Lombok Tourist Information and Tourism

(Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia)

The most popular and visited tourist destination in the whole of Indonesia's Nusa Tenggara province, the island of Lombok stands alongside Bali and the Gili Islands. Lombok draws tourists from far and wide, with trekkers coming here to scale the heights of Mount Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani) and surfers heading for the strong breaks on the southerly coast. The island's extreme natural beauty and undeniable hospitality also becomes quite a draw.

Fairly regular in shape and measuring roughly 80 km / 43 miles in length and width, the island of Lombok offers areas of lush tropical forests and rice paddies, contrasting greatly with the arid landscapes around the south-east. The cities of Mataram and Senggigi are central to tourism on Lombok and both feature their own tourist information centres, with Mataram being home to the West Nusa Teggara Tourist Office.

Lombok Tourist Information and Tourism: Top Sights

Most tourist centres on Lombok tend to be connected by regular tourist buses, and are therefore quite easy to reach. These destinations include Bangsal, Kuta, Mataram, Senggigi and Tetebatu. The fabled beach of Kuta is quite wonderful and appeal not only to sun seekers, but also to experienced surfers. For some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities within the Lombok area, the Gili Islands really do stand out in a big way and are easy to reach from Senggigi. If you crave city life, then the Lombok capital of Mataram is where it all happens. More information about Lombok Tourist Attractions.

Mataram contains a number of outstanding sights, with the most obvious including the Mayura Water Palace and the Pura Meru Temple, both of which date from the 18th century. On the outskirts of Mataram, further important Lombok temples include the Pura Lingsar, the Pura Surandi and the hilltop Balinese temple, the Gunung Pengsong. Tourists to Lombok feeling energetic and looking for something different than beach fun may like to consider visiting the Gunung Rinjani National Park and climbing to the top of Mount Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani), an active volcano affording stunning panoramas. More information about Lombok Landmarks and Monuments.

As well as being filled with great landmarks and sights to see, Mataram also features more than its fill of culture. Several good museums are based in Mataram, such as the Museum of West Nusa Tenggara (Museum Negeri Nusa Tenggara Barat) and the Lombok Pottery Centre. Close to Cakranegara and almost bursting at the seams with information and local arts and crafts is the renowned Lombok Handicraft Centre in Sayang Sayang. In Senggigi, the Art Market (Pasar Seni) is a good highbrow option, as is the Asmara Collection and its tribal works. More information about Lombok Museums.

From Lombok, excursions to the westerly island of Bali are extremely popular, since the sandy beaches here are quite wondrous and include the beaches of Kuta, Lovina and Sanur. Bali's capital of Denpasar holds great tourist appeal, while trips to East Java and the nearby island of Pulau Sumbawa are also quite feasible. Other alluring islands near to Lombok include Flores, Rinca and Komodo, the latter of which is where the almost legendary Komodo dragons live. More information about Lombok Attractions Nearby.

More Lombok Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: Indonesia
• Location: Lesser Sunda Islands / West Nusa Tenggara province
• Status: island
• Capital: Mataram
• Area: approximately 1,815 square miles / 4,700 square kilometres
• Population: approximately 3.3 million
• Language: Indonesian and Sasak
• Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
• Time zone: UTC +7 to +9
• Country dialling code: +62
• Telephone area codes include: Gili Islands - 0370, Kuta - 0370, Lembar - 0370, Mataram - 0370, Praya - 0370, Sapit - 0376, Senggigi - 0370, Tetebatu - 0376
• Average daily Lombok January temperature: 30°C / 86°F
• Average daily Lombok July temperature: 28°C / 82°F