Lombok is located just east of Bali, however, it is less commercialized compared to Bali. It is surrounded by the natural landscape. You can find beautiful beaches, surf breaks, volcanic mountains, stunning waterfalls and coral reefs. The best time to visit Lombok is from April to October. You can either take flight or ferry from Bali/Gili island. The time in Lombok is 1 hour ahead of the time in Jakarta.
4 days 3 nights itinerary in Lombok
I was travelling with Synn and another best friends, this Lombok trip is our long wait and first girls’ trip after the covid. On this trip, we stayed in Kuta which is located in south Lombok. My original plan is 2 nights in Gili Trawangan and 1 night in Kuta, however considering the distance and the time so we changed to 3 nights in Kuta. South Lombok has many beautiful beaches and facing the Indian Ocean. It is well known for being one of the best surfing spots. If you are a surfing lover, you should give a change here.
Day 1
We took the morning flight from Jakarta to Lombok and we arrived in 2 hours. At Lombok Airport, there are many drivers looking for clients in front of the arrival hall’s main door. We don’t like to spend time negotiating the price with drivers; hence we chose to take Grab. Passing by all the drivers then we saw the Grab booth in front of KFC. We waited at the booth after booked the driver through Grab app. The Grab fare is IDR 116,000 from airport to Kuta town and it took around 15-20 minutes.
After checked in hotel – Mana Eco Retreat, we finally have our first meal in the hotel restaurant. And then we took a rest in the room. Like I mentioned, no rushing in our trip. In the evening, we walked to the Kuta beach for a sunset view. And walked around the Kuta main street and have our dinner there before back to hotel.
Day 2
We woke up early to have our breakfast in the hotel. The breakfast there is ala carte style, each person can choose 1 food 1 coffee/tea from their menu. Our room package is included breakfast so no additional charge. I like the food there, simple, healthy and tasty.
Our first activity on the day is spa treatment in the hotel. Other slots were fully booked so we have no choice but do the spa in the morning. Overall, the spa experience is not bad and it made me fell relax. The therapist would check with me if the pressure were acceptable throughout the session. The only downside is the towel put on the bed is a little bit smelly.
After the spa, we took Grab to Tanjung Aan Beach for lunch, which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Lombok. There have many restaurants along the beachside and we chose Rano’s cafe to have our lunch. We were enjoying our lunch with the nice view there. It is a quiet beach with white sand and clear water. Occasionally the local people will come and sell the souvenir like t-shirts, sarongs and the bracelets made by shell.
After a few hours there, we booked the Grab again to back hotel and guess what? Is the same driver! He was waiting few hours there for next client and we were the next client. Obviously, the Grab is not popular here and we are the only client for him on the day. By the way, the Grab fare is quite expensive from Kuta to Tanjung Aan beach and vice versa, it cost us IDR 220,000 per trip for 11km distance.
Day 3
After breakfast then we backed to room and packed our stuff to move to another hotel – Kabila villas. The hotel check in time is 2pm, so we left our luggage there and went to Jiang Nan for lunch and Munchies for dessert while waiting to check in. We didn’t have any plan in the afternoon, just stayed in the room watching Netflix. In the evening, we took Grab to SIWA restaurant for sunset view, but unluckily it was a cloudy day. It is located above the Kuta town with an infinity pool, incredible view of ocean and natural landscapes.
While waiting the driver, my friend received few messages from driver who asked us don’t tell the hotel staff that we book the Grab. We have no idea what happen, then asked the driver to wait us on the main road instead of the hotel. When we got into the car, the driver told us that the people there boycott Grab that’s why he asked us don’t tell the hotel staff. He also offered to fetch us back to the hotel later, he said normally people book driver to that place and seldom have Grab around that area. But we rejected his offer because the first impression is not that good. So, what happened? There is no Grab and no taxi there when we want to back hotel. But luckily the staff there offered to fetch us back. Really appreciate for their help.
Day 4
Time flies so fast, this is our last day in Lombok. After checkout hotel, we went for a foot massage at Tourist SPA2 & Salon. Highly recommend their massage, best and cheap in the town. Then we went to Kenza cafe for lunch before we depart to airport. We all have a great time here even this is a simple trip.
Where to stay in Kuta?
Mana Eco Retreat and Yoga
This hotel is stunningly beautiful and cozy place to relax. All the rooms are surrounded by greenery. We stayed in Cabana room, and it can fit for 2-3 people. They also offer the spa, yoga classes, movie nights. I highly recommend this hotel if you are looking for a relaxing place. You wouldn’t get bored staying here.
Kabila villas
The villa design is beautiful and spacious. It has a private pool beside the living room, one bedroom and two toilets. The location is good as it is near to the main street. But we couldn’t enjoy the stay here because right beside our unit is a construction area and the sound is really annoying. The living room is open air, and it caused the floor is full of dust. The construction started around 8 am and the noise made us can sleep well. Luckily, we only stayed here for one night. If you plan to stay here, please check with the hotel and avoid the room beside the construction.
What to eat in Kuta
- Mana Eco Retreat and Yoga in house restaurant
It provides healthy, vegetarian meals and drinks.
Kenza Cafe & Restaurant Kuta Lombok
This is my favorite restaurant in Kuta. Must try here.
It is built on the clifftop and is a best place to have a nice view of Kuta town, the Indian ocean, and the natural landscape. The food here is a bit pricey, but still worth to come for the view.
Jiang Nan Lombok
If you are craving for Chinese food, then you may try it here.
Munchies
Treehouse Restaurant and Bar
Mama Pizza
Transportation in Lombok
I’d recommend you hire a private driver if you plan to visit many places in Lombok. Here are fees for your reference.
- Avanza – 6 hours IDR450,000, 12 hours IDR550,000, Overtime IDR39,000/hour
- Grand Innova – 6 hours IDR550,000, 12 hours IDR650,000, Overtime IDR49,000/hour
Or you may rent a scooter to explore the places in short distance.
More to explore in Lombok
Sharing some other places that you can explore in Lombok.
Gili Islands – A group of three island – Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. There are many activities that you can do such as diving, snorkeling, sunset view, cycling.
Gunung Rinjani – You can climb Gunung Rinjani which is an active volcano and second highest mountain in Indonesia.
Bukit Selong Ricefield Viewpoint – To have a stunning view of the mountain scenery and paddy rice fields.
Sade Village – You can explore the local life in this traditional village.
Bukit Merese – It is one of the best sunset viewpoints located beside the Tanjung Aan beach.