LOMBOK-KUTA. WHAT TO SEE AND DO
After Bali, Lombok was our next destination, namely Kuta, a seaside town located south of the island; it’s worth spending a few days to discover its amazing beaches and hang out with the locals. In this guide I share everything you need to know to make the most out of your 2 days Lombok trip.
At the last moment we decided not to trek to the Rinjani volcano, so the 2 days we spent here we dedicated to rest, swim in its wonderful beaches, buy tickets for the later destinations and made the most getting massages and eating tasty food. After the hustle and bustle in Bali, we craved for taking some time just to do nothing.
How to get to Lombok-Kuta
By public boat from the Gili Islands. It takes less than 1 hour from Gili Air, you can purchase tickets at the port at the time of boarding, it’s unnecessary to book in advance and the journey is super economical, 45,000 rupees approx. The ship arrives at Bangsai Port.
Once in Lombok, leave the port and next to the barrier of access you will find normal taxis with which you can negotiate and the prices are much better than inside the port. The journey to Kuta is a 2-hour drive.
Where to stay in Lombok-Kuta
During our short visit we stayed at Dedy’s HomeStay, right next to a mosque. We booked it in Booking.com. The value for money was good and friendly staff. That said, you’re sure to woke up at dawn with the muezzin call.
What to do in Lombok-Kuta
Kuta is the largest city in the south of Lombok, it has 2 long and well-defined streets: One of them is Jalan Raya Kuta, which goes perpendicular to the sea and the other is Jalan Pariwisita Pantai Kuta, which runs parallel to the sea. In these two streets we find everything, restaurants, warungs, supermarkets, travel “agencies”, currency exchange offices, ATMs, etc.
The best experiences, discovering Kuta
– Swim and relax on its beaches of calm and transparent waters.
* Mandalika beach in Kuta village itself, a nice one with cool and clear waters. A promenade with hotel resorts stands all along, yet few people showed. It caught my eye, a large brilliant- green mangrove. Otherwise, is not lacking the iconic swing.
* Tanjun Aan Beach. Located 5 kms east of Kuta. You’ll like its transparent waters, white sand and amazing views. Impressive! You can take pictures on the iconic swing, but be ready to queue.
-Enjoy the sunsets. From Merese Hills, next to Tanjun Aan Beach. To get there: From the beach parking lot, walk up a hill, about 5 minutes, and you reach an esplanade where there are some seats sculpted in the shape of bleachers.
-Indulge yourself with massages and yoga classes. Throughout Kuta there is several massage parlour where you can treat yourself with a lovely massage. At the Mana Yoga Retreat hotel, they have great Ayurveda massages at a very good price and yoga classes for 91,000 rupees.
–Eat healthy and delicious: If you like vegetarian food in Kuta you will find many options and also a wide variety of appetizing smoothies and natural fruit juices.
Restaurants in Kuta: The ones we tried and which fell in love with:
– Warung Dulang Lombok, the food was yummy!, value for money very Good
– The Bazaar, Moroccan restaurant run by an Argentinian, everything was exquisite.
– KRNK Restaurant and Bar. Awesome food (burgers and pizzas) and great vibe. Place always packed, so be patient.
– The Bus, nice vibes, cool music (sometimes live dj sessions), and delicious pizzas at reasonable price.
More facts about Lombok-Kuta
Electric and water blackouts aren’t uncommon in restaurants and hotels. They have gas generators but try to use them as little as possible, so you can spend quite some time without light and wifi. We experienced both of them.
Islam is the majority religion in Lombok, you will hear the muezzin calls to prayer every day at dawn. Prepare yourself to wake up at 5 a.m.
Unfortunately, there are many children selling bracelets all over the island, sometimes you feel overwhelmed because they are everywhere, beach, restaurant, in the same hotel. Is better not to give them money so as not to encourage begging in children.
Feeling refreshed and recharged again, we followed the itinerary to the next destination: Sulawesi.
Related:
* Bali. A practical Travel Guide for First-Timers
* Sulawesi Where the Worship of Death is a Tradition
* Flores and Komodo National Park. A tour around this amazing island
* Yogyakarta and Bromo Volcano Popular Destinations
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