Cities
Other destinations
Understand
Located just east of Bali, Lombok has been promoted as "an unspoiled Bali" for quite some time, with beautiful beaches and the large, looming volcano of Mount Rinjani. However, an impending tourism boom was severely disrupted by riots in 2000, when mobs of Muslims and ethnic Sasak people, ostensibly protesting sectarian violence in Maluku, attacked and looted churches as well as homes and businesses owned by Christians and ethnic Chinese. The ensuing years have been quieter, but tourists have continued to stay away.
The more Islamic culture in Lombok compared than Bali may explain the reason why Lombok is quieter than Bali in terms of parties and nightlife, which can be either a positive or a negative depending on your point of view. Lombok is also becoming increasingly popular for honeymooners.
Culture
Lombok's people are 85% Sasak, culturally and linguistically closely related to the Balinese, but unlike Bali's Hindu they are Muslims. A notable non-orthodox Islamic group found only on Lombok are the Wektu Telu ("Three Prayers"), who as the name suggests pray only three times daily, instead of the five times required in the Quran.
Climate
While tropical, hot and humid, Lombok is drier than neighboring Bali, which makes it a particularly attractive option during the October-December rainy season (it rains on Lombok too, but rarely for more than an hour). The peak of the tourist season, though, is May through August.
Talk
The main local language is Sasak. Bahasa Indonesia is universally spoken and English is common in the resort areas.
Get in
By plane
Lombok's only airport is Mataram's Selaparang Airport (AMI), which occasionally also shows up in flight schedules as "Ampenan" (hence the seemingly odd airport code). There are frequent connections to Denpasar on Bali (30 min) and Surabaya (1 hour) on Garuda, Merpati and Germania Trisakti ("GT Air"), but only a single flight per day to Jakarta or Yogyakarta (both on Garuda). International flights are limited to Kuala Lumpur daily on Merpati and Singapore thrice weekly on Silk Air, with visas available on arrival. Lombok Network maintains a useful, mostly-updated flight schedule listing all flights to the island.
By boat
Slow boats from Padang Bai on Bali leave about every hour for the four- to five-hour trip to Lembar (Rp 25,000). The slow ferries are a bit rusty and dusty, with minimal restroom facilities, and are used mostly by locals, with few tourists on board. Access to the passenger deck is usually from the vehicle deck via steep and narrow stairs, so maneuvering heavy luggage is a challenge. Would-be porters wait by the docks,...
