Itinerary:
Day 1
We arrived in Lombok International Airport around 12.00 pm & we queued for an hour to pass the immigration counters. Our drivers were waiting at the terminal exit with a sign with my name on it. We booked the airport transfers via our hotel in Gili Trawangan.
In the car, we insisted that the drivers take us straight to Teluk Nare jetty where our speedboat was waiting for us. However, since we were picked up in two cars, we were tricked into thinking that our friends in the other car wanted to stop for lunch. The drivers took us to Yessy Restaurant in Senggigi. The food was less than satisfactory and meals were pricey, especially with the additional taxes. We were annoyed with the drivers, but we decided to let it go and continue our journey on a positive note. The journey from the airport to Teluk Nare took us almost 2 hours. Teluk Nare is the jetty for speedboats only, while public boats stop at Bangsal jetty.
The speedboat dropped us on Gili Trawangan beach & we walked to Cotton Tree Cottages. It is highly recommended to hire a cidomo to get there if you have heavy luggage with you. The hotel is far (~500 meters) from the hustle & bustle of the main street which has clubs & restaurants. Our cottage has a large king size bed & open air shower. The hotel staff were very friendly & made all of us felt welcomed. It was almost sunset when we checked in, so we dropped our bags & decided to walk around the island.
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| Cotton Tree Cottages Standard Room |
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| Cotton Tree Cottages Standard Room |
We explored the main street & walked until we reached The Exile near the south part of the island. The main street has lots of clothing stores, restaurants, bars, clubs, diving schools & hotels. There is also a night market for tourists to try the local dishes. We also went for a foot massage at Abdi Spa on the main street, facing the beach.
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| Cidomo at The Exile |
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| Abdi Spa |
Day 2:
After breakfast, the hotel staff took us to the snorkeling meeting point (Lucky Trips counter) on the main street. We were provided with life jackets & masks for the trip. Our boat was full, with more than 30 pax on the glass bottom boat. The first snorkeling spot is near Gili T, where we were excited to see a turtle swimming in the wild. We were also taken to two other areas near Gili Meno & Gili Air to see a shipwreck & corals. We didn't see the shipwreck when we went into the water. The corals were also not as colorful as I imagined them to be. Lunch was provided at a restaurant on Gili Air after we were done at the first two snorkeling spots.
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| Glass bottom boat |
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| Snorkeling in Gili Islands |
Later that day, we hired a cidomo to take us to the famous swing sets on the beach at Ombak Sunset Hotel. A cidomo is horse-drawn carriage; it is the only way to travel around the island other than riding a bicycle. There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island. The sunset was breath-taking. We could see Mount Agong in Bali from the beach. Be sure to arrive early because there will be a long queue to take photos on the swing sets.
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| Cidomo |
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| Swing set in front of Ombak Sunset |
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| The famous Gili Trawangan sunset view |
We decided to have dinner at a restaurant by the beach called Black Penny. They serve Halal Ayam Bakar Taliwang (baby chicken served with rice; must try in Lombok) & other dishes. The restaurant has colorful lights & candlelit table settings.
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| Ayam bakar taliwang |
Day 3:
After checking out of the hotel, we took another speedboat back to Lombok & our driver took us straight to Sendang Gile/Tiu Kelep waterfalls hiking start point. The journey from Teluk Nare jetty to the waterfalls took us almost 2 hours. It is compulsory to hire a local guide to take you to the waterfalls from the main entrance. The guide carried our bottled water & snacks.
From the gate, we descended a few flights of stairs & reached the first waterfall after 10 minutes, Sendang Gile. The second waterfall was around 30 minutes away. We were hiking slowly to take extra precaution & enjoy the views. Tiu Kelep waterfall (photo below) is magnificent. The water is crystal clear & freezing! It was definitely worth the hike. On the way back to our car, we decided to go through a "water slide" & 500 meter tunnel. There were bats flying above our heads & the water was knee-deep.
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| Tiu Kelep Waterfall |
Later, the driver took us to have lunch in Lesehan Taliwang Nada Restaurant, Mataram. "Lesehan" means to be sitting cross-legged in the huts while having your meals. We had ayam bakar taliwang again. Then we went souvenir shopping in Sasaku. The T-shirts are very affordable & I was quite impressed with the designs that they had.
We checked into Lombok Senggigi Hotel around 8.30 pm. This hotel is highly recommended for short stays in Senggigi because, besides the very affordable price, it is located near the main street & the rooms are very comfortable. They also have a small pool & restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch & dinner.
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| Lombok Senggigi Hotel |
Day 4:
We had breakfast at the hotel & the driver arrived at 9 am to take us to the airport. Our flight was at 12.15 pm & the drive to the airport was uneventful. We passed by scenic paddy fields & countless mosques, as Lombok is known as the island with a thousand mosques.
Budget:
Transportation:
Return Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok - MYR 270 per pax
Airport transfer from Lombok International Airport to Teluk Nare Jetty (2 cars) & speedboat to Gili Trawangan - IDR 1,100,000 for 6 pax
Return Cidomo ride from Gili Trawangan Centre to Ombak Sunset Hotel - IDR 200,000 for 3 pax
Speedboat from Gili Trawangan to Teluk Nare Jetty - IDR 480,000 for 6 pax
1 day rental car (Toyota Innova) & driver to explore North Lombok & Mataram - IDR 700,000 for 6 pax
Airport transfer from Senggigi to Lombok Int'l Airport (1 Toyota Innova) - IDR 350,000 for 6 pax
Hotel:
Two nights in Cotton Tree Cottages, Gili Trawangan (breakfast included) - MYR 364.10 for 1 Standard Double Room & MYR 837.60 for 2 Family Rooms
One night in Lombok Senggigi Hotel, Senggigi (breakfast included) - MYR 450 for 3 Double Rooms
Activities:
Foot Massage at Abdi Spa - IDR 95,000 for 1/2 hour per pax
Snorkeling/Island Hopping by glass bottom boat & lunch - IDR 120,000 per pax
Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep compulsory entrance fee, local guide, bottled water & snacks - IDR 200,000 per pax
Senggigi Beach entrance fee - IDR 1,000 per pax
Meals:
Lunch at Yessy Restaurant, Senggigi - IDR132,000 for 2 pax
Dinner Pizza & Pasta in Ocean 2 Cafe, Gili Trawangan - IDR 88,000 for 2 pax
Dinner Ayam Bakar Taliwang/Lobster Penne & drinks in Black Penny Restaurant - IDR 250,000+ for 2 pax
Lunch Ayam Bakar Taliwang in Lesehan Taliwang Nada Restaurant, Mataram - around IDR 80,000 per pax
Souvenirs at Sasaku, Mataram:
T-shirts - range from IDR 55,000 to 85,000
Coin purse - IDR 10,000
Fridge magnet - IDR 10,000
>>Read about our October trip to Japan in the next post here :)
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