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Lombok Beaches and Beautiful Boutique Hotels Lure Travelers

We pinch ourselves. Can this be for real?

We’re sipping fresh mint-and-ginger mojitos by a stunning seaside infinity pool in Lombok, waiters flitting between deck chairs – and our chic Qunci Villas resort is very reasonably priced.

To top it off, the beaches in Lombok are drop-dead gorgeous!

Is tropical Lombok a new Indonesian island paradise, where luxury is affordable?

Fringed by white sand beaches, Lombok is a beach lover’s paradise!

Lombok beaches

Lombok is often described as “like Bali 30 years ago.”

Certainly Lombok is quieter and more subdued than tourist-thronged Bali with its colorful Hindu-based celebrations.

(This isn’t meant to take anything away from Bali, by the way, which we love for its culture.)

When the sun sets on Lombok, you can clearly see Bali in the distance
When the sun sets on Lombok, you can clearly see Bali in the distance

There are few hotels lining Lombok’s white-fringed bays – some of the prettiest beaches in the world) – and even fewer people shaking out their towels on the sand.

And the handful of boutique hotels that have sprung up, like chic Qunci Villas, offer terrific value for a beach vacation.

Let’s talk some more about those Lombok beaches.

Best beaches in Lombok

There are many great beaches in Lombok
The island is paradise for beach lovers – there are so many great beaches in Lombok!

Senggigi Beach:

Several upscale hotels are located on Senggigi Beach, Lombok
Several upscale hotels are located on Senggigi Beach

One of the best beaches in Lombok is Senggigi Beach on the western side of the island.

In the tourist area of Senggigi, it’s lined by several upscale hotels, including Qunci Villas and Puri Mas (reviewed below).

You can catch boats from this Lombok beach to the Gili Islands.

A beautiful beach on the Gili Islands
A beautiful beach on the Gili Islands

Selong Belanak Beach:

On the south coast, this popular beach in Lombok boasts powdery white sand.

With lots of little cafés and lounge chairs, Selong Belanak Beach is ideal for sunbathing and swimming.

Selong Belanak Beach is one of the best Lombok beaches for learning to surf
Selong Belanak Beach is one of the best Lombok beaches for learning to surf

But the real attraction?

With gentle rolling waves, Selong Belanak Beach is a great place to learn to surf.

You’ll find plenty of surf shacks offering beginner surf lessons.

Sire Beach:

On the north coast, Sire Beach is quiet and doesn’t see many day-trippers.

Its calm waters make it a great beach for swimming. (The fabulous Tugu Lombok hotel – see below – is located on Sire Beach.)

Tanjung Aan Beach:

Many visitors think Tanjung Aan Beach is the best beach in Lombok.
Is Tanjung Aan Beach the best Lombok beach?

If you’re looking for crystal clear aqua waters and an almost endless stretch of oh-so-soft white sand, Tanjung Aan Beach is for you.

Many visitors think this is the best beach in Lombok.

The water is typically lovely and calm – perfect for swimming! And when hunger strikes, you’ll find little warungs (cafés) selling fresh grilled fish and coconuts.

Tanjung Aan Beach is on the south coast, about a 15-minute drive from the main tourist area of Kuta.

Things to do in Lombok beyond the beach

As tempting as it is, however, we don’t spend all our time poolside and by the beach.

Sendang Waterfall on Lombok Island
Sendang Waterfall that we hiked to on Lombok

Hiking through jungle to two spectacular waterfalls calls out to us too.

We also take a short outrigger boat ride to the tiny nearby Gili Islands to go snorkeling and scuba diving.

Great massages are also cheap on Lombok.

Lombok vacation

Maybe combine a week in Lombok with a week in Bali next time you’re looking at a vacay in Asia? (From Bali, it’s a 2½-hour passenger ferry ride.)

That would make a great vacation combo.

A village woman on Lombok leads a cow to a well to drink
A village woman leads a cow to a well to drink

Where to stay in Lombok

We stayed at the following top three hotels in Lombok and can highly recommend them all!

1) Qunci Villas:

One of the best boutique hotels in Lombok is Qunci Villas
One of the best boutique hotels in Lombok is Qunci Villas

The 4-star Qunci Villas has stylish garden- and ocean-view rooms with outdoor showers, pool rooms (with their own private pools) and 1- to 3-bedroom luxury villas.

You’ll find three infinity pools and reasonably-priced restaurants serving excellent food.

