Lombok, Indonesia Itinerary (5 days)

This itinerary will cover Lombok, Indonesia over 5 days, and is the third and final part of my Java-Bali-Lombok backpacking trip. To see the previous itineraries, please check out the 8 day itinerary for Bali, Indonesia and the 12 day itinerary for Java, Indonesia

Trip Summary

• Trip length and when did I go? 5 days in May 2015
• How much did it cost me? MYR 550

At A Glance

• Day 1 - Bali ‣ Senggigi ‣ Kuta, Lombok

 Ferry from Padangbai, Bali to Lembar, Lombok ‣  Bemo from Lembar to Senggigi ‣  Motorcycle ride from Senggigi to Kuta, Lombok ‣  Sightseeing around Kuta, Lombok by motorcycle ‣  Mawun beach ‣  Sunset at Seger beach ‣  Overnight in Same Same Bungalows in Kuta, Lombok

• Day 2 - Kuta ‣ Sembalun ‣ Senaru ‣ Senggigi

 Motorcycle ride from Kuta back to Senggigi with stopovers in Sembalun and Senaru ‣  Sindang Gila & Tiu Kelep waterfalls ‣  Overnight in Indah Homestay in Senggigi

• Day 3 - Senggigi ‣ Gili Trawangan

 Sightseeing around Senggigi by motorcycle ‣  Senggigi beach ‣  Pura Batu Bolong ‣  Villa Hantu ‣  Malimbu hill ‣  Check out from Indah Homestay ‣  Ojek from Senggigi to Bangsal ‣  Public boat from Bangsal to Gili Trawangan ‣  Sightseeing around Gili Trawangan by bicycle ‣  Sunset at Ombak Sunset ‣  Overnight in Gili Bong in Gili Trawangan

• Day 4 - Gili Trawangan

 Snorkeling tour around Gili Meno and Gili Air ‣  Dinner at the Gili Trawangan night market ‣  Overnight in Gili Bong in Gili Trawangan

• Day 5 - Gili Trawangan ‣ Mataram ‣ Kuala Lumpur

 Check out from Gili Bong ‣  Public boat from Gili Trawangan to Bangsal ‣  Bemo from Bangsal to Mataram ‣  DAMRI bus from Mataram to Lombok airport ‣  Fly from Lombok back to Kuala Lumpur

Itinerary Map (click to view POIs and routes)

Travel Montage

DAY 1

Arrival in Lombok

• 6.30 am - Arrive at Lembar port by ferry from Bali island
• Upon arrival, plenty of touts will attempt to get you to charter their transport. Try to ignore them, and simply walk out from Lembar port to the main road (under 20 minutes) to catch a public bemo to Mataram instead

Arriving in Lombok by ferry, just before sunrise

Approaching Lembar port

Getting ready to move out. Lombok beckons!

Lembar to Mataram

• 7.10 am - Ride a passing bemo to Mataram - 15,000 rupiah (bargained down from 30,000 rupiah).
• Note: There are no public bemos that go direct to Senggigi from Lembar (unless you charter them), so I decided to go to Mataram first. Be sure to agree on a price first before you get on the bemo though
• 7.45 am - Arrive in Mataram (dropped off at Cakranegara)
• My initial plan upon arriving here was to rent a motorcycle. There are few places in Mataram where you can rent a motorcycle, the one I went to was Hotel International (located along Jalan Gelatik). However, the owner wanted to charge me 70,000 rupiah per day (which I thought was pretty expensive). Tried my best to haggle down the price but the owner wouldn't relent. Decided to bite the bullet and try my luck in Senggigi instead.

There were no bemos in the Lembar port area, so I had to walk outside to catch one

The bemo from Lembar only went as far as Mataram, where I was dropped off in Cakranegara. From here, I needed to catch another bemo to Ampenan

Mataram to Ampenan

• 8.35 am - Ride a passing bemo to Ampenan - 5,000 rupiah.

