Lombok Indonesia

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Jarcy

Original Poster:

1,559 posts

274 months

Thursday 12th July 2018
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We're off to Lombok in a couple of weeks, and just seeking advice from anyone who's been there.
We've never been to the far East before so looking forward to it.

We're staying for 1 week in Senggigi and then 1 week on Gili Trawangan.
Then a couple of days in Singapore on the way home.

The plan is for a relaxing holiday; beach, diving and a little sight seeing.

Any advice on places to visit, thing to do, customs to watch out for, food to try, alcohol, hawkers to avoid, etc?

Philplop

341 posts

173 months

Thursday 12th July 2018
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You could hop over to Gili Meno (the quiet one) and Gili air (the in-betweeny one) for a look about too. They're nice islands.

General advice is to avoid drinking Arak, which is a homemade alcohol, and often substituted in place of vodka and other spirits in the really cheap drinks. If you get a drink that doesn't taste right then leave it. People have died from methanol poisoning after drinking it. Beer is safest. Have a proper google about it.

satans worm

2,359 posts

216 months

Thursday 12th July 2018
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The filing islands are/ we’re great( it’s been a long while) however I dived around filo twangan and it was awful, lots of dynamite fishing cleaned the coral out and left it white and dead in broken pieces .
If u fancy an adventure for a few days head to rinca/ Komodo Island to see the famous dragons ( not quite GOT but still cool).
Note my info was from 20 years ago!

Pillskii

128 posts

151 months

Thursday 12th July 2018
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You can openly get special mushrooms on Gili Air and T - worth a try if that’s your thing :-) Gili T felt overpopulated and a bit trashy. Air was my favourite. Didn’t visit meno or make it to Lombok.

If you’re flying in/out of Bali watch out for the ferry service as it is frequently cancelled for bad weather (the Bali straight gets very choppy even when the whether on island appears fine).

Nusa Lembongan/Nusa Ceningen was by far my favourite islands. Beautiful beaches and great times renting a scooter and riding round the islands.

SimonTheSailor

12,543 posts

227 months

Friday 13th July 2018
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Go diving in Komodo National Park - amazing place !!

alfaman

6,416 posts

233 months

Friday 13th July 2018
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have spent a week or so on Gili T diving ( in July )

(Live in Singapore )

Gili T is very popular with 18-25 yr olds and students partying during summer break ... so very busy at this time of year. Lots of loud music bars playing to 3-4 am

Gili air and the other Gili are quieter if that’s what you want.

Diving is ‘ok’ - but a lot of the reefs were damaged from fishermen / dynamite .... not nearly as good as Menjangan in Bali (which is protected)

There ar several dive Operators on Gili T ... all have pretty much the same pricing. I used Blue Marlin ... good operator ... though pricing on the Gili’s is on the high side IMO.

... if you are into tech / deep diving ... you can dive th Jap wreck and upper part of massive wall at around 46m depth. Blue Marlin have some very experienced tech Instructors working with them.

Easy connect to Gili is via private boat taxi / jetty from Lombok. Public boat bus takes ages.

pm me if you want more info.


Jakarta

566 posts

141 months

Friday 13th July 2018
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Visited quite a few times, both Lombok and Gili Air.
I'll admit that we've only ever stayed on Gili Air (the first one), this appears to be the most grown up of the islands. Gili T is full of hippies spaced out on shrooms, Gili Meno goes back a little further in time with a few less amenities.

Quite a few nice restaurants on Gili Air, I can't comment on Gili T though.
Lots of dive companies. I did my Padi OW and AOW there.
Lots of places offering freedive coaching too.

If you fancy technical diving, Ocean's 5 have a Dutch guy who can teach to a very high level. He is based in Jakarta but comes out when required.

Lombok itself, it's about 1.5 hours to get to the main tourist area, we stayed in the Kunci Villas, great location. As mentioned above, stay away from the Arak, if a drink seems suspiciously cheap, it is because it isn't JD, Bacardi, JB or Grey Goose. If you start to get a headache earlier than normal then consider yourself to maybe have methanol poisoning. Easiest way to avoid it is to drink in popular and 'higher class' establishments, or stick to the Bintang which is a fabulous beer and what I drink in Jakarta. There may be other beer options, Heineken is usually available, very slightly more expensive but brewed in the same brewery as Bintang, Prost is a newcomer and ok, Guinness will be the old style stout in bottles, Albens is a fairly well established cider maker in Bali. Ok, but not as nice as that available in the UK.

