Overview
Less developed and less Hindu than Bali, Lombok is home to the Muslim Sasak people and keeps a slower, more rural pace. The south coast holds wide surf bays and white-sand beaches, while the interior rises to Rinjani, an active volcano with a crater lake and one of Indonesia’s great treks. The island suits travellers after beaches and mountains without Bali’s crowds, and the Gili Islands offshore are a resort world of their own.
Highlights
Mount Rinjani draws trekkers to its rim and crater lake on multi-day climbs, with hot springs and waterfalls on its slopes. The south-coast beaches around Kuta Lombok carry the surf and the widest sands, and Sasak villages keep the island’s weaving and traditions. The Gili Islands, reached by fast boat, offer snorkelling with turtles, no traffic and a string of low-key beach bars.