• Note: Unless chartered, there are no public bemos that go direct to Senggigi from Mataram. Best option would be to head to Ampenan first, and from there you can take another bemo to Senggigi

• 9.05 am - Arrive in Ampenan (dropped off at Ampenan market)
• Photo walk around Ampenan market before continuing on to Senggigi

From Mataram to Ampenan. The bemo I took from Mataram doesn't go all the way to Senggigi, hence I asked to be dropped off at Ampenan market, where I took another bemo to Senggigi

Decided to explore Ampenan market for a bit before continuing on to Senggigi

Ampenan to Senggigi

• 9.20 am - Ride another bemo to Senggigi - 5,000 rupiah
• 9.40 am - Arrive in Senggigi (dropped off at the main strip near Senggigi beach)
• Breakfast at Matahari Cafe - English breakfast & lombok coffee (32,000 rupiah)
• Rented a motorcycle from a nearby tour kiosk - 45,000 rupiah per day. Renting for 2 days (total cost - 90,000 rupiah)

Getting around Lombok using public transport was quite an adventure. Three bemos later, finally I arrived in Senggigi

Being Lombok's main tourist hub, Senggigi's main strip with plenty of restaurants, shops and tour providers

Senggigi to Kuta

• 10.40 am - Ride from Senggigi to Kuta. Refuel in Mataram enroute - 20,000 rupiah
• Along the way, you will pass by the Lombok international airport, located in Praya. If you see it, then you know you're going in the right direction
• Also passed by the Sade Sasak Village on the way, which could be an interesting stop if you're very interested in Sasak culture
• 12.15 pm - Arrive in Kuta beach
• Check-in to Same Same Bungalows - 104,000 rupiah per night (took the dorm option, staying for 1 night). The dorm was okay, though lacking a bit in cleanliness. Despite that, the garden area was a plus, as is the host's playful dogs that kept me company throughout my stay here

Kuta, Lombok doesn't feel as touristic as its counterpart in Bali, most of it are still undeveloped where it's a collection of villages interspersed with the odd restaurant or hotel 

Kuta beach, Lombok

Not to be confused with the other Kuta in Bali

Same Same Bungalows, my accommodation in Kuta, Lombok for the night

Kuta to Mawun Beach

• 1.00 pm - Ride from the guesthouse to Mawun beach
• 1.15 pm - Stopover enroute at The Summit cafe located on a hilltop for some refreshments - Chocolate shake (25,000 rupiah). Very nice views of Kuta beach from up here

The Summit Cafe, just one of few viewpoint cafes on the way to Mawun beach from Kuta, Lombok

Food and drinks with a view at Summit Cafe

Really nice views of Kuta beach from Summit Cafe

Mawun Beach

• 2.15 pm - Arrive at Mawun beach. Paid the entrance fee on the way in - 10,000 rupiah
• Parked my motorcycle in the parking area, where there were a few food stalls, just before the beach. It was a weekend when I was there, so there were plenty of people about. Come on a weekday if you want to have the whole beach to yourself
• 2.30 pm - 4.15 pm - Walked around Mawun beach, relaxed a bit and went for a swim before continuing on

The picturesque Mawun beach, minutes away from Kuta, Lombok

White sandy beach and clear waters, Mawun is one of the nicest beach I've come across in Lombok

Seger Beach

• 4.15 pm - Ride back to Kuta beach, and then continue on to Seger beach
• 5.00 pm - Arrive at Seger beach. There's actually a ticket outpost near the entrance, that I sort of bypassed it by going around and using a longer way, by walking in from the beach. Not really sure how much you had to pay to enter Seger beach, but you can also pay for horse rides around Seger hills
• 5.15 pm - 7.00 pm - Walked around Seger beach and climbed up the surrounding hills to watch the sunset

Seger beach, near Kuta Lombok. You could almost see Merese hills from here.

