Travel guide Senggigi, Lombok; everything you need to know
Senggigi is one of the tourist hubs of Lombok, but is still fairly untouched and developed. It is a place with a range of accommodation options, restaurants, cafés, and beaches, but there is not much to do, and so it is a perfect place to unwind. This travel guide Senggigi will tell you everything you need to know!
What about Senggigi?
Senggigi is one of the main tourist hubs of Lombok, Indonesia, but a tourist hub in Lombok is much different to a tourist hub in Bali. In Senggigi it’s still quiet on the streets and you have the possibility to unwind, while in Bali, you are never alone and are always surrounded by tourists.
Senggigi is a great place to explore the surrounding areas. It’s often used as a base from where you drive to the most beautiful beaches or to Lombok’s capital Mataram. The town is located at the west coast of Lombok, and spans around 10-kilometer coastal road. You will see the most beautiful cliffs and views and in the late afternoon, you can enjoy one of the best sunsets of your life and see the sun sink next to Bali’s highest volcano; mount Agung.
Tip: take the road up the hill of Senggigi and get rewarded with an even more amazing view.
How to get to Senggigi?
By plane
Located at the west coast of Lombok, it will take you around 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach Senggigi from the new International Airport on Lombok.
By speedboat or public ferry
If you’re traveling from Bali to Lombok, you first have to travel to the Padang Bai in Bali. From here, you can take a ferry or speedboat to the Bangsal Harbour in Lombok. This ride will take approximately 2.5 hours and will costs about IDR 500.000 (about € 31,00) for an open return ticket or around IDR 225.000 for a one-way ticket.
Tip: you can go to the roof of the speedboat. This is an amazing place to enjoy the landscapes while enjoying a fresh breeze.
When you arrive at Bangsal Harbour, it will take you about 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach Senggigi. This is possible by taxi or public driver. While I was traveling by speedboat from Bali to Lombok, one of the guides asked if I already had transportation to my destination. Together with some other travelers I shared a car with a private driver to Senggigi. Together with three other travelers, we paid IDR 200.000 (€ 12,50), so around IDR 50.000 (€ 3,00 each).
You can also take a public ferry from Bali to Lombok. This one departs from Padang Bai Harbor to Lembar Harbor every hour. Crossing by ferry will take about 4 to 5 hours, but is cheap and fairly comfortable.
Transportation Tip
I always use 12GoAsia when traveling in other countries. With just a few taps, you can easily book a ride ensuring a seamless and budget-friendly travel experience. Most of the time, you will receive a digital transportation ticket, so you don’t have to worry about printing.
What to do in Senggigi?
Senggigi has a range of accommodation options, restaurants, cafés, and beaches, but less activities you can do. Here I will mention 6 things to do in Senggigi:
Visit Pura Batu Bolong
South of Senggigi, you can find the small Hindu temple ‘Pura Batu Bolong‘. The temple is located at a cliff and is free to visit. Make sure to bring a sarong to cover your legs. This place is also an amazing spot to see the sunset.
Relax at Senggigi Beach
Down at the centre of Senggigi, you can find a small sand beach. The beach itself is not that spectacular, but good to visit for an afternoon and to relax. Since it is small, and there are quite some locals in the afternoon, I did not feel comfortable to sunbath in my bikini. I would only recommend Senggigi beach to unwind, rather than to sunbath and swim.
Watch the sunset
In the late afternoon, you can visit Senggigi beach and enjoy one of the best sunsets of your life and see the sun sink next to Bali’s highest volcano; Mount Agung. It is also nice to take the road up the hill of Senggigi, and get rewarded with an even more amazing view and sunset.
Take a day trip from Senggigi to Gili Nanggu, Gili Tangkong, Gili Kedis, and Gili Sudak
When most of the people hear about the Gili islands in Indonesia, they probably think of the 3 famous Gili islands Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air in the northwest of Lombok. But did you know that there are many more Gili islands that are even more pretty and beautiful?
A day trip to Gili Nanggu is like being transported to a completely different world, or at least a different Indonesia! No traffic, no crowds, and no vendors, but just unexploited nature and plenty of tropical fish. I recently visited Gili Nanggu, Gili Tangkong, Gili Kedis, and Gili Sudak.
Visit Kerangdangan beach
More up north of Senggigi, you can find Kerangdangan beach. This beach is popular among locals that go for a swim and some beach food like sate. At this beach, you can also find some nice western restaurants where you can get some lunch or drinks.
