An honest guide to Kuta, Lombok

Kuta is a small village located in the south of Lombok. It attracts many surfers, yogis and backpackers looking for a peaceful getaway. The island is full of pristine beaches. These beaches are very accessible and easy to get to from Kuta.

 

What to expect from Lombok?

Lombok is much quieter than Bali. It has a much more relaxed vibe and isn’t considered a party destination. The island offers a more authentic Indonesian experience. You can truly experience the charm of rural Indonesia. Nevertheless, the village has lots of great restaurants serving all types of food (Indonesian or international). It also has many bars with live music and a friendly, chilled crowd.

The bulk of the crowd coming to Kuta consists of easy-going travellers and surfers. They are attracted by the still untouched raw beauty of South Lombok.

This honest guide to Kuta Lombok, will give you a good idea of whether Lombok is the place for you.

 

When is the best time to go to Lombok?

In short, all-year-round. The high season months in Lombok are June, July and August.

The dry season is very sunny, but temperatures are very manageable due to the cool breeze that blows throughout the day. This season is in fact quite similar to a European summer. The dry season starts in May and finishes in September.

Lombok’s wet season starts in September and finishes in May. It is much drier than Bali’s wet season and it doesn’t rain so much in Kuta. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy plenty of sunny days. The temperatures are higher than in the dry season. Due to the higher humidity. The wet season is when Lombok is in full bloom, with lush greenery all around. In addition to that, this is the perfect season for surfing. In short, there’s warm water, no winds and glassy conditions – every surfer’s dream. Many surf breaks, such as Are Guling or Seger awaken during the wet season. Surprisingly, there are no crowds on the waves even though it is the best time for surfing in Lombok. Oops, we may have given away a secret.

 

Things to do in Kuta, Lombok

There are just enough bars and restaurants in Kuta to keep you happy and the number is continuously growing. For such a small place, you’d be amazed at how many great food options there are. We do have our top favourites, though.

Restaurants

The Patio – Aur absolute favourite. They offer fantastic tapas-sized dishes (beef tataki, croquetas, clams and many more). They have home-made pasta and delicious daily specials. The Patio is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. During lunch, you can also choose healthy options from their salad bar.

Markisa (in Rawa Hotel)  –  Another culinary treasure open for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It has a cosy rooftop space and bar area. Seafood, meat and pasta dishes.

Bush Radio – Great for a morning smoothie or lunch bowl. Many vegetarian options and great coffee.

The Mexican In Town Serves amazing Mexican food. Fantastic nachos and Baja fish tacos, and for vegetarians – jackfruit burrito.

Bus Bar – Best pizza in town from 6 pm. with Delivery available.

KRNK – Great gastropub type of food. Good pizza and amazing burgers. Always full and vibrant.

 

Bars

Milk – Lively atmosphere and live music several times a week just on the main street of Kuta.

Bus Bar – DJ and drinks after 6 pm every Wednesday and Saturday

Surfers Bar – Party by the beach every Friday. Expect old-school hip-hop and old-time favourites.

 

Beaches

There are many stunning beaches around Kuta, perfect for a lazy day on the beach or sunset watching. Here are some of our favourites

Discover our favourite surfing beaches here

Selong Belanak

Beautiful long white sand beach 30-minutes away from Kuta. There are many warungs (local food outlets) along the beach so you can easily spend the whole day there. It’s also a perfect beach for beginner surfers.

Seger

Seger Beach is just 10 minutes away from Xanadu and is a perfect place to watch the sunset from one of the hills just right next to the beach. There is a couple of chilled bars with bean bags and sometimes you may see locals dancing with fire.

Tanjung Aan

Stunning long white-sand beach only 15-minutes away from Kuta. There you will find many local restaurants (warungs) with sunbeds and bean bags. Great for swimming, SUP and surfing. Our favourite place there are Warung Dede, Warung Turtle and the Pink Swing.

Mawi

A little more difficult drive – it takes around 30-minutes to get there, but totally worth the hassle. Small beach cove surrounded by hills and very quiet. A break for more advanced surfers.