Discover what Brian Choo and friends got to experience in the beautiful island of Lombok that spills over with beautiful beaches, delicious seafood and more.
Lombok, Indonesia, is fast becoming steep competition for Bali among lovers of the sun, sand and sea, given its picturesque beaches and prime surf, particularly in the beaches located South of the island.
Being less commercialised than Bali, it offers up the perfect balance of untouched nature and creature comforts, enough to garner it the promotional term of ‘an unspoiled Bali’.
Brian Choo and friends recently got to experience firsthand the true beauty of the island with its beautiful beaches, delicious seafood and warm locals. Follow along for some of the highlights of their trip.
Brian Choo in Lombok
I visited Lombok at the end of August. A few of us were just sitting around at the beginning of the month discussing what we could do for the long Merdeka weekend. The weather when we were there could not have been any better -- beautiful blue skies and constant sea breezes were in abundance.
Brian Choo in Lombok
We stayed in an area called Malimbu, in a villa named Malimbu Cliff Villa. It was a decent location, even though it didn't offer much to do. We spent two of our three days in the Gili Islands anyways, and the villa is situated not too far from the harbour. The villa was a 4-bedroom villa, that could easily fit 8-10 people, and with a cliff view of the sea, it is lovely for a couples retreat for sure.
Brian Choo in Lombok
In a nutshell, they say Lombok is the Bali of 15 years ago – the people are very hospitable as they are known for in Indonesia. The island is still very undeveloped, so there are plenty of agricultural sites around the island. You see a lot of kids playing in the fields and carrying out their chores on the farmlands.
Brian Choo in Lombok
One should definitely travel around the three Gili Islands, which is only a 20 minutes or so boat ride away. There are three islands that form part of the Gili Islands and they are famous around the world. They are Gili Trawangan (where the party never stops), Gili Meno and Gili Air (for a more laid back, relaxing time).
Brian Choo in Lombok
What seemed to be the most popular restaurant on Gili Trawangan, is a Western restaurant called Scallywags at Scallywags Resort. It was packed to the brim the two nights we had dinner there. Their specialty was their barbecued seafood – the lobsters and king prawns were especially yummy.
Brian Choo in Lombok
My favourite part about the trip was the great company and getting away from the hustle and bustle of a city for a few days. Being in KL, we sometimes get carried away in our daily work routine, that we oversee the importance of sharing a laugh with some really good friends once in awhile – after a trip like that, our body, mind and spirit were revitalised like you sometimes forget can be possible!
(Photos: Brian Choo; Scallywags Resort)
Love the sun and sea? Datin Shalini Ganendra's trip to the Galapagos Islands had plenty of that, too.