Bali or Lombok, Which Island is Better for Your Next Holiday?
As usual, the TL;DR conclusion right off the bat, followed by table of content.
If you can’t decide which island to go for your next holiday, you really can’t go wrong with either one. All it comes down is whether you want a more tranquil beach vacation (Lombok) or a more hectic big-city-infused beach vacation (Bali). Either way, Both islands will have a little bit of everything for everybody.
If you are traveling with small children, Bali will be the safer bet due to the options it provide, while if you just want travel-magazine-esque beaches, Lombok is the place to be.
- Introduction
- Beach
- Service Level & Kid Friendliness
- Night Life
- Crowd
- Price
- How Many Days are Enough?
- Bali or Lombok
- The End of the Post that Most People will Probably Not Read
Beautiful Islands with 2 Different Personalities
Bali and Lombok has long been considered sister islands due to their similar marine location in Indonesia. That’s where the majority of the similarity ends, however. Visiting Bali and Lombok will provide you with a beach vacation but both will give you different flavors and tone to your holiday. Local’s religion (Muslim vs. Hindu) and culture play a big part in this difference and mostly in how the province gets their source of income (Lombok was a producer of pearls for a long time, while Bali obtain a majority of their income from tourism).
If you have never been to Indonesia, Bali is a must visit destination but it could get a little hectic and overwhelming compared to Lombok. It all comes down what you are looking for in your holiday when comparing these 2 beautiful islands.
The Beach
While Bali has many (and I mean many) beach clubs for you to laze around or party in, Lombok has all the white-sand-blue-clear-water beaches you see in the travel magazine. In contrast, it’s getting harder and harder now to find idyllic beaches in Bali that have clear blue water or not filled with trash.
Because of the beautiful beaches, it is not hard to understand why many people come to Lombok just to lay around the beach or to surf the waves
If you crave even more beaches while you are in Lombok, the island itself is surrounded by many small islands (“Gili” in local language), with Gili Trawangan being one of the more famous one. There are many boats that can take you from Lombok to these Gilis on a day trip depending on which one you want to explore for the day. Some of the gilis are the size of a small island (2 hours plus to walk around the island) to the size of a sand dune. All of these gilis is surrounded by clean clear water where you can see fish from the beach.
Service Level & Kid Friendliness
Lombok is slowly catching up to the service level that you will get in Bali, but hands down, Bali blow Lombok out of the water in term of service received by tourists and patrons.
Bali’s income as a province comes mainly from tourism and it’s easy to see why. The people in Bali are naturally friendly and family oriented and combined with all the years in the service industry, you can feel the genuine care.
Since Bali handles all kind of tourists, you also almost never have to worry about baby chairs or non baby friendly area when visiting.
In comparison, in Lombok, there will still be restaurants, cafes or warung (small eatery place, usually on the side of the street; very simple and furnished with a few wooden table and chairs and open kitchen) where they do not provide baby chairs or baby stroller friendly entry access.
The service level that you receive in Lombok is also not as high as Bali, which may be due to the fact that Lombok does not have a lot of big corporate establishments. Service in some places may feel inefficient, or slow or less friendly. But, like I said, in the near future, with more and more investors coming into the island, the gap in service level should be less obvious
Nightlife
If you are looking for nightlife, Bali has many offerings and options, ranging from casual partying to high end lounge by the beach. However, in Lombok, you will get less options in term of clubs and lounges. You can always island hop to Gili Trawangan for the night and party there, but the bars in Gili Trawangan, while still just as lively as Bali’s are nowhere close in term of fanciness.
A note of caution, while both Bali and Lombok both offers lively nightlifes, Lombok is mainly populated by people of Muslim religion, so please refrain yourselves from showing too much skins or acting too rowdy, as it is very frowned upon, especially for women.
Crowd
In both islands, you will see a good mix of local tourists (people from other part of Indonesia) and foreign tourists. My wife feels there is more foreign tourists in Lombok, while I feel otherwise. But, the difference between the 2 islands is just the sheer number of tourists. I try to go to Bali once a year (usually with my son’s grandparents and my brother’s family) and compared to 5 years ago, I often feel it’s harder and harder to find a spot for ourselves.
On the other hand, in Lombok, you will not get the traffic jam or the level of crowdness of Bali, but enough that you don’t feel creeped out because there is nobody in sight.
The Price
If price is an important part of your decision, then Lombok is definitely the cheaper option between the two. Mainly because there are not that many big businesses establishments in Lombok, so everything is still priced in Indonesian currency (Rupiah), whereas in Bali, there’s a running joke to local tourists that everything is calculated in U.S. Dollars then priced into Rupiah.
