Absolute best beaches and places to visit in Lombok Indonesia

The Reason Why You Should Visit Lombok, Not Bali

Prologue.

This is barley there's no easy way of saying this really uh other way Bali. In fact I'll go as well as saying is I hate Falling. Now let me explain, before I first visited Bali I had really highexpectations I've heard so much about this place that seen beautiful pictures and videos on Instagram and YouTube and everywhere, so I have really high expectations this tropical paradise, beaches, rain.

So when I got here I was incredibly, disappointed I think maybe 15 years ago Bali was full of buck but now it's kind of like victim of its own success, it's a victim of Tobit scores over tourism has really just ruin this place it's overcrowded. see the traffic is insane it's just very very touristy and with that it's it's lost sordid culture and authenticity feels like just be any other force being placed around the world.

I don't blame the locals because they need to make a living but feels like every interruption you have with them is purely because they want to get your money way or another and sometimes you're walking down the street can be really exhausting.

I wanted to make a short story about a place that I found and fallen in love with, that has everything I was promised in Bali on such beaches, lush rainforests. It's everything that I expected from Bali and it's the islands next door this is a reason about why you should visit Lombok, not Bali

Nipah Beach and Pandanan Beach

Now, this isn't clique they haven't been paged by the Lombok tourists would I don't even know if they have a forest board and just genuinely think that people are making mistake you into Bali when there's this place right next door. I genuinely think it's just created to me it's crazy I want to show you why with a little help from my friend who's looking up some live here we've driven around the island to show you some of the best places in Lombok and I thought we'd start with some of my favorite beaches this is Nipah Beach check out beautiful those places.

 Nipah beach in Lombok Indonesia

How amazing is this place. I don't just love it because of the palm trees and the crystal blue water, it's the fact that I'm the only one here, I'd literally have this whole place to myself if this is the beach in Bali you would never ever ever find it this quiet, just around the corner over there it's another equally beautiful beach called Pandanan

Pandanan beach Lombok Island

Next, we have the secret beach the secret beach it's so secret it doesn't even have a name and Leila who lives here hasn't even been this is the first time it's the secret the first time I came to Lombok I was amazed by how many features that were all untouched with nobody in sight.

Malimbu - sunset point in Lombok Indonesia

Now, what's awesome about these beaches  is that they're all situated within five minutes drive of each other on this coastal roads between Senggigi and Bangsal, this coastal roads is genuinely I think like one of the best roads ever like up there with the great ocean road in Australia or the high van pass in Vietnam, I'm not joking this road is on

Rinjani Mountain and Tiu Kelep Waterfall

Further north from Bangsal you get the beautiful green slopes of Mount Rinjani.  Indonesia's second tallest volcano and the dominating landmark on this island.

Amazing waterfalls one of my favorites it's beautiful it's called Tiu Kelep

This is what you come to Indonesia for trekking through the jungle to find a waterfall look how good this place, so cool, it isn't the only beautiful spot on the slopes of rain garden, further north are the epic Highlands Sembalun and here you'll find beautiful rolling green hills and freshly put strawberries on the other side of in Journal today.

Highlands Sembalun Lombok Indonesia

 Highlands Rinjani Mountain Lombok Indonesia

Aerial drone shot of Tete batu rice terrace

The Gilis

Back down to sea level in Bangsal. it's time to head to what it's easily the most well-known and popular destination in Lombok the Gilis.

The Gilis are three tropical island paradise is just off the coast of mainland Lombok,  the biggest is gili trawangan which is the most popular and known as the party island, by a day you can sit back and chill out enjoying pristine beaches in the sun and crystal clear blue water where you can paddleboard, swim and snorkel turtles.
What I loved about the Gilis  is that there's no traffic the islands are small enough to easily walk around.

Alternatively you can hire a bike nothing better than just riding your bike around or even a horse and cart it's also the perfect place to watch sunsets

By night there's a market to explore with a vast array of delicious local cuisine before the party vibe sets in. Amongst the many bars and clubs if you fancy somewhere a bit more chilled out gili meno and Gili air often much quieter options.

 Hunting Turtle in Gili Trawanagn gili meno gili air

All of these islands are the literal definition of tropical paradise and they all offer incredible snorkeling opportunities with some of the clearest water and most vibrant varieties of sea life I've ever seen.

Finally I've been stalking for a long time like here in the Gilis everywhere I've troubled. I finally found clownfish Little Nemo clownfish I'm so excited they're pretty rare look at this

Lombok Monkey Forest 

Okay back on the mainland think it's time to head south there's a lot in South Lombok to see rather than drive the coastal road I've already shown you that gonna drive the other way which is equally as fun it's called the Monkey Forest

 eye bird view - the road to pusuk monkey forest of Lombok

So not only is it like a really fun road to drive with amazing views it's also like a safari, hey who doesn't love
monkeys, you just pour anywhere and there's just monkeys everywhere, look, hello you just drive along and you'll see them all over the place.

Monkey forest road eventually leads you to mass around the main city and Lombok.
here you'll want to check out some of the markets I recommend you should check out the market what's the name of this market, Ampenan.

Traditional Local Market in Ampenan Lombok 

Pretty cool, it's an interesting place too. See all different to see the motions of a doing the smells people watching markets at one. Markets are my favorite because they're such a good place to rub shoulders with the locals and get a glimpse of their day to day life

There's also a museum in Mataram where you can learn a lot more about the history and culture of Lombok, from its volcanic formation to the religious and agricultural ways of life.

It's time to head south last but definitely not least I wanted to show you the south coast of Lombok which is well worth a visit it's a place where these beautiful green rolling hills come down and meet the ocean like the so many good places here to explore, so many good beaches well worth a visit

Whole of the south coast of Lombok is renowned for its amazing service with another beautiful drive linking everything off you could easily spend a week just here exploring the rugged coastal cliffs and the beautiful beaches hidden in-between

 Secret selong belanak beach in Lombok best place for surfing

 Semeti beach in Lombok 

Mawun beach in Lombok 

I think honestly if by this point I haven't persuaded you to visit Lombok, I probably never will. It's a beautiful magical islands that have really fallen in love with for many different reasons, the people, the scenery, the food and the culture. It has everything the Bali has it matches it toe-to-toe but was less of the negatives.
It's nowhere near as busy or touristy.
It's it's untouched so I think if you're going to come to this part of the world you've really doing yourself a disservice if you don't come to Lombok.

Thanks for reading.
Now go book some flight ;-)