My Week on Lombok: Volcanoes, Pink Beaches, and Getting Lost in the Best Way
Day 1: Arrival in Mataram and the Scooter Decision
Landed at Lombok International Airport (LOP) at noon. The Visa on Arrival line took 25 minutes and cost 500,000 IDR ($32). Brought clean USD bills as recommended — the exchange rate at the counter was reasonable.
The airport is in the south of the island, about an hour from Mataram. I'd been warned about 's public transport situation, and "situation" is generous. It's nonexistent. Caught a taxi to Mataram for 150,000 IDR and checked into a basic but clean guesthouse on Jalan Pejanggik for 180,000 IDR/night.
The big decision: scooter or no scooter? Opted yes. Rented a semi-auto Honda Vario for 70,000 IDR/day from the guesthouse owner, who made me sign a handwritten agreement and showed me exactly where the gas cap was (left hand side, under the seat — not obvious).
Dinner at a warung near the main mosque. Ayam taliwang — grilled chicken absolutely coated in a chili sambal that made my eyes water. Served with plecing kangkung and rice. 20,000 IDR total. The heat lingered for 20 minutes. I loved it.
Verdict: Mataram is a functional base, not a destination. The real Lombok is outside the city.
Day 2: The Sasak Villages and Kuta
Rode south to Sukarara village, about 30 minutes from Mataram. The Sasak weaving tradition is extraordinary — women sitting at wooden handlooms producing songket fabric with intricate geometric patterns. Each piece takes 2-6 weeks depending on complexity. They demonstrated the process and sold directly. I bought a sarong for 200,000 IDR that I genuinely treasure.
Continued south to Sade village — a more traditional settlement with thatched-roof houses and packed-earth floors. Free entry, but the informal guides who show you around appreciate a tip (20,000-50,000 IDR).
Reached Kuta Lombok by late afternoon. This is not Bali's Kuta. No clubs, no Irish pubs, no Bintang singlets. It's a dusty surf town with a handful of warungs and a beach break that draws a quiet crew of surfers. Parked the scooter and walked to Tanjung Aan — two connected bays of white sand with almost nobody on them.
I spent an hour on Tanjung Aan thinking about how a beach this beautiful would be wall-to-wall sun loungers and cocktail vendors in Bali. Here, it was me, two local fishermen, and a couple of Japanese surfers.
Verdict: Kuta Lombok is what Bali probably felt like 30 years ago.
Day 3: Gerupuk Bay Surfing
Took a boat from Kuta to the reef breaks at Gerupuk Bay (100,000 IDR round trip). Five separate reef breaks spread across the bay, ranging from mellow longboard waves to proper barrel sections.
I'm an intermediate surfer at best, and the inside break called "Don Don" was perfect — shoulder-high, peeling rights with a forgiving shoulder. Surfed for three hours, rented a board for 100,000 IDR, and only got out because my arms stopped working.
The boat driver waited patiently, napping under a tarp. No rush, no pressure. That's Lombok's energy in general — things happen when they happen.
Afternoon: rode to Mawun Beach, 15 minutes west of Kuta. A crescent bay with water so clear I could see my shadow on the sand 3 meters below. Swam for an hour. Total cost for the day: 200,000 IDR ($13).
Verdict: If you surf, Gerupuk is mandatory. If you don't surf, Mawun Beach justifies the trip south.
Day 4: The Pink Beach Expedition
The Pink Beach (Pantai Merah) is in Lombok's remote southeast. From Kuta, it's a 2.5-hour drive through progressively worse roads. The last 40 minutes are unpaved — doable on a scooter but not fun.
And then you arrive. The sand really is pink. Not salmon-colored, not vaguely tinted — pink. The red coral fragments mixed with white sand create a color that looks like it's been filtered. It's real.
Snorkeled right off the beach — the coral is excellent and close to shore. Saw a couple of reef sharks in the deeper water. No facilities here — bring everything: water, food, sunscreen, snorkel gear. There's nothing to buy.
