Things to do — Lombok & Gili Islands

The region offers two main families of experiences: water-based activities around the atolls and land-based adventure on Lombok itself.

In the Gili Islands, diving and snorkelling lead the agenda. Turtle Point on the north-east of Gili Trawangan is the most reliable shore-snorkelling site for green and hawksbill turtles — no boat, no excursion required. For divers, the sites around the Gilis are among the best in Indonesia outside Raja Ampat and Komodo: white-tipped reef sharks, turtles, moray eels, nudibranchs and, at certain times of year, manta rays cruising the channel between Gili Air and Lombok. PADI Open Water certifications cost roughly 4,000,000 IDR (USD 265) for the full course — noticeably cheaper than Bali for comparable quality. The classic three-island snorkelling tour (turtles, a stop on Gili Meno, sunset return) is the most popular day excursion.

On Lombok, the headline activity is the Rinjani trek. The short version (2 days/1 night to the crater rim and Lake Segara Anak) is accessible to reasonably fit travellers with hiking experience. The full version (3 days/2 nights to the 3,726 m summit) is one of the most epic hikes in Southeast Asia, rewarded with a sunrise panorama over Bali, Sumbawa and the Gilis. Licensed agencies in Senaru (north) and Sembalun (east) organise the climb with guides and porters.

The southern Lombok beaches — Tanjung Aan, Mawun, Selong Belanak — deserve a full day or two of slow exploration. Tanjung Aan, with its unusual peppercorn-textured sand and two contiguous bays of impossibly blue water, is often compared with the best beaches in Asia. Gerupuk, just east, is the local surf hub, with multiple breaks accessible by boat from shore for every level. Add the Sasak villages of Sade and Rambitan for a cultural counterpoint, and a full week in Lombok and the Gili Islands takes shape easily.