GETTING THERE

By plane
Lombok’s only airport is Mataram’s Selaparang Airport (AMI), which occasionally also shows up in flight schedules as “Ampenan” (hence the seemingly odd airport code). There are frequent connections to Denpasar on Bali (30 min), Surabaya (1 hour) ,Jakarta and Yogyakarta. International flights are limited to Kuala Lumpur daily and Singapore thrice weekly, with visas available on arrival.

By boat
boats from Padang Bai on Bali leave about every hour for the four- to five-hour trip to Lembar.
Fast ferries run from Benoa on Bali to Lembar on Lombok twice daily in season, one daily in the off season. The trip takes just 2 hours.

AROUND

By bemo
Bemos (converted passenger-carrying minivans) are the main means of long-distance transport on Lombok. Travel agents can also get you on semi-regular shuttle services, which connect Senggigi, the airport, and the harbors of Lembar (for Bali) and Bangsal (for the Gilis).

By taxi
Metered taxis are a fairly new development on Lombok, but they have become quite common in Mataram and Senggigi. The largest operator is Blue Bird, although there are a few other companies competing for your custom. As of November 2005, flag fall is Rp3,850 and the meter ticks up a few hundred rupiah for every hundred meters past 2 km. Figure on Rp10,000 for hops around town and around Rp30,000 from Senggigi to Mataram.

By horse cart
Horse-pulled carts known as cidomo are very common on Lombok, and while a bit touristy in Senggigi and the Gilis, they’re still a serious method of transportation elsewhere.

By boat
Traditional fishing boats known as perahu ply the waters around Lombok, and are instantly recognizable due to their rather unusual feature of having two logs attached by bars on both sides like a catamaran, for greater stability in heavy swells. They can also be chartered, either directly from owners or via any travel agent.

By bicycle
Traffic is relatively light throughout the island so travel by bicycle is quite possible, and provides a very different cultural experience to other means of transport.