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The Rinjani caldera from the summit: the Segara Anak lake between the crater walls

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Lombok on foot and barefoot: a crater rim and islands without cars

Tetebatu, Rinjani, Selong Belanak & Gili Meno

Photo: Joshua Kettle / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

From Bali's east coast, Lombok shows as a dark mountain on the horizon, and many travellers know it only as the way to the Gili Islands. This journey stays. First comes Tetebatu, where Sasak families grow rice and tobacco at the foot of Rinjani and weavers in the villages still work at hand looms. Then Rinjani itself, Indonesia's second-highest volcano: a night in a tent on the crater rim, with the blue Segara Anak lake below and a young cone rising out of it.

After the mountain, the pace slows. On the south coast lies Selong Belanak, a wide sandy bay where people learn to surf and herds of buffalo are walked across the beach in the late afternoon. To finish, Gili Meno or Gili Air, islands without cars, where the reef is a few barefoot minutes from your door. The journey is for active couples and friends for whom a volcano trek is a reason to travel rather than an ordeal. If you'd rather not climb, the Rinjani days are easily swapped for valley trails and waterfalls.

The route

The journey

  1. Lombok airport
  2. Tetebatu
  3. Sembalun
  4. The Rinjani crater rim
  5. Senaru
  6. Selong Belanak
  7. Gili Meno or Gili Air
  1. Rice terraces and a bamboo shelter in Tetebatu, with Mount Rinjani behind on a clear morning

    01Days 1–3 · Tetebatu

    Rice, tobacco and the rhythm of the loom

    From Lombok's airport it's about an hour and a half east to the village of Tetebatu at the foot of Rinjani. Two nights in a simple house among the rice fields, where the summit is usually visible in the morning before the clouds arrive. With a local guide, a walk through terraces and fields where Sasak families grow rice, tobacco and spices, to a waterfall in the forest where black monkeys sometimes appear. The next day, a weaving village nearby: women at hand looms make patterned cloth, and the hosts explain what the motifs mean and when they are worn. We visit homes and workshops with a local guide, on their terms. Evenings here are quiet, with village cooking and the call to prayer drifting across the fields.

  2. Sunset over the Sembalun valley and the hills around it on Lombok

    02Days 3–4 · Sembalun

    The highland valley before the climb

    About an hour and a half north, over a mountain pass, to Sembalun, a high valley where the air is cool and the fields grow garlic, strawberries and vegetables. One night here is for getting ready: the guide checks the kit and talks through the route and the weather, and in the afternoon a short trail up a hill above the valley warms the legs while the sunset colours Rinjani's slopes. If you'd rather not climb, Sembalun is a fine place for a few nights in its own right: hill trails, villages and quiet evenings beneath the volcano. We set the shape of the trek in advance (how many days, where to sleep, whether to try for the summit) according to your experience, and the final call often rests with the guide, once they have seen the weather.

  3. Walkers on the green crater rim of Rinjani among the clouds

    03Days 4–6 · The Rinjani crater rim & Senaru

    A night above the lake in the crater

    An early start from Sembalun, through savannah and forest to the crater rim: usually six to eight hours, the last stretch steep and loose. Porters carry the tents and food; you carry only a day pack. In the evening, camp on the rim, with Segara Anak below and stars above the cloud. Strong walkers can try for the summit (3,726 m): you set off around 3 a.m., the volcanic scree is hard going, but sunrise from the top can reach as far as Bali and Sumbawa. The next day, the descent and about an hour and a half by road to Senaru on the northern slopes, for a night, a hot shower and, in the morning, a trail to two waterfalls. A longer version takes three days, with a night by the lake and a crossing to Senaru.

  4. A herd of black water buffalo crossing the beach at Selong Belanak, Lombok

    04Days 6–9 · Selong Belanak

    A bay, the waves and buffalo at dusk

    About three hours south, across the middle of the island, to the south coast and three nights at Selong Belanak, a wide, gentle bay of pale sand. After the mountain, the legs need rest, and there's plenty of it here: in the mornings, a surf lesson where the waves are slow and learning is easy; in the afternoons, shade and a book. In the late afternoon, herds of buffalo are often walked across the beach, everyday village life rather than a show. One day is worth spending along the coast: the bays of Mawun and Tanjung Aan, sunset from Merese hill and, if you like, the village of Sade, where Sasak hosts explain their traditional houses. Stays here range from simple bungalows to villas on the hillside above the bay.

  5. Gili Meno from the air: a green island, a pale reef and turquoise water

    05Days 9–11 · Gili Meno or Gili Air

    An island you can walk around in an hour

    About two and a half hours north-west by road and a short boat crossing bring you to two final nights on the Gilis. Gili Meno is the quietest of the three: sandy paths, a few bungalows under the palms and a reef right off the shore where turtles often appear. Gili Air is a little livelier, with cafés and village life, but still calm. There are no cars: you walk or cycle, and mornings begin with a mask and snorkel. One day, a boat around the islands with several snorkelling stops; in the evening, the sunset to the west, with Bali's Agung on the horizon. On the last day, the boat back to Lombok and about two hours to the airport, or a fast boat straight to Bali when the sea is calm.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A night on the crater rim

    A tent above the Segara Anak lake and, for strong walkers, sunrise on the summit of Rinjani.

  2. 02

    Sasak villages

    Rice terraces, hand looms and local guides' stories of Lombok's people.

  3. 03

    Selong Belanak

    A wide bay where it's easy to learn to stand on a surfboard, and buffalo cross the sand at dusk.

  4. 04

    Islands without cars

    Gili Meno or Gili Air: a bicycle, a reef off the beach and turtles that often appear.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Without the summit

    Instead of the night on the rim, two nights split between Sembalun and Senaru, with valley trails and waterfalls. The journey becomes gentler and shorter, about nine days.

  • For a honeymoon

    Rinjani can stay on the horizon, with the time given to a hillside villa above a south-coast bay and three nights on a Gili.

  • With the seasons

    The dry season, roughly May to October, is best for climbing. In the wet months Rinjani's trails are usually closed for part of the time, and the journey then leans on the valleys, the coast and the islands.

  • With Bali or Sumbawa

    The journey begins naturally with a few nights on Bali's quieter side, or carries on east towards Sumbawa's surf or the Komodo islands.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is the dry season, roughly May to October. Rinjani National Park's trails usually close for part of the wet season; we check the exact dates and rules before you travel.
  • The trek to the crater rim needs good fitness: two days of six to eight hours on the trail, steep and loose slopes, and cold nights on the rim. We climb only with a licensed guide and porters.
  • Boats to the Gilis and fast boats to Bali depend on the sea: swell can be high and timetables change. We choose reliable transfers and leave a margin before your flight.
  • Lombok is largely Muslim: in villages and away from the beaches, covered shoulders and knees are appreciated, especially near mosques.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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