Lombok is an Indonesian island located near Bali that is poised for increased tourism due to the opening of a new international airport. The airport will be able to handle larger aircraft and more passengers annually, replacing the smaller existing airport. This, along with government promotion of Lombok as a tourism destination, aims to attract 1 million visitors within two years. Lombok offers natural beauty with pristine beaches, rainforests, volcanoes, and world-class diving and surfing. Tourism development is growing along the west coast and new upscale resorts and hotels are being built in various areas of the island. The new airport is expected to boost tourism to Lombok significantly.

1. Wednesday, October 12, 2011
DIRECTORY
Long overshadowed by its world-famous
neighbour Bali, relatively undiscovered
Lombok is primed for take-off as
Indonesia’s second tourism destination.
This comes with the launch on October1
of the new Lombok international airport,
Bandara International Lombok (BIL).
Along with a “Visit Lombok and
Sumbawa 2012” promotion, BIL is a
direct move by the Indonesian
government to boost Lombok’s tourism,
aiming for1million visitors within two
years for Lombok and an eastern island,
Sumbawa.
Impressive BIL will be able to handle
larger aircraft – such as the Boeing 747
and Airbus 320 – and up to 3 million
passengers annually, replacing smaller
Selaparang Airport, which handled
mainly domestic flights. Budget carrier
Air Asia will start flights early next year
and more international airlines are
expected to follow.
Just 35km to Bali’s east, Lombok
offers a more natural, untamed beauty,
uncrowded with traffic-free roads and
unhurried pace, home to the indigenous
Muslim Sasaks. The island’s pristine
white sand beaches, turquoise
transparent seas, tropical virgin
rainforests and mystical volcanoes
constitute a natural playground for
activities such as jungle trekking, world-
class surfing and diving at some of
Indonesia’s finest reefs. A short
speedboat ride from Lombok’s
northwest are the Gili Meno, Gili Air and
Gili Trawangan– three coral-fringed,
dazzlingly beautiful islands, long-
popular for diving.
Lombok’s main tourism development
is along the lush west coastline,
particularly around Senggigi, with long-
established luxury resorts such as Hotel
Tugu Lombok and Oberoi Lombok.
Recent increased tourism development
has seen a rise in international-standard
accommodation, especially chic
boutique resorts and pool villa
complexes. On the west coast this
includes Lombok Lodge and Jeeva Klui
Resort, and on the Gilis, themselves
experiencing a sharp up-rise in upscale
development, Hotel Ombak Sunset on
“party island” Gili Trawangan and the
first hip, luxury resort for idyllic Gili
Meno – Mahamaya.
This new trend is also spreading out
to the mainland’s awakening new areas.
Huge expanses of Lombok’s shores and
beaches are deserted and “undis-
covered”, such as the spectacular,
remote southwest but, even here,
swanky new resorts are springing-up,
such as Cocotinos Sekotong. Lombok’s
southern shores boast some of
Indonesia’s most pristine coastal scenery
and Southeast Asia’s best surfing.
With BIL opening just19kmaway, the
south and tourist centre, Kuta, is
earmarked for luxury hotels. At present,
the sole upmarket resort is Novotel
Lombok, relaunched with a multimillion
dollar refurbishment, but more hotels
are expected to open soon.
Primed for take-off
Lombok hopes
new airport will
boost tourism
Lombok’s main
tourism
development is
along the west
coastline, with
long-established
luxury resorts
such as Oberoi
Lombok.