By air
Lombok International (LOP), ~40 km from Mataram
Southeast Asia · Indonesia
Lombok, Indonesia
Bali's quieter neighbour, with a volcano to climb
Getting there
Best time to visit
April to October — dry season; the Rinjani treks are open
Don't miss
Mount Rinjani
Tanjung Aan beach
Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls
Sade traditional village
Things to do
Trekking Mount Rinjani
Surfing at Kuta Lombok
Waterfalls at Senaru and Tetebatu
The Pink Beach boat trip
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Giovari max · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Trekking gear for Rinjani, swimwear, modest clothing for villages
A quieter corner
Selong Belanak, a wide, gentle surf beach in the south
Questions travellers ask
When can I trek Mount Rinjani?
April to October is the dry season, when the Rinjani treks are open. Bring trekking gear, plus modest clothing for the villages.
How far is Lombok's airport from Mataram?
Lombok International (LOP) is about 40 km from Mataram.
Is there a gentle surf beach on Lombok?
Selong Belanak, in the south, is a wide, gentle surf beach. You can also surf at Kuta Lombok.
What should I eat on Lombok?
Try ayam taliwang, a spicy grilled chicken, and plecing kangkung.
About Lombok
- Island
- Mountains
Where it is
Lombok is an island in the province of West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, east of Bali across the Lombok Strait, its north dominated by the volcano Mount Rinjani, which rises to about 3,700 m.
History
Lombok's Sasak people were ruled by their own princes until the Balinese took control of western Lombok in the early 17th century and of the whole island by 1750. The Dutch conquered Lombok in 1894, and after independence it became part of Indonesia; Mataram, the provincial capital, lies in the west of the island.
People
Lombok is the homeland of the Sasak people, who speak Sasak and Indonesian, and Balinese communities live in the west around Mataram. Sasak traditions include hand weaving, called sesek in Sasak, and the Bau Nyale festival on the south coast, when people gather sea worms said to be the reincarnation of Princess Mandalika.
Known for
- Trekking Mount Rinjani and Segara Anak lake
- Surf beaches around Kuta Lombok
- Waterfalls at Senaru and Tetebatu
- Sasak villages such as Sade
- Songket weaving and Sasak pottery
Did you know?
Segara Anak, the crater lake beside Rinjani, fills the caldera of Samalas, whose eruption in 1257 was one of the largest of the past few thousand years; scientists identified it only in 2013.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.