About Lombok
Lombok has gotten more popular over the past few years. People who think Bali is too crowded but are essentialy looking for the same things Bali offers, head for Lombok. The island has tranquil countryside, one urban area ( Mataram), great beaches, a spectacular volcano and one established holiday resort Senggigi.While in Senggigi try to check out the Papaya cafe for a fantastic meal and live music experience with a great atmosphere guaranteed to get your feet tapping. Gunung Rinjani is great for trekking with or without a guide (it takes a day to get up to the rim of the volcano where you can camp for the night ready for a 3-4 hour push for the rocky eastern summit on Day 2 of your trek. Take bottled water with you! You need a degree of stamina for this quite tough trek but the flora and fauna - including monkeys - are memorable.), the gili islands offer some of the best snorkeling in Indonesia. Lobok's Kuta beach has big waves and good surfing.
Add all of these elements together and you have a pretty good holiday destination. Not as crowded as Bali but with the same fun, sun and action. It is easy to get to and from Lombok to neighbouring islands by ferry boat or inexpensive air connections. This is an island where Ghekko lizards, with their characteristic loud call, are very common