Discovering Lombok: A Peaceful Getaway from Bali

Hello there,

Two weeks ago, I had my birthday and according to my content plan, I wanted to write my reflections from the "height of lived years" about life, my conclusions, thoughts, and something along those lines. But it didn’t work out with those "thoughts and conclusions"; everything either sounded too pompous or too banal, in my opinion. So, after a few unsuccessful attempts, I decided to simply tell you about our trip to Lombok Island.

On our birthdays, Santiago and I always travel. This time we considered two options: going to the north of Bali or flying to Lombok Island - we chose the latter. We had already traveled to Lombok last year. We really enjoyed that trip, so we wanted to repeat it.

How to get from Bali to Lombok Island

Lombok is an Indonesian island located east of Bali and west of Sumbawa. It is known for its beaches, surfing spots, and the idyllic small Gili islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno) which attract tourists with their landscapes and serene atmosphere. Lombok Island also hosts the famous Mandalika International Street Circuit, where world-class motorcycle races are held.

There are several options to get from Bali to Lombok: by ferry, speedboat, or plane. We always choose to fly, using the services of Citilink airline. Tickets may be slightly more expensive than other carriers, but it offers the best value for money: clean aircraft cabins, fewer flight delays and cancellations compared to others, and excellent service. The flight duration listed on the tickets is 35 minutes, but in reality, it’s 20-25 minutes, no more.

On Lombok Island, services like Gojek or Grab (apps for ordering various services via a phone app: taxi, restaurant delivery, etc.) do not operate, but there are plenty of local drivers at the airport offering taxi services. The hotel or villa where you booked a room can also arrange a transfer for you. Prices are significantly cheaper compared to Bali.

Where to stay in Lombok

In 2023, we stayed at Amber Lombok Beach Resort. I first saw this hotel in the stories of a travel blogger girl living in Bali. Later, I looked up Amber online, and the reviews on all platforms were very positive.

The distance from the airport is 27 km.

The transfer takes about 40 minutes. What I like about Lombok Island is their wide, new roads with no traffic, making it quick to get everywhere.

Amber Hotel is located on the first coastline; outside the hotel, there is no infrastructure. The complex has everything for a peaceful and comfortable vacation: cozy rooms with all necessary amenities, a restaurant, a pool, a spa, a beach with a gentle ocean entry, and beautiful landscaping around. The beach is almost deserted, and walking along it is a pleasure. We spent our entire vacation at the hotel without going anywhere, just enjoying the peaceful weekends.

The rooms are clean, spacious, minimalist in style, which I personally really like. The rooms feature Sensatia cosmetics, a well-known Balinese brand that uses natural and organic ingredients with pleasant aromas, found in many hotels and spas in Bali and beyond. I asked for a cake and room decoration for Santiago’s birthday. They didn't forget, unlike what happened at another glamping site during our trip to Lake Batur (you can read about this trip here) - everything was organized at a high level.

The restaurant overlooks the ocean. It’s pleasant to spend time there at any time of the day, enjoying the sea views. The food in the restaurant, on a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate at 3+. Honestly, I know very few hotels with decent restaurants. Here, it’s average: a mix of Italian (how can you go without pasta and pizza), Indonesian, and other standard hotel dishes to meet the needs of guests of different ages and from various countries (burgers, sandwiches, mashed potatoes, fries, rice, vegetable salads, seafood, and a few basic grilled meat options, etc.). You won’t go hungry, but you won’t be impressed either.

SPA in Amber.

I am picky about spa services. It was clean there. They use Sensatia cosmetics, and the staff is pleasant. I had a full-body massage twice. Honestly, it was very mediocre. The girls remembered the sequence of movements but didn’t learn the technique - so-so.

After my description of the restaurant and spa, you might wonder what I liked there? Frankly, I liked everything. I just don’t have "wow" expectations from establishments. I understand that it is impossible for everything to be perfect, so I don't write bad reviews or comment on the service during my stay. If the staff asks how the dish/service was, I may delicately comment on some moments. In most cases, I just say "thank you." If the hotel is clean, the staff is friendly, and the food is made from fresh ingredients - for me, that’s more than enough. I don’t expect "something." So maybe I’ll be lucky, and I’ll get an incredible service in the spa, or the restaurant will have a talented chef - and I’ll say "yes, that’s wow." Also, as a hotel-tourism business worker with many years of experience, I have a different evaluation of establishments than most guests and might notice moments others wouldn’t.

Therefore, on booking.com, where I booked Amber Lombok, my overall rating was 8.5. My recommendation: for a leisurely vacation – this is a great option.

