Lombok island with kids: 6 things to do

During our two-week stay in Indonesia in November 2023, we spent four days in Lombok island, part of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Lombok is an island of a similar size of Bali, but much less known than its neighbour Bali. We skipped Bali and opted for Lombok for a calmer stay with the kids. It is an absolute tropical paradise that can be easily reached from Indonesia's major cities. We flew to Lombok from Surabaya in East Java, where we had been staying previously; but you could also get to Lombok by fast boats from Bali.

There are three main areas to stay on the island: Kuta, Senggigi and Gili Islands. Kuta is very popular place to stay - not to be confused with Kuta area in Bali. Kuta (in Lombok) is on the south coast and a popular choice for surfers. Senggigi is a little calmer but still has a great access to shops and supermarkets. Gili Islands are little car free islands reachable by boats from Lombok. There are three islands to choose from to stay, and they all offer wide range of accommodation type. We chose Senggigi as our base, which was not too far from the main attractions and the starting point to go to the Gili Islands. 

We got settled quickly in our ocean view chalet with outdoor bath that the kids loved so much.

You can rent a car if you’re okay with driving on the left side of the road. We weren’t too sure about driving on the opposite side of what we’re used to, so we opted a chauffeured car service. Metered taxis are widely available, and your hotel should be able to get one for you.

The most ideal period to visit Lombok is between April and September which is the dry season in Indonesia when you can expect mostly clear blue sky. October to March is known as the rainy season with higher humidity. However, during our stay in November we only had one rain during one afternoon (my kids absolutely love warm tropical rains) and we had mostly sunny days perfect for a swim in the ocean.

What we did in Lombok that our kids loved:

Learning how to surf. There are many surf schools along the coast of Senggingi which offer surfing lessons for young children. Some offer a whole package of service including transport from/to your hotel, lunch and photography package. We had lessons with Nemo surfing school. The waves in our part of Senggigi were smaller and ideal for beginners, the sand soft and golden. Like everything in Indonesia, feel free to haggle the price offered. After two afternoon of lessons, our children were able to catch good waves by themselves, got up on their board and surfed the waves to the shore. 

Our 6-year-old on the surf board

Island hopping to the Gilis. A daytrip to the Gilis is a good alternative if you prefer not to stay overnight on the small islands. You can easily go to all three Gili islands: Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan from Bangsal port, which is quite close from Senggigi. For the cheapest option, you can take public ferry boats to the Gilis (cost less than 1 euro), take the fast boat or hire a private boat, which was what we did for 30 euros/boat for up to 8 persons, one way. All three Gilis have dreamy sand beaches and free of motorised vehicle. Gili Trawangan is a hip island with lively nightlife with diverse dining options. Gili Meno is usually favoured by couples for romantic getaway with no nightlife, known as heaven for honeymooners. Gili Air is something in between of the two extremes, with some laid back bar scene. If you hire a private boat, you can choose which islands you'd like to visit. We spent a whole morning in Gili Air, swimming and snorkeling in its crystal clear water, had lunch at a local restaurant and hopped to Gili Meno for the rest of the afternoon.

The waters around Gili Meno

Eating fresh and delicious tropical fruits. Since this was not our kids’ first time to be in Indonesia, they were familiar to its local cuisine and produce. However I think it was the first time our younger child (now 6-year-old) could fully enjoy and remember everything, considering she was only 2-year-old the last time we were in Indonesia. Salak, also known as snake fruit, is our kids' absolute favourite. They are crunchy, tart and sweet, and were everyday breakfast for us. Rambutan, the red hairy juicy fruit was another favourite. As for coconuts, fresh coconut water from the young fruits was our daily beverage. Explore the traditional markets and try all the fruits! The kids also enjoyed locally produced mangoes, dragon fruits and fresh lychees. 

Explore the waterfalls. Lombok is waterfalls heaven, due to its volcanic landscape and steep nature. There are hundreds of waterfalls to explore on the island, but the most famous one is Sendang Gile, a two-tiered 30-meter high waterfall, 2,5-hour drive from Senggigi. It can be easily reached and the hike is not too difficult for the kids. 

What we skipped to do, but you can definitely do if you have the time:

Hiking Mount Rinjani. Lombok is home to Indonesia's second highest active volcano Mount Rinjani (3,726 m). The starting point to hike the mountain is a village called Senaru, where Sendang Gile waterfall is located. The hike to the summit usually lasts 2-3 days on well-maintained but challenging paths. Most trekkers opt for a hike to the mountain's crater which sits at 2,639 m and requires 2-day hikes at moderately challenging level.

Visiting the Pink Beach. We were very sorry that we didn't get to visit the majestic Pink Beach, but since it was 3-hour drive one way from Senggigi, we just couldn't fit it to our 4-day schedule. Lombok is surrounded by beautiful white sandy beach, but Pink Beach is the only one that has a pink hue from the coral pieces and shells in this area.

Lanzarote with kids: 4-day itinerary

Spring in Belgium this year turned to be the season of heavy rains and cloudy days, so we decided to take a long weekend break and go a little further south for some sun and sea. We had never been to Canary islands and when I found a direct and cheap flight to Lanzarote from Brussels, it was a done deal. The short four-day vacation on the first week of June was a long needed getaway for our family, a little break from work and school. Weather was ideal, high of 26 degrees Celsius during the days, not too hot, but warm enough that we drove in a rented convertible on the island. Most importantly, the ocean was warm enough to swim in.

