When to go
Lombok has an equatorial climate with monsoon type weather. The rainy season usually lasts from November to April and the dry season from April to October. The temperature hardly ever drops below 25°C while the water temperature remains constantly around 28°C. The rainy season is characterized by sudden, momentary downpours followed by blue skies.
The resort provides airport transfers from Mataram, Lombok’s capital and airport to Gili Trawangan, which involves a scenic 30 minute drive followed by about 30 minutes by speedboat.
Getting there
There are daily flights from London to Singapore and four flights a week from Singapore to Lombok on Silk Air. The flight to Singapore takes about 12 hours and from there to Mataram on Lombok another 2 hours. It is also possible to fly from Singapore to Bali instead and take a domestic flight to Lombok from there.
Entry requirements
European community nationals only need a passport, valid for six month after your departure from Indonesia, a return ticket and a tourist visa, which you will get at the port of entry in Indonesia for a fee of US$25
Local airport tax
When leaving Mataram you must pay airport taxes of Rp. 75.000 for international flights and Rp. 30.000 for domestic flights.
Time
Indonesia is divided into three time zones and Sulawesi is on Central Indonesian time, which is 8 hours ahead of GMT.
Language
“Bahasa Indonesia” is spoken as a national language, however provided you are patient and speak slowly with the locals, you will get by quite well with English.
Money
As there are no banks or cash points on the Gili islands, make sure you take enough cash for your intended period of stay. Although there are a few moneychangers, they are unreliable, the rates very poor and commission high.
You can pay for all your extras at the resorts by credit card, and there are also some ATM machines on the Lombok mainland.
Health
There are no vaccinations required to enter Indonesia, but inoculations for Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis-A are recommended. Lombok and the Gili Islands are said to be free of malaria and if you are travelling only to main tourist areas the risk is basically non-existent.
Indonesia is a tropical country with low levels of sanitation and little education on hygienic issues. The biggest hazards come from contaminated food and water, whereas there is nothing for you to worry about if you are staying and eating in the tourist resorts. The food and drinking water at the resorts is absolutely safe, but you should avoid ice cubes in your drink if you are planning to have a drink in any of the local restaurants along the road.
The biggest risks run by tourists are dehydration and sunburn, so make sure you take a bottle of water with you wherever you go and keep the sun-block lotion handy.
