With beautiful beaches, stunning snorkeling and an absence of traffic, Lombok is perfect for a little island getaway. A flight, fast boat or ferry from Bali will get you there, with rumours of direct flights from Perth starting again soon.
There are many great destinations on and around Lombok to snorkel. Our choice was Gili Meno, the middle, smallest and quietest of the 3 gili islands off the north west coast of Lombok. Gili Trawangan is the liveliest of the 3, if you want to get your party pants on, and Gili Air is the closest to Lombok mainland, also offering more accom and hospitality venues if you prefer things a little livelier. It's quick and easy to island hop between them and there is an abundance of turtles. We were lucky enough to swim with many of these amazing creatures as we let the current flow us around the island.
One the mainland, Kuta, in the south of the island, is a great location to stay as it has a great little cafe and shopping strip, and is close to good surf breaks.
Some recommendations for where to eat in Kuta are...
Bara - stunning pool and a coconut croissant to die for.
Krnk - great woodfired pizza.
Loka - fresh salad bowls
Warung Lamina - a little unassuming street side spot with seriously tasty local food.
For a bake and a swim Tanjung Aan is the go. Cute warungs with sun lounges, white sand, turquoise water and cute dogs. There's also a surf break, it's a long paddle out or you can get a boat to drop you off and pick you up. The tides really effect how swimmable the beaches are, but this was worked at most tides, and the water in near the beach was nice and calm, so you don't need to be dodging the waves.
With surf breaks catering to beginner to more advanced surfers, our favourites were Gerupuk and Mawi.
Gerupuk has multiple breaks, some working all year, and "insides" working on any tide. They are all a short boat ride away. The boat stays with you for a 2 hour session to bring you back in.
Mawi is beautiful beach down a bumpy dirt track. Safer at high-mid tide, it can be a little tricky getting back in to shore when the tide is lower, so just be careful at the end of your paddle in.
Packing for a vacay can be tricky, but these are our island essentials!
🐚 Reversible Bikinis - x at least 2 pairs. Perfect for packing as you get more options without taking up more space/weight.
🐚 A One piece swimsuit to take you from the beach to the bar with just the addition of denim shorts or a sarong.