STOP SCROLLING — I just found the reason everyone's ditching Bali for Lombok. And it’s not just the beaches. 😱☀️
Okay, so I was that person frantically packing the night before a flight, wondering if sunscreen in Indonesia actually costs as much as gold. TikTok started the panic spiral. I’d literally filled half my duffel with SPF, bug spray, and anti-nausea tablets like Lombok was some uninhabited island. LOL. Spoiler: It’s not.
Fast forward to yesterday — 7:15 AM, just after sunrise. The sky was pink-orange, still cool with salty breeze from the ocean. We had just landed in Lombok, Indonesia, heading straight to this lesser-known beach spot everyone on Instagram keeps gatekeeping: Tanjung Aan.
The moment we arrived… I kid you not, it hit me like “Whoa.”
No tourist mobs. Powdery white sand that looked Photoshopped. Locals laughing as they hauled their early morning fish catch. You could hear birds, not blaring EDM. And it was real — not filtered, not curated. Just 🌴vibes🌴.
This spot is trending Lombok gold right now — but the funny part? No one seems to know exactly why. Maybe it’s the gentle turquoise water that’s just perfect for beginner paddleboarders. Or those hill viewpoints (hello Bukit Merese) right next door that give total Moana energy. Or maybe it's the fact that it's only now getting attention, so it still feels… wild.
And while everyone is scrambling for drone shots in Bali, here’s the kicker — we met a local surfer, Rido, who slipped us this gem of a tip.
There’s this rock to the east side of Tanjung Aan that you can climb at sunset. Not only is it NOT marked on Google, but barely any tourists go there. He called it “Batu Cinta” — Love Rock. We thought it sounded corny, but we went anyway. At golden hour, OMG. That view? Insane. You could see every curve of the coastline light up as the boats returned home, like this whisper of everyday magic. 10/10 background for your IG Reel.
Also — LOL moment 😅 — I did end up buying sunscreen at a small warung near Kuta (town, not beach). Yes, it was more than back home in Oz but not dramatic TikTok expensive. Like, $8 AUD for a decent bottle. Worth it for packing space tbh. Sea sickness tabs were cheap. Towels and snorkel gear? Easy to rent, super affordable, and saves you from checking luggage.
What surprised me most though was how Lombok didn’t just feel like a destination. It felt like a story. One that’s still being written, before it gets Bali-fied.
I felt light. Like the kind of buzz you get when you know you’ve stumbled onto something special before the rest of the world catches on. It reminded me why we travel — not just for postcards or bucket lists, but for moments that catch you by surprise and never quite leave.
And guess what made it all even better? 🛩️ FlyLombok.id showed us aerials of the region — places we stood an hour prior — and suddenly everything clicked. The hidden coves, how close the reef was, the wave breaks surfers hunted every morning. From the sky, you see the stuff no map shows: locals crafting boats by hand, tiny trails connecting villages, mountain shadows stretching over rice fields.
Trust me, if Instagram hasn’t shown you Lombok yet, it will. Because viral Lombok Indonesia spots like this one? They’re just heating up.