Jarcy

Original Poster:

1,559 posts

274 months

Friday 13th July 2018
quotequote all
Thanks for all the advice.
I'm a Padi AOW diver so not really strayed into Tech diving.

I'll certainly watch what I'm drinking and I'm sure I'll be fine with beer or cocktails around the pool.
Is there any wine available that's palatable and not v.expensive?

I'd love to see the Komodos but I think it's too far by boat to be practical.

Lets hope we get on with the hippy scene in Gili T. Willing to explore the other two Gili isles too.

thinguyen14

2 posts

68 months

Saturday 14th July 2018
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Which hotel do you stay in Singapore? 'cuz my husband and I are planning to have a 2-week trip in Singapore

Jakarta

566 posts

141 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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Jarcy said:
Thanks for all the advice.
I'm a Padi AOW diver so not really strayed into Tech diving.

I'll certainly watch what I'm drinking and I'm sure I'll be fine with beer or cocktails around the pool.
Is there any wine available that's palatable and not v.expensive?

I'd love to see the Komodos but I think it's too far by boat to be practical.

Lets hope we get on with the hippy scene in Gili T. Willing to explore the other two Gili isles too.
Wine is not cheap in Indonesia, in a restaurant you will expect to pay a minimum of $40 for the cheapest bottle of local wine.
The local Balinese wine isn't great, I wouldn't buy any of the following:
Hatten Wine
Two Islands
Plaga
The best of them is probably Sababay and worth a try.

Imported wine will be around $60+ per bottle.

SimonTheSailor

12,543 posts

227 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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Get use to Bintang......and quick.

Practice by drinking Heineken. Sorry.

Lozw86

871 posts

131 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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We found there is not much to do in Senggigi and the beaches were better in southern Lombok. If you’re there to dive this may not be a concern

We stayed at the Puri Mas hotel in Senggigi.. it has a good restaurant if you’re looking for somewhere decent to eat. Other good options are limited to be honest.

Gilli T is nice but is the most lively of the Gilli islands and is popular with back packers and gap year kids. I don’t dive but enjoyed the snorkeling there and saw several turtles

Jarcy

Original Poster:

1,559 posts

274 months

Thursday 19th July 2018
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thinguyen14 said:
Which hotel do you stay in Singapore? 'cuz my husband and I are planning to have a 2-week trip in Singapore
My travel agent recommended the Park Hotel as an appropriate compromise of location, quality and price.

SimonTheSailor

12,543 posts

227 months

Thursday 19th July 2018
quotequote all
thinguyen14 said:
Which hotel do you stay in Singapore? 'cuz my husband and I are planning to have a 2-week trip in Singapore
Two weeks in Singapore ? Really ?

Philplop

341 posts

173 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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There's tons to do in Singapore. Last time I went it was for two weeks, and I'd gone for three weeks a couple of years before that. And we still didn't get everything done that we wanted to.

Gio G

2,945 posts

208 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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Sorry to hijack thread, staying in Lombok for 4 nights. Is the Gilli Air Island more suitable for a family. None of us will be diving, is there much to do?

G

Jakarta

566 posts

141 months

Monday 23rd July 2018
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Gio G said:
Sorry to hijack thread, staying in Lombok for 4 nights. Is the Gilli Air Island more suitable for a family. None of us will be diving, is there much to do?

G
Gili Air is family friendly, I haven't been for about two years so maybe things have changed a little.
You can walk around the island in about an hour.
Rent fat bikes, although the going can be tough in places as it is soft sand away from the main village.
Chill out - alot
Learn to freedive
Snorkelling - you can swim out to the reef on the North East part of the Island
Virtually every hotel or homestay is dedicated to diving, it's the core business for the whole island.

I'd strongly recommend having supper at Classico Italiano, we went there on their opening night and return on each visit, the food is great.
Get used to drinking Bintang.

Seventy

5,500 posts

137 months

Sunday 29th July 2018
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Hope you’re alright mate.

Gio G

2,945 posts

208 months

Sunday 29th July 2018
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Meant to arrive in Lombok next weekend. No idea if this possible. Terrible situation for local people...

G

Kenty

5,029 posts

174 months

Sunday 29th July 2018
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The Telegraph mentions Senggigi and residents at one of the hotels were assembled but there appeared no damage and they went back to bed, I think it was worse on the other side of the island.