Introduction
Beach-side serenity in the shade of a majestic volcano. Less developed than Bali, Lombok has better beaches, a bigger volcano and more varied landscapes. Tourism is still low key, and many visitors are independent travellers drawn by the island's intoxicating diving and snorkelling, hiking and surf spots, as well as Lombok's intriguing endemic culture.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +8
Area: 4725
Coordinates: -8.5 latitude and 116.66667 longitude
Population: 3000000
Currency: Rupiah (Rp)
Area codes: 62
Getting there and away
Several airlines including Merpati, GT Air and Wings Air connect Lombok with Bali, and there are also flights to/from Surabaya (Java) and Sumbawa Besar and Bima (both in Sumbawa). In addition there are twice-weekly international flights to/from both Singapore (with Silk Air) and Kuala Lumpar (Merpati).Frequent ferries run between Lembar in Lombok and Padangbai in Bali. The crossing takes at least four hours. Very regular ferries to Sumbawa depart from Labuhan Lombok and arrive at Poto Sano. The trip takes an hour and a half.
Getting around
Lombok has an extensive network of roads, but public buses and bemos (minibuses) are generally restricted to main routes. Bemos run on routes all over the island, or you can charter your own. Away from these you have to hire a cidomo (pony cart), get a lift on a motorcycle or walk. In the northeast and south there is usually some public transport between the bigger towns, but it might be far between, and extremely sparse after dark. You can get around the whole island and to most of the remote locations if you have your own transport. A motorcycle is the cheapest and most versatile option, though a rental car with good ground clearance will get you a long way. Outrigger boats called prahu are used for short trips to snorkelling spots or surf breaks.
Weather
Lombok's weather is tropical - 12 hour days, 28 ° C - 34 ° C (83 ° F - 93 ° F) average temperatures throughout the year and two main seasons, the wet (October to March) and the dry (May to September).
Places of Interest
Less developed than Bali, Lombok has better beaches, a bigger volcano and more varied landscapes. Tourism is still low key, and many visitors are independent travellers drawn by the island's intoxicating diving and snorkelling, hiking and surf spots, as well as Lombok's intriguing endemic culture.
Events
All three Lombok religions have their own holidays and festivals, with most of them taking place at the beginning of the rainy season (October to December) or at harvest time (April to May). At these times there are celebrations in villages all over the island, and people dress in their niftiest gear. Wooden horses and lions are carried in processions through the streets, and there's nowhere to escape the sound of the the gamelan. During Ramadan, (the month changes every year) everyone fasts between sunup and sunset to conform to the fourth pillar of Islam. Partying in Gili Trawangan is curtailed for the duration. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves. Eid al-Adah, another moveable event, is the other big feast of the year, and marks the time when Muslims should make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Other events include Pura Meru, a Bali Hindu ceremony celebrated on the June full moon at the temple in Cakranegara; Perang Ketupat, a rain festival held in Lingsar in mid-December where celebrants pray and fling sticky rice at each other; and Pujawali, a Bali Hindu celebration honouring the god Batara (who lives on Gunung Rinjani), held in November or December.
Related City: Bali, Jakarta, Bandung city
Beach-side serenity in the shade of a majestic volcano. Less developed than Bali, Lombok has better beaches, a bigger volcano and more varied landscapes. Tourism is still low key, and many visitors are independent travellers drawn by the island's intoxicating diving and snorkelling, hiking and surf spots, as well as Lombok's intriguing endemic culture.
Time zone: GMT +8
Area: 4725
Coordinates: -8.5 latitude and 116.66667 longitude
Population: 3000000
Currency: Rupiah (Rp)
Area codes: 62
Getting there and away
Several airlines including Merpati, GT Air and Wings Air connect Lombok with Bali, and there are also flights to/from Surabaya (Java) and Sumbawa Besar and Bima (both in Sumbawa). In addition there are twice-weekly international flights to/from both Singapore (with Silk Air) and Kuala Lumpar (Merpati).Frequent ferries run between Lembar in Lombok and Padangbai in Bali. The crossing takes at least four hours. Very regular ferries to Sumbawa depart from Labuhan Lombok and arrive at Poto Sano. The trip takes an hour and a half.
Lombok has an extensive network of roads, but public buses and bemos (minibuses) are generally restricted to main routes. Bemos run on routes all over the island, or you can charter your own. Away from these you have to hire a cidomo (pony cart), get a lift on a motorcycle or walk. In the northeast and south there is usually some public transport between the bigger towns, but it might be far between, and extremely sparse after dark. You can get around the whole island and to most of the remote locations if you have your own transport. A motorcycle is the cheapest and most versatile option, though a rental car with good ground clearance will get you a long way. Outrigger boats called prahu are used for short trips to snorkelling spots or surf breaks.
Weather
Lombok's weather is tropical - 12 hour days, 28 ° C - 34 ° C (83 ° F - 93 ° F) average temperatures throughout the year and two main seasons, the wet (October to March) and the dry (May to September).
Less developed than Bali, Lombok has better beaches, a bigger volcano and more varied landscapes. Tourism is still low key, and many visitors are independent travellers drawn by the island's intoxicating diving and snorkelling, hiking and surf spots, as well as Lombok's intriguing endemic culture.
All three Lombok religions have their own holidays and festivals, with most of them taking place at the beginning of the rainy season (October to December) or at harvest time (April to May). At these times there are celebrations in villages all over the island, and people dress in their niftiest gear. Wooden horses and lions are carried in processions through the streets, and there's nowhere to escape the sound of the the gamelan. During Ramadan, (the month changes every year) everyone fasts between sunup and sunset to conform to the fourth pillar of Islam. Partying in Gili Trawangan is curtailed for the duration. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves. Eid al-Adah, another moveable event, is the other big feast of the year, and marks the time when Muslims should make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Other events include Pura Meru, a Bali Hindu ceremony celebrated on the June full moon at the temple in Cakranegara; Perang Ketupat, a rain festival held in Lingsar in mid-December where celebrants pray and fling sticky rice at each other; and Pujawali, a Bali Hindu celebration honouring the god Batara (who lives on Gunung Rinjani), held in November or December.
Related City: Bali, Jakarta, Bandung city
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