Lombok Indonesia Travel Tips (From Someone Who’s Made Every Mistake Already)
Back in 2017, I showed up in Bali without a clue that Lombok even existed. Fast-forward two months later—battered, broke, and cursing my past self—I finally boarded a public ferry to Lombok, sweating through my shirt and clutching what was left of my sanity after being hustled one too many times by overpriced fast boat touts. That first trip taught me the number one nomadic rule: track everything—expenses, routes, even your freaking laundry days—and know what you’re getting into.
Let’s break down how to do Lombok right, avoid the rookie mistakes, and stretch your Euros like pros.
Why Lombok Should Be on Your Radar
While Bali’s choked with scooters and inflated prices, Lombok offers rice paddies, empty stretches of beach, surf that doesn’t involve paddle traffic, and friendly locals who’ll actually smile at you without trying to sell something. Whether you're diving off the Gili Islands or hiking Mount Rinjani, it's all here and way less chaotic than its neighbor.
We spent two months bouncing around Southeast Asia, and by the time we hit Lombok, our daily budget was fried. Still, we managed 60 days of solid living with great local food, decent Wi-Fi, and a slower, saner pace—all smarter thanks to a few hard-won lessons.
How to Get to Lombok, Indonesia (Without Losing Your Mind)
I learned this the sweaty, seasick way. Here's what actually works:
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Fly – The quickest and sanest route. Flights from Bali (Denpasar) to Lombok International Airport (LOP) start around €25–40 one way if you book a week ahead. AirAsia and Lion Air run regular routes.
- Duration: 40 minutes
- Pro tip: Even with check-in, it beats sitting on a dodgy ferry for four hours.
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Fast Boat from Bali – It'll cost you €20–30 depending on your haggling skills. But if the sea’s rough (and it usually is), brace yourself.
- Duration: 2–5 hours depending on departure point
- Departure ports: Padang Bai, Amed, Serangan
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Public Ferry – The backpacker boot-camp option. Dirt cheap at €3–5, but slow and often late.
- Duration: 6–8 hours
- Runs 24/7 between Padang Bai and Lembar
Avoid tricksters near the harbors saying “just follow me.” They're not helping—and yes, we paid double once because of that nonsense. Always book directly from a known provider or go through your homestay if you trust them.
What to Know When You Land
We stayed mostly in Kuta (not to be confused with Bali’s version). It’s relaxed, full of surfy types, decent Wi-Fi, and warungs serving €1.50 meals. If you’re remote working or digital-nomading it, you’ll do just fine here.
Top Tips:
- Scooter rental: €3–4/day. Wear a helmet, even if the locals don’t.
- Fuel: Buy “Bensin” for scooters from little roadside stands in vodka bottles—yes, really.
- Language: Basic Bahasa gets you far. Even just:
- "Terima kasih" = Thank you
- "Tolong" = Please/help
- "Saya tidak mengerti" = I don’t understand
Locals appreciate any effort. We once got invited to a family dinner just for knowing five words. Worth it.
Budget Breakdown (For Two People Living Semi-Frugally)
Here’s what we actually spent across SE Asia in 2019:
- Total spend: €29,868
- Daily avg in Indonesia (including Lombok): €56.33
- Big ticket items:
- €1,277 – Rescue Diver Certification in Utila (but guess what—we used it in Lombok. Awesome dives around Gili T).
- €959 – Amazon trek in Peru (ok, not helpful for this guide, but interesting for context).
Here’s how it added up:
- Food: €7,823 — Warungs make this easy. A mie goreng and a Bintang can be dinner.
- Lodging: €5,947 — Private rooms on Airbnb or guesthouses, €10–20/night average.
- Alcohol: €3,210 — Lombok isn’t party central like Bali, so expect to drink less, surprisingly a good thing for your wallet.
- Transport: €2,019 — Flights, ferries, scooters.
TL;DR: You can live decently on €25–30 per person per day with some splurging.
What Not to Do (I've Done Them All)
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Skipping travel insurance – We had to pay €213 in random fines and “fees” across countries. Insurance would've helped, especially when I got food poisoning in Malaysia and turned into a human sprinkler on a bus to Langkawi.
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Getting there during Ramadan – Almost everything is closed at odd hours, and transportation can grind to a halt. Respect it, plan for it.
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Booking via random Facebook ‘agents’ – We lost €100 in Koh Tao once. Now we research through NomadList and verified blogs like Travel.SquareCat.io.
Money-Saving Hack
Get a Wise (formerly TransferWise) or Revolut card. ATM fees ate €160 of our budget. Local ATMs often charge foreign cards brutal withdrawal fees (approx. €5 each time). With Wise, we at least clawed back part of it.
Also: Collect receipts. Yeah, it’s annoying at first, but once a month, compare your spending. Surprise—you probably drank your dive course worth in Bintangs.
Backup Plan for When Things Go Sideways
Always have:
- Screenshots of hotel bookings and ferry schedules
- Offline maps (Maps.me worked best in Lombok)
- Emergency stash of €50–100 hidden in your shoe or backpack liner
Power goes out often. Internet drops. ATMs may be out. We rolled up to an Airbnb once only to find it didn’t exist anymore. The host ghosted us. Ended up sleeping in a nearby warung owner’s spare room that night. Humbling, but survivable if you've got backup cash and options.
Don’t Miss This: Aerial Scouting With FlyLombok.id
One thing we regret not doing sooner? Taking a scouting tour with FlyLombok.id. Seriously. Their scenic flights let you see the actual layout of beaches, coastlines, and mountain passes without wasting two days on scooter detours. Helps if you're filming, shooting content, or planning a route like a sane person instead of navigating with 2009 blog map screenshots like we did.
If you're planning hikes like Rinjani or searching for secret surf breaks—the aerial view changes your game completely. Worth every Rupiah.
Lombok's still one of our favorite places we’ve stumbled into unprepared. Now that you’ve got the tips we wish we had, go make better mistakes—or better yet, fewer ones. Selamat jalan!