In Reply to: Return to Lombok - info posted by sonny on Monday, 16. March 2009 at 10:11 Bali Time:
You haven't mentioned what part of Lombok you are staying...
Shopping is mostly the same, certainly nothing like Bali anyway. There has been a big extension to the Mataram Mall, when I was there it had just opened so shops were still setting up/moving in.
The main street of Senggigi was looking a bit more active when I was there last October, there are a few more restaurants and bars but I can't recommend any as I don't go to them. Look out for the Sunday BBQ at Beach Club Senggigi in Batu Bolong. My favorite hangout on the other side (Kuta) is still Ashtari up on the hill.
Gili Nangu - have done it several times by boat and by road.
By boat: you can charter a boat to take you from Senggigi or Mangsit for a little more than the price for the 3 Gilis (it is further and takes about 2 hours). I really love the boat trip - we get the boat driver to also take us to some of the other small uninhabited islands near Gili Nangu, as well as a drive past/look at the fishing houses over the water.
By road: takes about as long by road as boat, if not longer. You then hire a boat to take you over to Gili Nangu. Really lovely coastal drive (actually I drove myself in convoy on a motor bike, but you can easily hire a car & driver for the day to take you). The boat trip over is about 20 minutes. Going this way may work out a little more expensive, but if you don't want the long boat trip then it's a good option.
Gili Nangu: I love this place for a day trip, but there are limited options for food - one so-so restaurant that is expensive for what you get. We get our boat driver to run over to the mainland and pick up nasi bunkus for us instead, and bring fruit and snacks to eat and our own drinking water.
They built some change rooms last year, and wanted 10,000 to use them to change into our bathers. A sarong behind the bush was our chosen alternative.
Gili Nangu is mostly a day on a nice,clean white sand beach with plenty of shade trees, with clear water and reasonable snorkelling. Not much else to do there. Getting there and back is part of the fun.