 Amazing views of the Lombok sea at the top of Seger hills

Sunset over Seger hills

Back to Kuta

• 7.00 pm - Ride back to Kuta
• Dinner at Warung Dulang - Seafood curry (47,000 rupiah) & tuna pizza (50,000 rupiah). Very delicious food, highly recommended!
• 9.30 pm - There wasn't much nightlife in Kuta, so I hung out at Warung Dulang for a little bit longer before heading back to my guesthouse to call it a night

Having my dinner at Warung Dulang

Delightful seafood curry to warm up my evenings

DAY 2

Kuta to Teluk Awang

• 7.00 am - Wake up
• Breakfast at the guesthouse - Omelette & hot tea (included in the room rate)
• 8.00 am - Pack up and check out from guesthouse
• Ride from Kuta to Sembalun. Followed the coastal road heading eastward to Awang, instead of going back up north to Praya
• 8.45 am - Quick photo stop at Teluk Awang. Stopped by a local market along the way

Long, windy road to Teluk Awang from Kuta, Lombok

Beached fishing boats in Teluk Awang due to low tide

Did a quick stop at this local market on the way 

Teluk Awang to Sembalun

• From Teluk Awang, I continued on north towards Sembalun, passed by Genti, then a stopover in Keruak to refuel - 20,000 rupiah.
• Note: From here, you can take a detour south to Jerowaru, with Tanjung Ringgit and Pink Beach being its main points of interest. It's more than a 50km round trip on pretty bad road though. Due to time constraints, I decided to continue on north to Sembalun instead. 
• 10.30 am - Arrive at Rinjani national park's entrance. Didn't have to pay any entrance fees. The road is well paved, and the route is pretty straightforward as there are little to no turns.

Rinjani national park's entrance

The road cuts through almost like an enchanted forest in Rinjani national park, on the way to Sembalun

Just stopping from time to time to take in the sights

Sembalun

• 11.00 am - Quick photo stop at the viewpoint overlooking the valley where Sembalun is, located by the roadside on the way. There are a few stalls there where you can stop to get some food or a nice cup of coffee
• 11.30 am - Arrive in Sembalun
• There's plenty to see here depending on how long you plan on staying here. For less than a day, you could try doing the short trek to Gunung Selong. Or if you planning to stay for a night or two, try the longer camping trek to Bukit Pergasingan
• 11.30 am - 1.00 pm - Photo ops around Sembalun before continuing on to Senaru

Stopping for a coffee at the viewpoint overlooking the valley where Sembalun is located

Landscape shot of Sembalun, without my hand in it

Descending down to Sembalun

Sembalun is made of vast farmlands, surrounded on all sides by epic landscapes

The landscape on the way to Senaru never ceases to amaze

Sembalun to Senaru

• 2.30 pm - Arrive in Senaru
• Stopover at the entrance to Sindang Gila and Tiu Kelep waterfalls. Paid the entrance fee - 10,000 rupiah. You will be asked if you need a guide, there's really no need for one as the path to the waterfall is pretty obvious

Arriving in Senaru

Senaru waterfall entrance

Sindang Gila waterfall

• Walk down the steps from the entrance to Sindang Gila waterfall (under 10 minutes). This is one of two and the easiest waterfall to get to in the area
• 2.40 pm - Photo stop at Sindang Gila waterfall before continuing on

Steps going down to the waterfall area

Sindang Gila is the first waterfall I came across in the area

Tiu Kelep waterfall

• 3.00 pm - Continue on to Tiu Kelep waterfall. This part is a bit tricky but still manageable. Go back up to the steps, and take the first path on the left. You will come to a bridge, keep on walking until you come to a river. Cross this river to get to Tiu Kelep.
• 3.20 pm - Photo stop at Tiu Kelep waterfall and went for a dip
• 4.00 pm - Back to the entrance (under 30 minutes)

On my way to Tiu Kelep. If you passed this bridge, this means you're going in the right direction

Tiu Kelep, the second and most beautiful waterfall in the area

Senaru to Senggigi

• 4.30 pm - Continue on to Senggigi from Senaru (via Jalan Raya Bayan). My earlier plan was to rush back to Senggigi to catch the sunset at Malimbu hill. Instead of doing that, I decided to take my time and stopped from time to time to watch the beautiful sunset on the way

