Lombok & Gili Islands

Why Lombok & Gili Islands works

Lombok sits just across the strait from Bali but feels a world apart — less developed, more traditional, and centred around the looming presence of Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second-highest volcano, whose multi-day trek to the crater rim and Segara Anak lake is one of the region's classic adventures. The island's south coast holds a string of pristine surf beaches around Kuta Lombok, less crowded than their Balinese namesake. Just off Lombok's northwest coast, the three Gili Islands — Trawangan, Meno, and Air — ban motorised vehicles entirely, relying instead on bicycles and horse-drawn cidomo carts. Gili Trawangan is the liveliest of the three, with beachfront bars and a lap-able circumference perfect for sunset cycling, while Gili Meno's slower pace and near-empty beaches suit couples and honeymooners. All three islands offer easy snorkelling straight off the beach, with sea turtles a near-guaranteed sighting in the shallow reef that rings each island. Sunset views from any of the Gilis toward Bali's Mount Agung and Lombok's own Rinjani are reliably spectacular, and the islands' collective reputation for laid-back, barefoot travel has made them a favourite extension for travellers who've already done Bali.

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