably slower car ferry.
The Gili Islands
of Lombok
Whatever you do in Lombok, visit the three petite Gili Islands (named Air, Meno
and Trawangan). They are just off the Lombok mainland. You can reach the nearest
Gili Island in 20 minutes on a small outboard outrigger boat from the nearby
Bangsal harbor beach. Its sunsets are romantic.
The three Gili Islands are praised for snorkeling and scuba diving. Each island
is abutted by clear-water reefs teeming with fascinating coral formations and
marine life, including giant clams and colorful tropical fish. If you never
snorkeled or dived before, local dive shops have qualified instructors to teach
you.
Even if
you don't put your toe in the water, do experience the Gili Island's youthful,
laid-back tone, typical of undiscovered, not-yet-mainstream travel destinations.
Life is slow-paced. No one is in a hurry. There are no cars or motorbikes -- you
travel the islands' unpaved dirt roads on foot or in minuscule horse-drawn
carts.
Virtually
all Gili Island accommodations are rather basic, with minimum amenities. If that
sleep-over adventure is not on your wish list, no problem. It's easy to make day
trips to one or all three islands and return to sleep in your comfy Lombok
Island hotel room (though you will miss the Gili Islands' nighttime spirit
generated by carefree vacationers, mostly in their 20s to early 30s).
"Gili"
means "island", so "Gili Islands" means "island islands", a classic redundancy.
However, the "Gili Islands" term is so widely used in the local tourist trade
that is now a valid appellation.
Up-market hotels
on Lombok
Comfort-seeking tourists can enjoy Lombok's luxury resorts, ideal for unwinding.
The Sheraton is directly on a palm-fringed, white-sand beach front in Senggigi,
the island's tourism epi-center. The more isolated and upscale Oberoi resort is
a 45-minute drive to the north, but lacks an adjacent beach front.
Cannot afford the pricey track? Lombok has accommodations to suit all budgets.
Other Lombok
tourist activities
Shoppers can bargain for the wares in the craft villages. Best bets in Lombok:
pottery, basketry and weaving.
Visitors
heading to Lombok's southern coast should visit the traditional Sasak fishing
villages. Surfers will relish Lombok's Kuta Beach (far less crowded and
commercialized than its namesake, Bali's Kuta Beach).
In-shape
hikers climb Mt. Rinjani, an active volcano (it last erupted about five years
ago). At 3726 meters (13,250 feet), Mt. Rinjani is Indonesia's second
highest peak and dominates Lombok's northern landscape. The view from the top is
inspiring. Plan on two or three days for this trek. Hire a professional guide.
How Lombok
compares with Bali
Although relatively close geographically, Lombok and Bali are dissimilar in many ways.
Lombok is
drier, less lush (especially in the island's east and south). However, overall,
Lombok has better swimming and surfing beaches. Its character is less hurried
and touristy.
The two
islands are ethnically different. Bali is inhabited chiefly by the Balinese
while nearly 90% of Lombok's population is Sasak. The two peoples have different
languages, cultures and religions. In Bali, the predominant faith is Hindu-Dharmaism
while in Lombok, it's Islam.
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