Sunset, sunset everywhere on the way back to Senggigi 

In case you didn't know, this sunset was one of my top moments of the year

Instead of rushing back to Senggigi, I took my time, even parked my motorcycle and sat on a beach with the locals until the sun eventually went down

In & Around Senggigi

• 7.45 pm - Arrive in Senggigi
• Check-in to Indah Homestay - 150,000 rupiah per night (staying for 1 night). The guesthouse wasn't easy to find, it took me a while to locate it. The rooms are cozy and kind of nice for the price
• 8.30 pm - 9.30 pm - Photo walk around Senggigi's main strip
• Dinner at Cafe Tenda Cak Poer Arek Suroboyo - Grilled gourami, fried chicken & iced lemon tea (111,000 rupiah)
• 10.00 pm - Return to guesthouse

Back in Senggigi after a long day

My accommodation in Senggigi for a night, Indah Homestay

My room for the night

Sights and er, sounds of Senggigi in the evenings

As curious as it sounds, Cafe Tenda roughly translates to 'tent cafe', and yes, it is what it looks like

Cafe Tenda serves really good and cheap seafood, a must try in Senggigi for seafood lovers

Walking along a different part of Senggigi before heading back to the guesthouse

DAY 3

Sightseeing Around Senggigi

• 6.45 am - Wake up
• 7.00 am - 9.30 am - Photo ops around Senggigi by motorcycle. Photo stops at various points of interest around Senggigi:

• Senggigi beach
• Pura batu bolong
• Villa hantu
• Malimbu hill

• 9.45 am - Return to the guesthouse to pack up and check out

Entrance into Senggigi beach

Senggigi beach in full view

Entrance into Pura Batu Bolong. Did not enter as I didn't want to pay the 'donation'

Pura Batu Bolong viewed from outside

Views of a misty beach in Mangsit from Villa Hantu

Malimbu hill, a very popular spot for sunsets in Senggigi

Senggigi to Bangsal

• 10.30 am - Hire an ojek to take me from Senggigi to Bangsal port - 60,000 rupiah. Could probably bargain it down to 30,000-40,000 rupiah but since he said he was gonna bring me all the way to the port area, I agreed to pay him that price
• Note: There are no bemos going to Bangsal from Senggigi (unless chartered). A cheaper but more time consuming alternative would be to take a bemo back to Mataram, and try to catch another bemo to Pemenang. From Pemenang, it's another 1km to Bangsal which you can go either on foot or by cidomo. Another alternative would be to take a shuttle bus to Bangsal, (which can be arranged by most guesthouses in Senggigi). Costs 70,000 rupiah, but there is only one shuttle each day which departs at 8am.
• 11.10 am - Arrive in Bangsal (dropped off at the port) 

Entrance into Bangsal

The Bangsal port area is roughly a kilometer from the entrance, you can choose to walk it or ride a horse cart, locals call them cidomo

Bangsal to Gili Trawangan

• Once in Bangsal, just ignore the touts and walk to Koperasi Angkutan Laut building to buy your tickets. Despite all the negative reviews about this place, my experience was somewhat a pleasant one
• Purchased ticket for the slowboat to Gili Trawangan - 15,000 rupiah (one way) & entrance/conservation fees to the Gili islands - 6,000 rupiah. They will announce when you can start boarding the boat, so stick around
• 11.30 am - Board the slowboat departing from Bangsal to Gili Trawangan

Koperasi Angkutan Laut building in Bangsal port

Inside the building waiting to buy my public boat tickets to the Gili islands

How the public boat tickets should look like

Getting ready to go onboard a public boat. Gili Trawangan, here I come!