This was our choice in 2023, and already in 2024, we stayed at Rascals Kuta Lombok. This time we chose a hotel in the town of Kuta, which some tourists describe as a small "Canggu" on Lombok Island (Canggu is a popular resort on Bali known for its restaurants, cafes, beach clubs, etc.). I chose the hotel based on online reviews.

About Rascals Kuta Lombok.

Located in the heart of Kuta, close to the center where there are many cafes, restaurants, and even Pepito (a well-known supermarket chain in Bali with a wide selection of quality products). The hotel’s concept is Only adults.

The hotel’s area is compact but well-maintained with lots of greenery. There are two pools with loungers around, which the staff cover with white terry towels every morning, many gazebos, and secluded spots with comfortable beanbag chairs.

The rooms are spacious, minimalist style, white linens, and not-so-white towels. Overall, it’s clean. A spacious balcony overlooking the courtyard and pool. The cosmetics are in refillable containers with hotel labels (which, in my opinion, isn’t great for a hotel of this level). Occasionally, there was an unpleasant smell in the bathroom, which the staff tried to hide in the morning with a lot of air freshener.

Restaurant. The hotel didn’t try to create something unique "à la chef" but focused more on "quickly and deliciously feeding the guests." It’s really a good restaurant with a quality menu where breakfast, lunch, and dinner options are thoughtfully chosen. For breakfast, guests choose one juice, coffee, or another drink and one dish from the menu. There are many options, so every guest will find something to their taste. During the day, we rode around the island, and for dinner, we ate at the hotel again. I tried Indonesian Nasi Goreng Ayam and Gado Gado, and they were really tasty. An important indicator for me in evaluating a restaurant is quality coffee – here it was 100% Arabica. There’s also an open kitchen, so you can watch the staff at work. I was impressed by the cleanliness of the kitchen and how well-organized the products and inventory were on the shelves and in the refrigerators.

SPA. I used its services twice. They use Sensatia cosmetics. In my opinion, the rooms were very cold due to the air conditioning, the staff could talk loudly in the general corridor, and the first time, the music was so loud in the room that Santiago (we had a couples massage) couldn’t stand it and asked to turn it down. Two specialists gave me a massage: the first day, a girl lightly stroked me, focusing on my neck and back – so let’s call it a "relaxing" massage; the next day, when they asked what kind of massage I wanted, I requested a stronger one, the girl managed for about 5 minutes, and then it was again a 'relaxing' massage. What do I expect from such hotel spas? That it’s clean, the staff is polite, there are unobtrusive scents, quality cosmetics, and if there’s some minimal technique where they go over my entire body, and at the end, offer a warm drink – that’s already good. Here, I got all of that.

What to do in Lombok

When we first went to the island, we spent three days at Amber Hotel without going out. Just relaxing from daily worries with a book by the pool and leisurely walks on the deserted beautiful beach – this hotel is for such a vacation.

Choosing Rascals in Kuta, our goal was different – we wanted to drive around and see the island. And I’ll tell you, riding a scooter in the southern part of the island is a real pleasure. There’s no crazy traffic and many tourists like in Bali; wide new roads, beautiful landscapes make the trips pleasant and comfortable.

Lombok is famous for its beaches.

We visited several:

Areguling Beach

Mawun Beach

Tanjung Aan Beach

And other small beaches along the way, of which there are many.

Almost all these beaches have local warungs (a type of small family-owned business in Indonesia — small retail, eatery, or café) where you can rent loungers, drink cooled coconut or other drinks. There is a minimal parking fee. When the tide comes in, and the water turns turquoise, combined with the white sand and nature along the beach, the views indeed recreate the pictures of a paradise beach vacation.

Lombok is also known among surfing enthusiasts.

One of the most popular surfing spots on the island is Desert Point, located in the southwest. We didn’t go there but went to another location – Gerupuk. There we rented a local boat for a sea trip, watched the surfers, the nature around, which is very different from Bali’s. We truly enjoyed this sea journey.

When we rode around the island, we stopped at various places according to the recommendations found online. Some of them might not be worth going to just for them, but if you combine these places into one route, stopping along the way to climb a hill, look at the famous Mandalika International Street Circuit from above, see the Princess Mandalika statue, once again view the surrounding landscapes and the ocean from a cliff - it’s always pleasant.

But what really impressed me was a trip to the small Sade Village in Lombok.

In the description online, I found it described as "a quiet village unspoiled by the modern world," but I had mixed feelings about that "non-modernity."

