In Reply to: Suggestions for Lombok posted by gragra on Tuesday, 25. July 2006 at 08:52 Bali Time:
Hi
I spent some time in Lombok last year and really enjoyed it. We stayed for a few days in Sengiggi, which was fun - it has lots of small restaurants and a few shops, and even a nightclub! We stayed in a lovely basic bungalow just behind the main road for onlhy 80,000rp a night for 3 of us.
Anyway, I did lke Sengiggi, but saying that, it did give me the impresson of a town that used to be booming with tourists once upon a time, but is now rather deserted. The beach isn't brilliant, but is fine for a swim and a sunbathe.
We went on a day trip to see some sasak villages, a waterfall, some temples, kuta in lombok and some stick flighting (which was amazing - we were the only tourists there, but I think it only happens certain times of year). Anyway, Kuta was absolutely beautiful - a small fishing village popular with surfers, but very quiet - I would definitely like to stay there next time.
Finally, the Gilis are an absolute must - I have been to Gili Trawangan several times (and Gili Meno for the first time this year) and it is my favourite place ever. The Gilis are so laid back and so beautiful - there are lots of great restaurants on Trawangan, fantastic snorkeling (right off the beach, and on boat trips too) and diving, and the friendliest people you are ever likely to meet. There are hardly any hawkers and everyone just lets you relax. You can also take a boat out with a local fisherman to see the turtles (you can snorkel with them or see them from a glass bottom boat) and you can do some fishing too if that is what interests you. If you can, I would recommend going to the Gilis for at least a couple of nights to get the true feel of the place. You won't want to leave!
Gili Meno was beautiful but extremely quiet - I think this is exagerrated at the moment with the recent downturn in tourists. We saw quite a few empty hotels, it was really quite sad. But if you want some real rest and relaxation (we didnt see another tourist the whole day on the island) I would recommend going there.
I hope some of this helps!