On the public boat on the way to Gili Trawangan. Notice how there are no life jackets on the boat

Arrival in Gili Trawangan

• 12.00 pm - Arrive in Gili Trawangan
• Check-in to Gili Bong - 150,000 rupiah per night. Staying for 2 nights (total cost - 300,000 rupiah). Admittedly, I got lost a few times trying to find this place as it's tucked away in the back alleys. The accommodation was kind of underwhelming for the price, moreover it can get quite hot in the afternoons, especially if you got the fan room. Its proximity to a mosque can be quite disconcerting for some, however these downsides are offset by a friendly and helpful host
• Rented a bicycle from the guesthouse - 50,000 rupiah per day (renting for 1 day)

Fastboat arriving in Gili Trawangan

The first thing you see as you set first foot on the beach, Selamat datang or welcome to Gili Trawangan

Took me a while to find this place, but here it is, my accommodation for the next few nights in Gili Trawangan

The fan room was cheap, however it can get quite hot in the afternoons

Sightseeing around Gili Trawangan

• 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm - Spent the afternoon cycling around Gili Trawangan. Visited the turtle conservation centre, no entrance fees.
• Lunch at various stalls along the main strip in Gili Trawangan - Nasi bungkus (15,000 rupiah) & gili gelato (30,000 rupiah)

Gili gelato, gili gelato everywhere

Cycling along the main strip in Gili Trawangan

Walking, cycling or taking the cidomo, these are the only ways to get around Gili Trawangan

Sama-Sama Beer Garden, gonna hang out here later in the evening

Plenty of spots to relax and chill in Gili Trawangan

Turtle conservation centre in Gili Trawangan, each tank houses hatchlings, categorized by age. Once they reach maturity, they are released back to the sea

Found this gem of a beach while cycling around in Gili Trawangan

Ombak Sunset

• 4.40 pm - Cycled to Ombak Sunset hotel to watch the sunset (under 20 minutes)
• 5.00 pm - 7.00 pm - Photo ops & sunset viewing at Ombak Sunset. Try to come early if you want to take pictures with the famous Ombak Sunset swing, gets really crowded just before sunset
• Dinner at Burger House on the way back - Beef burger & iced lemon tea (87,000 rupiah)
• 10.00 pm - Walked around Gili Trawangan for a bit before returning to guesthouse

Cycling to Ombak Sunset

Rows of bicycles parked just outside Ombak Sunset

The famous Ombak Sunset swing. Not pictured here is the long line of people waiting their turn to take pictures with the swing

DAY 4

Snorkeling trip around the Gilis

• 7.00 am - Wake up
• Breakfast at the guesthouse - Omelette & hot tea (included in the room rate)
• Booked a snorkeling trip (Gili Meno & Gili Air) from the guesthouse - 100,000 rupiah
• 10.30 am - Depart for snorkeling trip on a glass bottom boat
• 10.30 am - 12.30 pm - Island hopping around Gili Meno & Gili Air, stopping at various dive sites for snorkeling:

• Coral point
• Turtle point
• Fish point

Heading to the first snorkeling spot

The glass bottom boat we were on gives a first glimpse into what we were diving into

Snorkeling at Coral point just off the coast from Gili Trawangan, there were plenty of corals to see

Huddled in groups for turtle spotting at Turtle point, off the coast of Gili Meno. Although a sighting isn't guaranteed, I still managed to spot a few without trying too hard

Gili Air & Back to Gili Trawangan

• 1.00 pm - Stopover at Gili Air for lunch - chicken steak & hot tea (77,000 rupiah)
• 1.30 pm - 2.30 pm - Photo walk around Gili Air
• 2.30 pm - Back to Gili Trawangan 

Snorkeling at fish point, off Gili Air, just before we were taken there for lunch

Enjoying an afternoon walk around Gili Air after lunch

Back in Gili Trawangan

• 3.00 pm - Arrive in Gili Trawangan. Return to guesthouse for a quick shower & rest
• 6.00 pm - Dinner at the night market - Nasi campur (25,000 rupiah), chocolate crepe (5,000 rupiah) & banana cake (5,000 rupiah)
• 10.30 pm - Walked around for a little bit and spent some time in Sama-Sama beer garden before returning to the guesthouse