Briefly about this location: a small village with about 700 people has been turned into a tourist attraction; the village is known for its weaving and embroidery products made by local women and for the fact that all the residents adhere to all ancient traditions over many generations.

Upon arrival at the entrance to the village, we were met by a guy who lives there and conducts tours for visitors. This is a mandatory option; you cannot walk around the area on your own. The guide (sorry, I didn’t remember his name) leads you among the local houses, stopping by each where women offer their goods: weaving and embroidery products, clothes, bags, etc. From my observations, they indeed make some things by hand, but many items are from the "market." All the women have the same goods. Santiago and I speak a bit of Bahasa (Indonesian), so we started asking questions and talked more since the guide’s English was basic.

The guide began his story: "About 700 people live in the village. The main activities are farming and making weaving and embroidery products. Due to the dry climate, we cannot grow rice like in Bali. The season is very short. We do not contact the outside world, marry cousins. The language of communication is local Sasek; many residents don’t even speak Indonesian. The religion is Islam..."

- Can’t you marry residents of other villages? – I asked the guide.

- Men can, but it’s very expensive. The dowry – 2 buffaloes.

- How much is that in rupiahs?

- About 25 million rupiahs (about 1,6 thousand dollars – my note) – the guide replied.

- You say you don’t contact the outside world, but is the school located in your village? – I asked.

- No, the school is outside. You can go to school - the guide replied and continued - girls under 13 cannot leave the village.

- How do girls go to school if they can’t leave the village until they’re 13?

- They can go to school but only to higher grades - the guide replied.

- How can they go to higher grades without knowing Indonesian, having missed elementary school where the basics are taught? – I asked further.

- Well... - here our guide didn’t know what to answer. He added that generally, only men study, and they are the ones allowed to go to school and even later enter university.

- Can’t women get higher education? – I asked.

- No.

During the conversation, we gradually approached the house where our guide lives with his family. We were met by his wife. Looking at her, I asked at what age they get married. The guide just replied he is now 18, and his wife is 15.

- Do you have children? – I asked.

- Yes.

I didn’t ask how many children and of what age. But I assume they marry from about 13 years old if his wife is 15, they are married, and she has already given birth.

Frankly, I felt sorry for those people, especially the women who live like in primitive times. I had no sentimental feelings about life in Sade Village, which some tourists have. I wasn’t at all happy that the village is "unspoiled by the modern world." I always have mixed thoughts after visiting such places, also when we travel to remote islands in Indonesia: yes, people there have preserved traditions and authenticity, but their life is hard - it’s a daily struggle for survival; social rules are based on religious laws that are often very harsh, especially towards women; very few finish at least elementary school; children work from an early age, and marry and give birth in their teens.

We approached the exit, thanked the guide for the tour; Santiago was very touched by his stories, so he sincerely donated - and we moved on.

Photos from Sade Village

Is it worth going to Lombok Island?

Definitely yes. It’s a different experience than Bali. If you prefer a peaceful vacation, without the hype from countless bloggers, then Lombok is for you.

Kuta Lombok is a small town where you can find all the attributes of "Balinese resorts": restaurants, cafes with beautiful interiors and tasty dishes, coworking spaces, beauty salons, spas, a beach, etc. But everything is more compact and less crowded.

In my opinion, one of Bali’s downsides is the lack of infrastructure for walking and pedestrians. In Kuta, on the contrary, in recent years in the Mandalika International Street Circuit area, infrastructure has been built: transport roads, pedestrian alleys, small parks with places for rest and walks - so here you can walk, run, and ride a bike.

Beaches – this is a separate pleasure. White sand, usually a gentle entrance, beautiful views, few tourists.

Surfing – one of the biggest advantages of surfing here is that there are fewer people than in Bali and many amazing spots for different levels of enthusiasts.

Hotels. Pay attention to whether there is a mosque nearby because Muslims start praying very early. When we stayed at Amber Lombok, the mosque was far from the hotel, so we didn’t wake up at four in the morning when they started praying. But staying at Rascals, we woke up from the singing every morning around 4:30, which lasted maybe half an hour because the mosque was only 200-300 meters from the hotel.

And of course, I want to note the price policy for services, food, scooter rental, and accommodation on Lombok Island is cheaper than in Bali.

On Lombok Island, everyone will find a vacation to their taste and budget. My plan is to definitely come back to Lombok. Besides the seaside, there are magnificent mountains and national parks on the mainland, so visiting those places is also on my travel list. I just need to share my grand travel plans with Santiago 😊.

If you have any questions about the island, write in the comments, I will be happy to answer.

See you soon,

Olya.

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