There are places in the world that are ideal vacation escapes. Lombok is one of them. Located east of Bali, Lombok is an island in Indonesia—a piece of land that forms part of a chain known as the Lesser Sunda Islands. Lombok Strait separates the famous island of Bali from Lombok.
A Little Bit More Details about the Geography
The Alas Strait also separates Lombok from Sumbawa—a remote isle that is situated to the east. The Sekotong Peninsula lies to the southwest. The largest city and provincial capital of Lombok is Mataram. A number of islets called Gili surround the island escape, which is home to just over 3,000,000 inhabitants.
While tourism is a big source of income for Bali, vacation travel to Lombok has progressed slowly. Therefore, if you travel to Lombok, it seems as though you have been transported back in time. In fact, it seems as though you are visiting Bali several decades back. The pace is slower and the scenery is pristine and lush. Not only that, there are Lombok villas for sale on the island’s Cemara Beach.
Getting to Lombok from Bali
The best way to get to Lombok is by way of Bali. That way you can see and appreciate both island locations. The first type of transport involves taking a motorbike, car or bus to Padangbai and then catching a ferry to Lember in Lombok. The ferries run about every 90 minutes, 7 days a week, 24 hours per day. The trip itself takes about 5 hours overall. The travel time is dependent on the weather and traffic in the ports.
Another way to get to Lombok is to fly from Bali to the island airport in Mataram. The flight does not take long—about 30 minutes overall. Once you land, you can catch a taxi at the airport to Bangsal where you can take a ferry. Airlines that service the island from Bali include Wings Air, GT Air, and Merpati. You can also charter a boat from Benoa Harbor in Bali. While this way is fast, it also can be quite a bumpy excursion across the Lombok Strait. If you want to bypass Bali, you can always catch a direct flight to the airport in Mataram.
Visiting Senggigi
When you arrive in Lombok, you will find that Senggigi is the most developed area. This area of the island offers sweeping bays that are not inhabited, as well as places in which to hike. It is located north of the capital of Mataram.
Cemara Beach, a home to luxury real estate, is located in the southernmost part of Lombok. Lying on the Ekas Peninsula, Cemara Beach is about 90 minutes from the airport. Any property ownership in this part of the world is fortuitous as it not only is a paradisiacal location, it also can represent home.
Lombok is also noted for its one large volcano, Gunung Rinjani, which rises even higher than the Volcano, Gunung Agung, on Bali. A trek to the summit of Rinjani takes three days and is undertaken with a guide or tour group. The hike is one of the most challenging of its kind on Lombok isle. Needless to say, besides Cemara Beach, you have a lot of hiking that can be done in this part of the world.