Choose your base town. Teguise is a popular old town, close enough from the airport in Arrecife, and close enough to the main attractions on the island. Puerto del Carmen is another popular base town for tourists. We chose Playa Blanca on the far south of the island as our base and chose a hotel at Flamingo Beach with its calm waters ideal for the family with kids.

Rent a car. Taxis are easy too find, but car rentals are practical and cheap in Lanzarote. Roads are good and parking is easy everywhere you go. We picked up our car as we land at the airport, got an upgrade for a four-seat convertible (the kids were obsessed!) and returned it back to the airport at the end of our stay. Just make sure to get a full insurance and proper child seats or boosters.

Day 1: Volcanic trail and Cesar Manrique experience

Jardin de Cactus. On the northeast part of the island, we started early at the Cactus garden because I wanted us to have brunch here. The garden is the last great work of artist and nature activist Cesar Manrique in Lanzarote, with 4,500 specimens of cactus from five continents. He transformed an old landfill to become one of the most important cactus garden in the world. The restaurant offers cactus delicacies for brunch and lunch! Buy tickets in advance here.

Jameos del Agua. Cesar Manrique transformed and enhanced a natural volcanic lava tube, which now includes a natural auditorium inside a volcanic tube. You can even catch a concert here if you're lucky. We got a combi ticket to visit the newly opened Casa de los volcanes, a high-tech and interactive museum that honours the power of volcanoes and studies Lanzarote's volcanic tube, including with VR technology. The kids loved it! Buy tickets in advance here.

Inside Jameos del Agua, a clear lagoon with little blind crabs

Cueva de los Verdes. Just across the street from Jameos del Agua, this cave is 8 kilometers long, formed by tunnels, nooks and crannies with fascinating vaults and interior lagoons. Just like Jameos del Agua, this cave is also part of the volcanic tube generated after the eruption of La Corona volcano 4,000 years ago. Buy tickets in advance here.

Mirador del Rio. Just 15 minutes drive from the previous sites, this viewpoint stands 500 meters above a cliff, offers a spectacular view of La Graciosa island. This viewpoint is also an architectural work of Cesar Manrique, equipped with his sculptures inside and outside of the building. If the kids get hungry, the cafe offers some snacks, both savory and sweet. Buy tickets in advance here.

The view to the archipelago from Mirador del Rio

Day 2: Otherworldly beauty

Charco de los Clicos. Moving to the southwest part of the island, within the protected Natural park Los volcanes, this is a bright emerald green lagoon on volcanic crater by the Atlantic ocean. The lake gets its bright green colour from a combination of a special type of algae and sulfur, then provides a striking beauty of contrast of the colours of the lagoon, black sand and the blue sky and ocean.

Charco de los Clicos at El Golfo

Timanfaya National Park. The absence of vegetation, extreme ruggedness of the terrain, variety of colours, this park is just out-of-this-world beautiful. The entrance fee includes parking, geothermal demonstrations where you can feel hot volcanic stones, see fire come up from the ground and see hot water geyser spurting. It also includes the bus tour. You can also go for a ride on a camel. Buy tickets in advance here.

El Golfo. It's a little seaside village, home to rustic fish restaurants for an authentic lunch of local seafood after the hike at the Park.

The viewpoint from El Golfo

Day 3: The most beautiful beaches in Lanzarote

Papagayo beaches. Not to be confused, there are actually six beaches at Papagayo, one of which is the Papagayo beach itself (the others are Mujeres, Pozo, Cera, Caleta del Congrio and Puerto Muelas beaches). All of them have amazing white sand and clear blue water, but Papagayo beach took our breath away. It is sheltered from the wind by tall natural cliff. The beaches are in a protected area, so no roads were built. As you leave the main street to enter Papagayo, you have to drive on dirt road for about 2 kilometers. Don't worry about this off-road route, just drive very slowly. My kids said it was like we're driving on Mars.

Papagayo beach

Pozo Beach

Day 4: Other things to visit

Lanzarote aquarium. It is something you can skip if you want, but my kids saw the ad for the aquarium as soon as we landed at the airport and we knew we couldn't have left the island without taking them to the aquarium. It is small and cute, with a short tunnel of bigger tanks above the passages. Buy tickets in advance here.

Cesar Manrique Foundation. After mentioning his name so many times in above, and his huge influence on the tourism development of the island, I thought it would be great to actually learn about the life and work of this artist.

Surfing at Famara Beach. The beach claims to have the best waves of your life. We skipped surfing this time (my kids actually learned to surf in Indonesia in November last year), but Famara beach offers eight surfing spots if it's your thing.

Daytrip to another island. You can hop to Fuerteventura easily from Playa Blanca in Lanzarote. The ferry boat runs several times a day and only takes 30 minutes to get to the other island. Alternatively, you can also hop to La Graciosa from Orzola in Lanzarote. The ferry boat ride takes 25 minutes one way, and runs several times a day, too. We didn't go to another island this time, because we want to plan another trip to explore the whole island of Fuerteventura next year.