For an island that’s just an hour flight away from Bali, Lombok is a relatively untouched location lagging by at least a decade worth of development. With pristine white sand beaches devoid of crowds, waterfalls that will leave you breathless, world-class surf breaks, and numerous cultural activities, Lombok really is an island full of crazy adventures. And as cliché, as it sounds, it really does have something in store for everyone.
Here, surfers are guaranteed the perfect waves, intimate travellers can spot the quaintest hideouts, backpackers can’t get enough of the chilled vibes of the Gili islands, and culture nuts are ensured plenty of opportunities to learn and celebrate the art and traditions of the Sasak people. You could easily spend a month here and not have seen half of the best-kept secrets of this island.
To start, visit Lombok’s most famous sights—Mount Rinjani, an active volcano towering above the rest of the landscape. Standing tall at 3726 metres, it is also Indonesia’s second-largest volcano. The hike is bound to test the physical and mental endurance of the best of the best hikers, but once you are able to tackle the mammoth hike of Mount Rinjani, you will be rewarded with truly epic landscapes of lowland forests, wide-open valleys, and diverse terrains packed into the wilderness.