Qunci Villas: Check rates and availability

2) Puri Mas:

Beach chairs for two at Puri Mas on Lombok
Beach chairs for two at Puri Mas

This beautiful resort (near Qunci Villas) has a very tropical feel.

Its 40 rooms range from character-loaded bungalows in the lush gardens to villas with private pools.

You’ll love lounging around by the infinity pool and watching young students of the Puri Mas-sponsored Lombok International Dance School put on a weekly ballroom dancing show.

3) Tugu Lombok:

Tugu Lombok is one of the most beautiful boutique hotels on Lombok
Tugu Lombok has a prime location on Sire Beach

The delightful 5-star Tugu Lombok offers Indonesian antiques, artworks and a great setting on Sire Beach, one of the best Lombok beaches.

Experience more of Asia!

Thailand | From postcard-perfect beaches in Phang Nga Bay’s dream islands to Chiang Mai and its exotic temples, check out the most beautiful places to visit in Thailand – for luxury lovers, of course!

Myanmar | Discover the most important temples in Bagan that you must see.

Singapore | The Singapore Botanical Gardens are a tropical Eden!

Our top travel tips and resources

Here are our favorite travel resources:

Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one. (We especially like their flexible cancellation policy!)

Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).

Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out GetYourGuide and Viator.

Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.

Travel insurance: World Nomads travel insurance has been designed by travelers for travelers, with coverage for more than 150 activities, as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Vaccines and meds: We follow CDC travel guidelines to see what medications and vaccines are needed for trips. You can get vaccines at your pharmacy, travel medical clinic or doctor’s office.

Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)

Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.

Pssst! If you make a booking or purchase through our site, we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks!


Photo credits: 1, 2, 5, 9 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Hotel photos courtesy the respective Lombok hotels


About the authors

Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.

Find destination guides, global food-and-wine stories, luxury hotel reviews, articles on cultural explorations and soft adventure trips, cruise reviews, insanely useful travel tips and more!

Ted Girouard

Friday 6th of February 2015

Your article appeared in our local newspaper Saturday Jan. 1, 2015. It was a very enjoyable read and we felt it hit the mark for the description of the attractions and beauty to be found among the islands. Your comment that deserves the most attention is , "But tourism benefits everyone - servers and hotel staff are super friendly and helpful - happy to have these jobs." We spent a total of 21 days in Indonesia and surrounding islands where this sentiment is echoed again and again. They appreciate us and we appreciate them. In our case we had another reason to visit The Far East as Gili Air also houses our son Morgan and his wife Erin Girouard. A 20 minute walk down the beach from the harbour would have brought you to their hotel, The Grand Sunset Resort which was just completed in August 2014. Morgan reached some degree of notoriety when Molson's Canadian featured him in a commercial last year when two of his buddies from Ottawa brought a red beer fridge to his door. (youtube: Molson indonesia) The surprise is real by the way and the beer fridge occupies a place of honour at Grand Sunset's bar. So for Canadians, Gili Air is a must !

Janice and George

Friday 6th of February 2015

So glad you enjoyed our travel article on Lombok in your newspaper :-). It's always nice to hear from readers. What a great story about your son's friends taking him the red beer fridge all the way from Canada to Gili Air! And bet you must like visiting your son and his wife during our frigid Canadian winters :-). We have another travel article on cruising off-the-beaten-path Greek islands being published soon in some of the major Canadian newspapers, so keep an eye out for that too...

RC

Saturday 1st of November 2014

Hi Janice & George,

What wonderful photos you've got here! People say that Bali is a place for honeymoon couples, but for me it would be a solo adventure for early next year and I am so excited. This time my trip would be for pleasure and not a business trip. I can't wait to witness for myself the wonderful sunsets and beaches out there.

Janice and George

Saturday 1st of November 2014

You're sure to love both Bali and Lombok - Lombok is so close that you must visit it if you go to Bali :-).

G. Maria

Sunday 26th of October 2014

Amazing place - Love your photos. Great travel inspiration :)

G.

Doris

Sunday 26th of October 2014

So peaceful and far away from mass tourism. Great pictures!

Amy Lynne Hayes

Saturday 25th of October 2014

Wow this looks incredible!! Where do I sign up! I loved the beaches of Koh Samui, and would love to do another holiday like that one day. I'm completely intrigued by this part of the world, partly for the food and culture and partly because it couldn't be more different than the Florida beaches where I come from. Add it to the list!