Gili Trawangan night market, a great place for cheap, delicious food and to hang out at night 

Nasi padang, so many choices

And many types of sweet delicacies available, something I never thought I would find here

Spent the remainder of my evening walking around before heading back to the guesthouse

DAY 5

Last day in Gili Trawangan & Hostel check-out

• 9.00 am - Wake up
• Breakfast at the guesthouse - Scrambled eggs & hot coffee (included in the room rate)
• 10.30 am - Pack up and check out from the guesthouse

Gili Trawangan to Bangsal

• Walk to the boat ticket office (under 10 minutes) and purchased a ticket for the slowboat back to Bangsal - 15,000 rupiah (one way)
• 10.55 am - Board the slowboat departing from Gili Trawangan to Bangsal
• 11.20 am - Arrive at Bangsal port

Getting my ticket for the public boat back to Bangsal

Boarding the public boat back to Bangsal, and mainland Lombok

Bangsal to Mataram

• There are no bemos in Bangsal, but it's possible to find one (that goes to Mataram) in Pemenang
• Walk from Bangsal to Pemenang (under 20 minutes). 
• 11.40 am - Ride bemo to Mataram - 15,000 rupiah (bargained down from 25,000 rupiah)

Mataram

• 12.35 pm - Arrive in Mataram (dropped off at Mataram mall)
• 12.40 pm - 1.40 pm - Photo walk around Mataram mall
• Lunch at the nearby Istana Rasa (located along Jalan Subak III) - Sup buntut (65,000 rupiah)

Mataram Mall in Lombok

Inside Mataram Mall

Trying out sop buntut in Istana Rasa before heading to the airport

Mataram to Lombok International Airport

• 2.40 pm - Ride bemo to Mandalika bus terminal - 5,000 rupiah
• 3.00 pm - Arrive at Mandalika bus terminal. From there, I hired an ojek to take me to the DAMRI bus depot (located in Sweta, along Jalan Tuan Guru H. Faisal) - 10,000 rupiah
• 3.15 pm - Arrive at DAMRI bus depot
• 4.00 pm - Ride DAMRI bus to Lombok international airport - 25,000 rupiah
• 4.40 pm - Arrive at Lombok international airport
• 7.15 pm - Board flight (Air Asia) bound for home - RM 100 (one way)

Mandalika Bus Terminal. Unfortunately, this wasn't the place to take the DAMRI bus to the airport

The DAMRI bus depot, just a few kilometers away from Mandalika, where I took the bus to the airport

Arriving at Lombok International Airport

Walking around the interior of the airport before taking my flight back home

Trip Cost & Expenses

How much?	What for?
IDR 554,000	Accommodation
IDR 104,000	Accommodation in Kuta (1 night)
IDR 150,000	Accommodation in Senggigi (1 night)
IDR 300,000	Accommodation in Gili Trawangan (2 nights)
IDR 436,000	Ground Cost
IDR 25,000	Transport from Lembar to Senggigi
IDR 90,000	Motorcycle rental in Senggigi (2 days)
IDR 10,000	Entrance fee – Mawun beach
IDR 10,000	Entrance fee – Sindang Gila & Tiu Kelep waterfall
IDR 60,000	Ojek hire from Senggigi to Bangsal
IDR 36,000	Public boat from Bangsal to Gili Trawangan (return)
IDR 50,000	Bicycle rental in Gili Trawangan (1 day)
IDR 100,000	Snorkeling trip around Gili islands
IDR 15,000	Transport from Bangsal to Mataram
IDR 40,000	Transport from Mataram to Lombok international airport
IDR 360,000	Flight
RM 100	Flight from Lombok to Kuala Lumpur
IDR 614,000	Misc
IDR 574,000	Food & drinks
IDR 40,000	Miscellaneous
IDR 1,964,000	Total

How much did it cost me?

• In local currency: IDR 1,964,000
• Conversion rate (at the time): MYR 1 = IDR 3,600
• After conversion: MYR 545 (for 5 days)