To put it in comparison, a local beer in one of Lombok’s 5 star hotels was Rp. 60,000 (roughly $4 USD) and Rp. 1,400,000 (roughly $100 USD) for room, while the same beer and room costed me Rp. 80,000 (roughly $6 USD) and Rp.1,650,000 (roughly $117 USD) in Bali’s 4 star hotels. Not a big difference, but it does add up if you are vacationing for 5 days or more.
This is not to say that you can’t find cheaper options in Bali or a more expensive one in Lombok, but as a guideline, Bali will run up a bigger budget than Lombok.
How Many Days are Enough?
Because of the difference in island size, you cannot have the same itinerary for both islands. The following recommendation is what I usually tell people because it allows you to enjoy 80% of what the island offers. You can always add or reduce more days depending on your time and situation.
For Lombok, I do recommend at least 5 days (not including flight days) and you should be good. The way I allocate these 5 days are usually
- 1 Day for lounging on the pool or playing by the beach
- 2 Days to explore the cities or surrounding areas
- 1 Day to explore the nature that the islands offer
- 1 Day to rest before or after your flight.
Keep in mind, the days recommended are for regular travelers. If you are an extreme traveler (like hiking to volcanoes), then you might want to add 1 or 2 days more.
If you have the energy level of batman and doesn’t need more than 6 hours of sleep and you want to pack as much activity as you can in a day, then you might want to reduce 1 or 2 days.
Due to Bali’s bigger island size, you can stay for a month before you fully explore all corner of the island. But, if you are just staying near the major cities, then 7 days should be enough. Again, the same guideline if you are a regular traveler or batman applies.
- 4 Days in Seminyak, Canggu and surrounding areas
- 2 Day for the beach
- 2 Days for the city and surroundings (because of the traffic)
- 2 Days in Ubud and surrounding areas
- 1 Day of hiking and nature
- 1 Day for the city
- 1 Day for resting
Bali or Lombok?
Both islands will undoubtedly scratch your vacation itch and considering their close proximity, trying both islands is definitely doable. However, for people who only has the time or means to visit just one island, the answer lies on your level of expectation and what you hope to get out of your holiday.
First Timer
If this is your first time traveling to Indonesia and you absolutely only can visit one or the other island, then I recommend Bali because Bali will definitely have more for everybody. You are less likely to be disappointed with Bali if you are going in blind and not knowing what to expect of this island.
All About the Beach
If you are coming to Indonesia for the beach, whether it is to hang out by the beach all day or simply to just surf, then Lombok is definitely the place for you due to its clean untouched beaches
If you crave for even more beaches, Lombok is surrounded by small islands (Gili Trawangan being one of the more famous one for its party scene and clean beautiful beach) and you can island hop to these 30+ islands around Lombok for lower prices than if you were in Bali.
I am Here to Party and only to Party!
If you want a taste of Indonesian nightlife outside of the capital, then hands down Bali is the place to go. Bali’s nightlife has everything for everyone (ghetto dark alley night clubs all the way to fancy, pyrotechnic-filled clubs). Also, due to the island’s main religion of Hinduism, you are less likely to get in trouble if you leave the club not as sober you liked (it happens).
For partying, I recommend Bali over Lombok because while I enjoyed partying in Bali and Lombok’s Gili Trawangan before, I feel Gili Trawangan’s party scene is more toward drinking and sleeping in the toilet rather than the music, mingling and enjoying the atmosphere. Of course, your miles may vary.
Family Vacation with Toddlers or Kids
If you are on vacation with young children, then either island should be fine, again depending on your level of expectations and what you want to do.
If you have energetic kids who like to lounge by the pool and play on the sand, then Lombok is a safer choice due to its clean beach and numerous nature hiking trails.
If you have older kids who would be interested to go to the market and a more city like offerings instead of going to the beach all day, then Bali will be more fun and child friendly.
Have a Fun Holiday!
Whichever island you decided on, there is no doubt Bali or Lombok will have whatever you want. You just have to tune your expectations accordingly and decide on what is important for you and your family during the holiday.
While both islands are fairly safe for foreigners or locals to go, do exercise common sense and respect for the local culture, rules and laws. These include but not limited to:
- Not wearing bikinis outside of the pool or beach when in Lombok
- Not properly cover yourself when visiting temples in Bali
- If you are taking the taxis, ask for metered fare or negotiate beforehand if the driver insists on fixed fare
- Do not go down a shady looking dark alley alone, especially ladies (common sense)
For any seasoned traveler, you will know the above pretty much apply to wherever you go and not just Indonesia. If you can exercise caution and respect for the locals, all that remains is for you to have a fun holiday.
If you have any questions or comments or you just want to chat about your vacation, feel free to shoot me a message or email!
This is the kind of beach that you can expect from Lombok and its surrounding Gilis 
Water in Gili Sudak 
Sunset in Lombok