Take a day trip from Senggigi to Mataram and Ampenan
Senggigi is a good base to see the rest of Lombok. Visiting Lombok’s capital Mataram is one of the interesting possibilities. The capital is only a 30 minutes ride from Senggigi and offers many interesting cultural sites.
Other activities around Senggigi:
Where to party at Senggigi?
Senggigi’s nightlife is not so special. The tourist hub is still quiet in comparison with the Northern Gili islands or Bali. There are some bars and little cafés, but not so much people. The Friday and Saturday nights might be a bit busier, because youth from Mataram are visiting. Some good cafés and bars in Senggigi are:
- Happy café: this café is located at the main street of Senggigi. During the day open for lunch and dinner, and in the night for some drinks. With live music, it is a good place to start your evening.
- The Beach club: located at the beach, this place is nice to enjoy some drinks or cocktails, while enjoying the sunsets.
- Sahara Club, Karaoke & Pizza House: a fun karaoke bar and dance bar in Senggigi.
Where to eat in Senggigi?
There are also plenty of places to eat in Senggigi, ranging from Western-focused eateries to Indonesian warungs. Unfortunately, I only stayed around three days in Senggigi, and didn’t had the chance to try so many places, but these are some good places I can recommend to eat at in Senggigi:
- Street barbecue: a popular evening meal is some barbecued corn beside Pura Batu Bolong. Here you will find plenty of small market stands selling delicious local food ranging from corn to sate.
- Coco beach restaurant: this place is worth a visit. Located at the beach, the restaurant offers the best seafood in the area and many vegetarian options also.
- Warung Buana: little warung that bakes delicious fresh and cheap pizzas!
- Cafe Coco Loco Bar & Restaurant: great place to eat seafood as well! Bit cheaper than Coco Beach, and also a great variety of choice!
Where to stay in Senggigi?
There are quite some accommodation options in Senggigi. You can choose an affordable homestay, fancy hotel, Airbnb, or hostel. Below you can find the most recommended accommodations in Senggigi:
Senggigi Budget accommodation:
It’s hard to find a hostel in Senggigi, but don’t worry, there are plenty of cheap private rooms to be found!
Sammy Cottage Senggigi has spacious rooms and above all, very cheap rooms! The kind host provides breakfast, can help you with renting a scooter or even pick you up from the airport. I can really recommend this place!
Another great and affordable place in Senggigi is Indah Homestay. This place is great if you like quiet and peaceful places. There’s a cute garden, the rooms are spacious, the showers were great and the host can help you with renting a scooter.
Mid-range accommodation:
Zerosix Villa in Senggigi is a beautiful 4-bedroom Airbnb villa with an amazing pool managed by a couple from Australia and Indonesia. It’s located up the hill of Senggigi. I stayed in the ‘Cottage C’ with a queen size bed. This room was spacious, had a queen size bed, air-conditioning, WiFi and a private bathroom with hot shower.
Other great mid-range places to stay at are Cozy Cottages Lombok and Mama Bella’s Retreat. These hotels are located directly at the beach.
Luxury accommodation:
If you like to stay at something fancy and luxurious, have a look at the Katamaran Hotel & Resort or The Chandi Boutique Resort & Spa. These places offer beautiful private rooms or villas with amazing views and some come with a private pool. Both resorts are located directly at the beach and offer a delicious breakfast. Who doesn’t want to spend the night here? Perhaps nice as a birthday gift or something? I mean it’s not that expensive to stay here and look what you get! Amazing!
Other tips for visiting Senggigi
- Senggigi enjoys a lot of domestic tourism, especially on Sundays. Be prepared for busy roads and lots of locals who are enjoying the beach.
- If you like to rent a scooter, you can rent one at Exo Rentals. They have a good service, friendly employees, and you can bargain about the price. A scooter costs around 50,000 IDR a day (not including fuel) and gives you access to plenty of beaches, towns and other spots just waiting to be explored. This post, will tell you everything you need to know about driving scooter in Indonesia. Where to rent a scooter? For what price? Are there traffic rules? What to do if a police officer stops you?
- Have a small talk with the vendors on the beach. They are often very friendly and like to practice their English.
Budget Tip
Traveling to a country with a different currency? Avoid ATM transaction fees and pay in local currency with a Wise Visa Card or Revolut Maestro Card. I have been using these cards for several years and have saved a lot of money as a result. I recommend bringing both bank cards with you when you travel.
Author: Daphne
This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.
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