Bali's quieter eastern neighbour: car-free Gili Islands (Trawangan, Meno, Air) with turtle snorkelling, the white-sand bays of Kuta Lombok, surfing, the 3,726 m Rinjani volcano trek and Sasak villages. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Bali, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta. Mongolian citizens get a visa on arrival (or e-VOA).
🛂 Visa: Visa on arrival · 30 days✈ Flight: 13h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Gili Trawangan★ 4.6 (20,000)
BeachFree (harbour fee Rp10,000–20,000)24 hours
The biggest and liveliest of the three Gilis: no cars or motorbikes — get around by bicycle or horse cart (cidomo). White sand, clear water, dive centres, sunsets on the west coast, a night market. For a quiet family stay, pick the north-east coast away from the party strip.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goGet the visa at the border or online, fill in the arrival card, and plan your connection (Bali, Singapore) well.+
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Visa on arrival or e-VOA
Mongolian citizens with an ordinary passport get the B1 tourist visa at the border or in advance online at evisa.imigrasi.go.id (e-VOA): up to 30 days, fee Rp500,000, extendable once for 30 days. Your passport must be valid at least 6 months and you need a return or onward ticket.
Within 3 days before arrival, complete the immigration, customs and health declaration in one go on All Indonesia, free of charge, and keep the QR code. Beware of agent sites that charge a fee. If you enter via Bali, fill it in for Bali.
Bali's tourist levy (IDR 150,000) applies only in Bali — not on Lombok or the Gili Islands, though you pay it if you stay in Bali. Rinjani is closed January–March. The best time is the dry season (May–September).
🛬Landing and getting to your hotelLombok International Airport (LOP) is in Praya in the south of the island; fast boats from Bali land on the Gilis or at Bangsal and Teluk Kode harbours.+
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From the airport: DAMRI bus or taxi
DAMRI buses run 7:00–17:00 to Mataram (Rp25,000) and Senggigi (Rp35,000). There is an official taxi counter in arrivals; Kuta Lombok is close. Order Grab or Gojek once outside the terminal.
Public boats (Koperasi Karya Bahari) run from Bangsal to Gili Trawangan, Meno and Air for ~Rp23,000, leaving when full; fast boats and charters are also available. Buy at the official ticket office — ignore people on the road offering to sell tickets.
Fast boats such as BlueWater Express and Eka Jaya run daily from Padang Bai and Serangan to the Gilis, ~1.5–2.5 hours. They bounce in rough seas, so take seasickness pills and pack bags in waterproof covers.
📶Phone and internet+
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eSIM or a Telkomsel SIM
If your phone supports eSIM, installing an Indonesia eSIM before you go is easiest. Otherwise buy a Telkomsel tourist SIM at the airport, registered with your passport — it has the best coverage in rural Lombok and on the Gilis. Short trips need no phone IMEI registration.
Tip: Signal drops on Rinjani and the east coast — download offline maps.
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Wi-Fi
Most hotels and cafés have free Wi-Fi, but it can be slow on the Gilis and at remote beaches. Save boat tickets and hotel bookings on your phone.
🚇Getting around the islandPublic transport on Lombok is limited: a car with driver, Grab/Gojek or a scooter; the Gilis have no cars at all.+
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Hiring a car with driver
For far-flung spots like the waterfalls, Pink Beach and Senaru, hiring a car with driver for the day suits families best; book through your hotel. Grab and Gojek work around Mataram, Senggigi and Kuta, but local drivers block them at some beaches and harbours.
A scooter is the most flexible way between the beaches around Kuta. Bring an International Driving Permit; helmets are compulsory and traffic drives on the left. Hill roads are steep, sandy and unlit at night — don't ride if you're inexperienced.
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The Gilis: bicycles and cidomo
Cars and motorbikes are banned on the Gilis: walk, cycle or take a horse cart (cidomo). Public island-hopping boats run between the islands several times a day. Agree the cidomo fare before you get in.
The currency is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR, Rp). You need cash on the Gilis, in the countryside, at small eateries and beach car parks. ATMs are in Mataram, Senggigi, Kuta and on Gili Trawangan, but rare on Gili Meno and in rural areas — take enough cash from the start. Use bank ATMs and watch for card skimmers.
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Cards and QRIS
Cards work at hotels, larger restaurants and supermarkets, sometimes with a surcharge. Indonesia's QRIS QR payments are everywhere but usually don't work with foreign cards. Exchange money at authorised money changers and count it on the spot.
🍜FoodSasak food is spicy; the coastal areas have plenty of international food. Most places are halal.+
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What to eat
Ayam taliwang (spicy grilled chicken), plecing kangkung (water spinach with chilli sauce), sate rembiga, nasi campur and fresh seafood. At Gili Trawangan's night market you pick your seafood and have it grilled. For children, nasi goreng and mie goreng (fried rice and noodles) are safe choices.
Tip: Order 'tidak pedas' (not spicy) — 'lombok' itself means chilli.
