Travel News
Indonesia Extends Visa-Free Entry, Here's What to Do With the Extra Days in Lombok
A longer visa-free window for Indian travellers makes it realistic to pair a Bali trip with Lombok, an island with the scenery and none of the crowds.
Sep 18, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Indonesia has extended visa-free entry for travellers from several countries including India, giving visitors more flexibility to pair a Bali trip with time on neighbouring Lombok, still markedly less developed despite sitting barely an hour away by fast boat. With the extra days, here are five things worth doing there, each with a direct map link.
1. Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air
The three Gili Islands off Lombok's northwest coast remain car-free, reachable only by boat, with white-sand beaches and reef snorkelling a short swim from shore.
2. Mount Rinjani
Indonesia's second-highest volcano dominates Lombok's skyline and draws serious trekkers for a two to three-day climb to its crater lake, Segara Anak, one of the more demanding treks in Southeast Asia.
3. Kuta Lombok's beaches
Not to be confused with Bali's Kuta, this southern Lombok stretch holds a string of quieter surf beaches, including Tanjung Aan's distinctive rice-grain sand.
4. Sasak village visits at Sade
A traditional Sasak village with thatched longhouses still inhabited by the island's indigenous community, offering a genuine look at Lombok's culture distinct from Bali's Hindu traditions.
5. Pink Beach
One of only a handful of pink-sand beaches in the world, its colour coming from red coral fragments mixed into the white sand, on Lombok's less-developed eastern coast.
Traveller tips
- Confirm current Indonesia visa-free entry terms and permitted stay duration on the official immigration portal before booking flights.
- Fast boats run directly between Bali and the Gili Islands, skipping Lombok's main port entirely; check the specific route before booking.
- Mount Rinjani treks require a licensed guide and porter by law; book through a registered operator well ahead of the trekking season.
- Lombok's tourism infrastructure is noticeably thinner than Bali's outside the main beach towns; carry cash outside Kuta Lombok and the Gilis.
Where this is
Lombok, Indonesia