Bali Vs Lombok... Which island is better?​
We have recently travelled from Bali to its neighbouring island Lombok and we are blown away by all this island has to offer. We decided to do a comparison between Bali and Lombok as it is a decision that we had to make whether to add Lombok into our Indonesia trip or to just stay in Bali. Here you will find a breakdown of all the things you should consider.
Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands so where to start when planning your Indonesian trip? The most visited island in this archipelago is by far Bali, claiming over 6 million visitors in 2019. By now we have all heard of this beautiful island boasting stunning coastlines, untouched mountains and a great community of surfers or backpackers.Â
We can confirm all of these things are true and have found so many amazing places and experiences here on this island.
Just east of Bali is a slightly smaller and lesser visited island Lombok. To give an oversight many people say Lombok is just how Bali would have been 20 years ago, before the mass tourism. We have to agree.Â
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Getting There
Bali has an international airport known as Ngurah Rai International Airport in the capital Denpasar with an estimated 2000 people landing every day. The airport receives many international flights and is easily accessible by many different flight paths and companies.Â
Getting around Bali has become very convenient too with Gojek or Grab drivers (think Indonesian Uber) ready to pick you up all through the day or night. From the airport, areas like Seminyak and Kuta are very close plus Ubud is around 40 minutes and in only an hour you can reach busy Canggu.Â
Unfortunately for Lombok their airport is a lot harder to fly directly to. For most, you will have to stop in Bali anyway and then get a short connecting flight to the airport called Bandar Udara International Lombok.
You can reach both islands via boat and many different companies offer fast boats between the two or from Java. We recently took the boat from Bali to Lombok and have a post about what to do and what not to do when travelling this route. CHECK IT OUT HERE!
Based on travel alone Bali is a lot easier to get to and navigate around.
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What to do?
Both islands benefit from having beautiful beaches and coastlines which provide great places to spend your time relaxing or surfing. From beginners to pro there are many different surf spots in both Bali and Lombok and most have local guides that can teach you if you want.Â
Aside from beaches, Bali and Lombok both have amazing mountains. Mount Batur in Bali is a popular hiking spot with many people reaching the summit for sunrise and this is easily accessible; only a short 2-4 hour hike for most and there are many tour companies to accommodate you.Â
The hiking in Lombok is a little harder, think 2-4 days but the payoff seems to be greater, imagine the thrill of climbing an active volcano!
Mount Rinjani is also the 5th highest mountain in all of Indonesia!
In Bali you can visit areas such as Ubud for rice terraces that stretch for miles, monkey sanctuaries where you can take a monkey selfie or visit many beautiful temples. Another popular area is Uluwatu where you can visit many untouched beaches and stunning viewpoints. Or you could visit Tanah Lot; an amazing ornate temple located on a rocky island, only a half an hour drive from Canggu.
Check out our YouTube video all about Lombok!
Lombok puts up a good fight too and has many activities for you to enjoy. The main areas we recommend are Kuta (not to be confused with Kuta in Bali) where you can reach many of these popular activities. People also like Sengiggi, which is an area close to the main city Mataram, the main city in Lombok. There are many easy to reach viewpoints overlooking wonderful scenes. But as a less developed quieter island most activities are related to the beach, think snorkelling, surfing and boat trips to the Gili Islands.
Bali takes the point here by far! If you are searching for an action packed trip, head to Bali.
Tourism
In recent years Bali has understandably seen an explosion of tourism and this is being slowly reflected in the price of living going up plus many western companies opening new beach bars or late night clubs. You can see new bars or luxury villas being built all over Bali, the new Atlas beach bar in Canggu popped up out of nowhere in the last couple of years.
All of this has given Bali more of a Western feel, similar to party areas in Europe. We have absolutely made the most of this and partied in Canggu or eaten amazing pasta and pizza in Ubud and loved every minute of it. The difference now is that Bali is most popular with families or groups for a once in a lifetime beautiful holiday.Â
But for the traveller that is looking for a more authentic experience and a sense of backpacking community, our pick goes to Lombok. Since arriving here we found exactly what we were missing in Bali and have been won over by the more relaxed atmosphere.Â
Nightlife
There is no shortage of places to dance the night away in Bali. You can find chilled sports bars, glamorous cocktail bars or even big clubs that stay open until the early hours of the morning. Live music is also in abundance and if you fancy some karaoke they will usually let you sing too.Â
The drinks prices at these places vary but beers should start at 30,000 IDR (around $2) and cocktails are always more expensive.Â
Personally we found that people going out in Bali all seem to have one goal: to find a member of the opposite sex! So for a couple like us it’s easy to feel a little alienated in this environment.
When comparing nightlife Lombok and Bali barely differ; you can find everything in Lombok that you could find in Bali minus the large clubs that exist in Seminyak and Kuta. Nightlife in Lombok will consist of meeting fellow travellers and getting to know many different people from different walks of life, over a few too many Bintangs.Â
The prices are comparable to that of Bali – the only noticeable difference is that the bars in Lombok all offer competitive happy hours with great deals that can be taken advantage of.Â
When it comes to nightlife we think Lombok wins, no one wants to be the only one in a relationship in a group of singles!
Food
If you’re looking for local food check out the many warungs (meaning small eatery) and be prepared to be surprised by the quality of the food, in both Bali and Lombok. You will be amazed at the selection of foods you can try on one plate usually for around 1-2 dollars.Â
A note to add is that Lombok has a much greater Muslim community so Indonesian favourites like Babi Guling (roasted pig) are a lot harder to find whereas many more places will offer beef.
Additionally, you can find many western options in both of these islands too. We have had some of the most delicious pasta dishes and meat kebabs in Indonesia, who would have guessed?Â
If you’re looking for trendy, fresh vegan food head to Canggu or Ubud, where there are many options, but be prepared to pay more in these western style restaurants.Â
When it comes to food you can find pretty much the same array of local or western food in both islands. The only slight difference is that we have found it a little cheaper in Lombok, we will count this one as a draw.
Bali or Lombok: The Conclusion
Of course each person has a very different idea of what makes an ideal destination and many things can change based on the time of year or area that you are visiting.
For your first time visit, Bali wins as a great introduction into what Indonesia has to offer and you will enjoy beautiful scenery, great activities and the benefits of mass tourism.
For a more authentic and relaxed trip Lombok is going to offer everything you can find in Bali plus a great backpacker community and harmony between the local people and travellers.
In our opinion Lombok wins and is well worth the extra effort to get there! Let us know what you think over on Instagram.Â
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