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Water and hygiene
Don't drink tap water; drink bottled or hotel-filtered water. Choose busy places that cook fresh. On the Gilis beware of spirits mixed with methanol — stick to sealed beer and licensed bars.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency numbers
Unified emergency number 112, police 110, ambulance 119, fire 113, search and rescue at sea or in the mountains 115. Operators may speak only Indonesian, so ask hotel staff to help.
Currents are strong at beaches without lifeguards; let children swim in shallow, calm bays. Don't stand on coral when snorkelling, and use sunscreen. Scooter crashes are the most common accident. On Rinjani go only with a registered operator, and turn back if the weather turns.
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Hospitals
Private hospitals in Mataram such as Siloam Hospitals Mataram have emergency departments and English-speaking doctors; Gili Trawangan and Kuta have small clinics. Serious cases are moved to Bali — call your insurer's assistance line first.
Most people on Lombok are Muslim. Swimwear is fine on the beach, but cover shoulders and knees in villages, markets and mosques. Take shoes off at a mosque, and women cover their hair. During Ramadan avoid eating and drinking in public in the daytime, and be respectful on the Gilis too.
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Right hand, village guest
Use your right hand to give money or things and to eat. Don't touch people's heads. In Sasak villages ask before entering a home or photographing people; a donation to your guide or buying crafts helps the village.
📱Useful apps+
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Official
All Indonesia — the arrival card (immigration, customs, health). Indonesia e-Visa — get and extend the e-VOA. Use only official sites ending in .go.id.
Grab and Gojek — rides and food delivery. Google Maps — offline maps. Download Indonesian in Google Translate for offline use. Buy fast-boat tickets from the official operator or a reliable booking site.
Getting from the Gilis to the airport by boat and car takes a good while, so spending the last night in Kuta or Senggigi is safer. Boats are delayed in rough seas, so book both flights on one ticket if you can.
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Departure formalities
Before an international flight, check the customs part of All Indonesia and make sure you haven't overstayed your visa — overstaying means a fine for every day. Taking coral, turtle shell or other animal souvenirs out of the country is prohibited.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
The calmest Gili and the closest to Lombok: snorkel spots straight off the beach, shallow water, small cafés and yoga studios. The best island for families and couples; reached by public boat from Bangsal harbour.
Gili Meno: turtles and the Nest underwater statues★ 4.6 (3,000)
NatureFree from the beach (gear and boat trips extra)Clearest in the morning on a calm sea
48 life-size figures sitting in a circle 3–6 m deep, about 100 m off the west coast (Jason deCaires Taylor, 2017). Sea turtles are seen all around the island. Join a shared three-island snorkelling boat or swim from the beach — put a life jacket on children.
NaturePark fee for foreigners Rp250,000/day (Sembalun, Senaru routes) + guide and porters1 Apr–31 Dec; closed January–March
Indonesia's second-highest volcano (3,726 m), with the Segara Anak lake in its crater. A 2-day/1-night trek reaches the crater rim (2,639 m), 3 days the summit. Only with an operator registered on e-Rinjani; you need good fitness and gear for cold nights. Not for children.
Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls★ 4.7 (5,000)
Nature≈Rp20,000–30,000 (one ticket for both) + optional guide8:00–17:00
In the jungle of Senaru village on Rinjani's northern slope. Sendang Gile is a short walk down steps — fine with children. Continuing to Tiu Kelep means wading across the river; it's slippery, so wear water shoes and take a local guide. Most spectacular in the rainy season.
The south coast's main tourist village: a bay framed by headlands, cafés, surf schools and the Mandalika MotoGP circuit. The base for every south-coast beach by scooter or car. In February the Bau Nyale (sea-worm catching) festival.
10 minutes from Kuta: two calm, shallow bays with big 'peppercorn' sand grains — good for children to swim. Watch the sunset from Merese Hill next door (a 15-minute climb).
A long, wide bay of soft white sand with gentle, even waves — Lombok's best place to learn to surf. Board rental, lessons and shade tents on the beach. In the afternoon water buffalo are herded along the sand, which children love.
Sand tinted pink by fragments of red coral, clear water and good snorkelling. At the far south-east; the road is poor, about 2 hours from Kuta — a boat trip from Tanjung Luar harbour that also visits nearby islets is nicer.
A tiny, uncrowded island off the east coast: white sand, coral reef and clear water for snorkelling. Visit by day boat together with neighbouring Gili Bidara and Gili Petelu. There are almost no shops or services, so bring water and food.
RelaxFree (temple donation)24 hours; best at sunset
The west coast's original resort strip: sunsets behind Bali's Mount Agung and the Hindu temple of Batu Bolong on a rock. A good quiet base before heading to the Gilis, close to Mataram.
A village where Sasak women weave songket cloth on hand looms; try weaving yourself and take photos in traditional dress. Close to the airport. The famous Sade village has been closed to visitors since the fire of 22 August 2026, so come here instead.
