In contrast to the western part of Lombok which is more famous and has popular tourist attractions, the East Lombok is a true picture of the unexplored beauty of Indonesia.
The west tends to be more popular due to the Gili trio being close to Bali. Plus Mataram, the island's capital, is located in that part. Yet, as you will soon discover, East Lombok is no less attractive thanks to its beauty.
Unique phenomena in East Lombok
East Lombok features some very unique attractions. When you venture to this side of Lombok, you shouldn’t miss these special phenomena.
The most secret gili, Gili Pasir.
Gili means small island in the local language, but Gili Pasir is really very small. When the tide goes down and the water recedes, you can see the sand dyke emerging to the surface. Afterwards the tide will rise and this island will sink again.
The word 'pasir' in the name means sand. This is not very strange as the island actually only contains the aforementioned sand. A very interesting gili to visit!
Pink Beach
The pink sand phenomenon on this beach gets its unique sand colour because of the red coral and shell fragments mixed with the white sand. Because of this, the pink sand is a phenomenon that has its best times.
But if you visit under the wrong circumstances it will be more difficult to see the pink hue. We recommend going at low tide, that’s when the pink colour becomes more visible.
Cave with an ancient touch
There is a unique cave that you must visit if you come to the Pink Beach area. That is the Goa Raksasa Tanjung Ringgit. If you know that ‘Raksasa’ means giant, you will see the fitting size of this cave.
The cave goes all the way down to the sea where there is a tidal pool as a special attraction. Sometimes you can list yourself for a cave dive here.
But not all beauty is underwater. In the cave area you can also see an ancient cannon from the Japanese - Dutch colonial era. And not just cannons, you can also find 7 man-made and restored natural caves that were used as war caves.
Lastly, there are several cannons that appear to be sculptures, even though they were actually used as real cannons.
Wallace Line
Wallace Line is an imaginary line showing the regional distribution of Asiatic and Australian fauna in the world. Lombok is one of the islands in Indonesia which is located between the Wallace line. That's why Lombok's fauna tends to be in the transition group.
So, diving in Lombok is something you must do. Especially in East Lombok which is still very rarely touched. The mainstay spots are Gili Kondo, Gili Bidara, Gili Lawang, Gili Kapal, and Gili Petagan.
The special side of Lombok
These are some of the unique phenomena that you will find in East Lombok. And while the west part of Lombok has Mataram, East Lombok has Selong, and Labuhan Lombok. They can't be compared with infrastructure, but both are beautiful.
Not far from Labuhan Lombok, there is the port of Kayangan, and for those of you who want to explore further, there is the Ferry to Sumbawa. Another magical island of Indonesia. A single trip costs only IDR 18,800 (USD 1.2 | AUD 1.9 | EUR 1.1).
You also have the option to take a fast boat there. The journey takes 1.5 hours, with the tickets costing between IDR 175,000 and IDR 220,000 (USD 11-14 | AUD 17.5-22 | EUR 10-13). Tickets can be bought through an agent, like your boutique hotel, or you can buy them directly at the port.
Actually, you can travel to East Lombok in a one day trip. For example, if you stay at the Amazing Lombok Resort, you can go there in 2 hours by motorbike. So you can still explore the natural beauty of East Lombok, but still stay in a comfortable resort.
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Last updated on: 21 May 2026