The drive back took 3 hours because I stopped at Tanjung Ringgit, a dramatic cliff headland with abandoned WWII Japanese bunkers overlooking the Alas Strait.
Verdict: The Pink Beach is a genuine natural wonder. The drive is long. Bring supplies.
Day 5: Senaru and the Rinjani Trek (Day 1)
Rode north from Kuta to Senaru village — 4 hours through central Lombok's mountains. The road climbs through forest and past the Benang Kelambu waterfall (stopped for 30 minutes — the vine-curtain waterfall is surreal).
Met my trekking guide at the Rinjani Trek Centre in Senaru. Two-day, one-night trek to the crater rim: 2,800,000 IDR including guide, porter, tent, sleeping bag, and all meals. Registered with the Rinjani Trek Management Board — don't skip this step.
The first day's hike: 7 hours of steady uphill through tropical forest transitioning to scrubby alpine terrain. My porter — a 55-year-old man named Pak Irwan who weighed maybe 55 kg — carried 25 kg of gear and walked faster than me on every section.
Camped at the crater rim at 2,639m. Temperature dropped to about 8°C. The sleeping bag was adequate but I slept in every layer I'd brought. At 3AM, I unzipped the tent and saw more stars than I knew existed.
Verdict: The Rinjani trek is no joke. Real fitness required. Real reward delivered.
Day 6: Rinjani Crater Rim and Descent
Woke at 5AM for sunrise over the crater lake. Segara Anak — a turquoise lake inside the volcanic crater with a smaller volcanic cone (Gunung Baru) rising from its center. The scale is enormous and the colors at sunrise made my phone camera look like a toy.
The descent took 4 hours. My knees hated me. The scree sections were treacherous — loose volcanic gravel on a 40-degree slope. I fell twice. No injuries, just dignity.
Back in Senaru by 1PM. Rewarded myself by visiting the Sendang Gile waterfall — a 15-minute walk from the village, with a thundering cascade that you can stand under. The cold water on sore muscles was medicinal.
Drove to Bangsal harbor (2 hours) and caught the last public boat to Gili Air (85,000 IDR). Arrived at dusk, checked into a beachfront bungalow for 250,000 IDR, and collapsed.
Verdict: Rinjani is the single best thing I did in Indonesia. The crater sunrise alone justified the entire trip.
Day 7: Gili Air and the Turtle Swim
Gili Air is the middle-ground Gili island — less party than Trawangan, less deserted than Meno. No cars, no motorbikes. Just bicycles, horse carts (cidomo), and walking.
Rented snorkel gear (30,000 IDR) and walked to the east side of the island. Entered the water at the turtle point marked by local dive shops. Within 5 minutes, I was swimming alongside a green sea turtle the size of a coffee table. It wasn't bothered by me at all. Over the next hour, I counted six turtles, plus reef sharks, lionfish, and a moray eel.
This is not an organized tour. This is "walk into the ocean and there are sea turtles." For free.
Afternoon: did nothing. Lay in a hammock, ate grilled fish at a beachfront warung (50,000 IDR), and watched the sunset turn Mount Rinjani's silhouette purple across the water.
Late-night fast boat back to the mainland (85,000 IDR to Bangsal). Long, dark scooter ride to the airport area. Early morning flight out.
Verdict: Gili Air is the decompression chamber after Rinjani.
Would I Go Back?
I'm going back. Already planning it. Next time: the 3-day Rinjani summit push, more time at Gerupuk Bay, and a full week on the Gilis to get PADI certified.
Lombok asks more of you than Bali does. The roads are worse, the accommodation is simpler, the food options are fewer, and you need to be comfortable with improvisation. But the payoff is proportional. The Pink Beach, the Rinjani crater, the turtle snorkeling, the empty surf breaks — these aren't experiences you can buy. They're experiences you earn. For a different perspective, consider Krabi as well. Travelers who enjoy this often also love Okinawa.
Bring a scooter, a sense of adventure, and 20% more cash than you think you'll need. Lombok rewards all three. If you're exploring the region, Yogyakarta offers a compelling comparison. For a different perspective, consider Raja Ampat as well.
