The Christmas and New Year holidays are fast approaching and, with Bali sure to be crowded with revellers, now is the perfect time to plan a Festive Season break in Lombok. With so many flight and fast boat travel options now available from Bali, Jakarta and other capital cities, a peaceful and relaxing holiday is as little as 25 minutes away by plane.
Merpati Airlines, Trigana Air and Indonesia Air all operate regular flights between Bali and Lombok every day and Garuda has an early evening flight between the two islands on board a comfortable 737 jet, making it easy for late connections with international arrivals. Flight time is around 25 minutes and even less on the Garuda flight.
For a more scenic option, fast boats travel between Bali, Lombok and Gili Trawangan daily from a number of departure points in Bali. Gili Cat operates a comfortable small ferry to Lombok and Gili T, Blue Water Express operates a sleek fast boat service, as does Black Pearl, and Ocean Star has a comfortable transfer service. Redline, the latest in fast boat options to Lombok, is a large purpose-built boat that will begin operating between Gili T and Benoa shortly. All offer transfers between Bali and Lombok in around 1 and a half hours, allowing travellers the chance to see the beautiful coasts of both islands and the possibility of sighting dolphins on the journey.
Once in Lombok, those burned out by another busy year and the stresses of the holiday season can take time out relaxing by the pool at any of Lombok’s fabulous hotels and resorts, enjoy dining in charming restaurants with a full range of cuisines, and take advantage of the range of massages and body treatments available at the wonderful spas. The peaceful beauty of Lombok provides the perfect atmosphere for those wishing to get away from it all and really unwind.
Top accommodation includes the Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort, Santosa Villas and Resort and Qunci Villas in Senggigi; The Oberoi and the Tugu Hotels on the north coast; the Novotel on the south coast; and The Beach House, ko ko mo Resort, Gili Villas, Kelapa Villas and Hotel Vila Ombak on Gili Trawangan. All have Christmas / New Year packages available and will be celebrating with special events for the festive season.
For the adventurous, there are a whole host of activities available on Lombok. Visit the Gili Islands for a castaway experience and spend days snorkelling and diving the fantastic reefs. Climb Lombok’s famous volcano, Mt Rinjani, and trek through the natural jungles and forest of the Rinjani National Park. Tour the villages and the countryside to meet friendly Sasak people and drink in the lush scenery of mountains, rice terraces and tobacco plantations. Or grab your surfboard and head to Kuta to challenge the big waves that roll in on the south coast.
Travelling around the island is easy as the roads are in good condition and generally not busy. Tour companies, taxis and bemos (public buses) are readily available and make travelling easy. Hiring a car or motorbike and exploring on your own is another good option, as main roads lead to most of the popular destinations and there are no traffic jams and rabbit warrens of one way roads like in Bali.
Wherever you go, the local Sasak people will greet you with friendly curiosity. Mass tourism hasn’t made an impact on Lombok and the people are often amazed to see visitors from other countries. The children run along the roadsides waving and calling out “Hallo Mister!” whenever they see foreigners. The small villages and kampungs give visitors an insight into the simple lifestyles of the people, who are mainly occupied with farming, fishing and producing traditional handicrafts.
The coastline is huge and all around the island are lovely deserted white sand beaches. Grab a picnic basket and head off to spend the day on your own private beach. Or charter a local boat from the friendly fishermen and head out to any of the small islands that lie just off the coast. The Gili Islands, just off the northwest coast, are a “must see” for most travellers, and the twelve pristine islands off the southwest coast near Sekotong are a delight for those who enjoy island hopping. Most are uninhabited and offer white sand beaches, crystal clear waters and superb diving and snorkelling.
It would take more than the holiday break to explore all the possibilities of this beautiful, unspoilt paradise but, as is the case with most visitors, once you’ve discovered Lombok you’ll keep going back. As they say in their slogan – “Lombok… be enchanted!”
