Which islands?
Nanggu, Sudak and Kedis
The easy introduction: close to shore, calm, good for children and nervous swimmers, with food available. Also the busiest, particularly on Sundays.
Gili Gede
The base for a longer stay. Resorts range from simple bungalows to comfortable boutique places, and the island has enough paths and villages to explore on foot for a day or two.
Asahan, Layar and Rengit
The quietest corner and the best snorkelling. Come here for coral rather than beach bars — there are none.
The east-coast islands
Kondo, Bidara, Petagan and Kapal are for travellers already exploring east Lombok or happy with a very long day. Beautiful, undeveloped and often combined with a night in Sembalun.
What to bring
- Enough cash for the whole visit, in small notes
- Drinking water and snacks
- Your own mask and snorkel if you have them
- Reef shoes, a rash vest, hat and reef-safe sunscreen
- A dry bag for phones and cameras
- A bag to carry your rubbish back
Eating
On Gili Sudak, restaurants grill fish, squid and prawns to order with rice, vegetables and sambal. On Gili Gede and Asahan you will mostly eat at your resort. Elsewhere, bring a picnic.
Diving
A few dive centres on Gili Gede and around Sekotong explore sites that hardly anyone else visits: sloping reefs with good macro life and, further out towards Bangko-Bangko, a seasonal chance of hammerhead sharks for experienced divers in strong currents. Ask locally what is running.
Looking after the reef
These islands have no reef managers and little rubbish collection. Do not feed fish, do not buy shells or coral, anchor only on sand or use moorings, and take all your litter back to the mainland. If your boatman drops anchor on coral, ask him to move.
Safety
- Medical help is far away. The nearest hospitals are in Mataram, one to two hours from the harbours.
- Boats are basic. Check there are life jackets, especially for children, and do not set out in rough weather.
- Currents run between the outer islands. Snorkel with your guide and stay near the boat.
- Mobile signal is patchy beyond Gili Gede.
Respect
The villages on Gili Gede and the Sekotong coast are conservative Muslim communities. Cover up when you leave the beach, and ask before taking photographs.
Sample plans
A day trip
Leave Senggigi or Kuta by 8 am. Boat from Tawun to Gili Nanggu for a long snorkel, lunch on Gili Sudak, a walk around Gili Kedis, and back to the harbour by mid-afternoon with stops along the Sekotong coast road.
Two nights on Gili Gede
Arrive by lunchtime and walk the coastal path to a village. Next day charter a boat to Gili Layar and Gili Rengit for coral and turtles, with a beach picnic on Asahan. Leave after a slow breakfast on day three.
Four days: south-west and south
Two nights on Gili Gede or Asahan as above, then drive to Kuta Lombok for two nights of beaches and surf. It is the least-travelled way to combine islands and coast, and near the airport for the flight out.
