Tugu Lombok was the last place we visited on our trip to Asia and it is the last one we’re going to tell you about – at least when it comes to hotels that you should put on your ‘to do’ list. A magnificent place that looked too perfect to be true – I won’t lie if I tell you that it was the most beautiful hotel we have ever visited. A perfect combination of well thought of interior design, beautiful surroundings and an almost deserted, heavenly beach.
Let’s start with Lombok – an island located between Bali and Sumbawa, very close to Gili Archipelago, where we planned to go at that point. It’s not as popular as Bali, but there’s still plenty of magical resorts and beautiful and perfectly white beaches (but like on Bali, not everywhere!). On Lombok, you will also find Mount Rinjani – third biggest volcano in Indonesia – however, we decided to chill out this time.
We take the ferry from Bali to Lombok. It’s quite a trip! First we need to drive around 50 km to Padangbai from which the ferries to Lombok are leaving. Then a really long ferry trip and and another 50 km from Lembar bay to the hotel located by Sire Beach. If you’re travelling by car, you have to take the national ferry which should THEORETICALLY get you there in 4 hours. In reality it’s 5.5 – 6 since you will spend 1.5 hours in the bay waiting for the entry into port. How stupid is that? I don’t know why the declare that it only takes 4 hours! The ship is far from luxurious even though the trip costs us PLN 300 (including the car) :/. Just sweets and instant soups to eat available onboard. You can also buy something from the sellers flooding the ferry while still on Bali – feeling a bit uneasy we buy nasi campur – rice with some vegetables wrapped in gray paper. Turns out to be really tasty! Bu the trip is still long, boring and tiring. We’re so happy when we finally drive off the local road and arrive in Tugu Lombok! First thing we hear is ‘Welcome home Mr Smoliński’ and even though it’s already 11 pm, we find freshly made sandwiches in our little hut. A++ client service! Also, it looks stunning in the evening!
In our hut we find a huge canopy bed, a small bed for Maks, amazing bathroom with the shower and bathtub outside and a tiny swimming pool in the garden. Just perfect – Maks doesn’t even have to leave the pool! I can’t wait for the morning to see how the beach and the surroundings seen from the hut look in daylight. I also can’t wait to see Maks’ reaction as he has fallen asleep in the car and has no clue where we ended up!
The morning on Lombok is one of the most beautiful moments of the whole trip I open the doors to the garden and see little feet running towards the swimming pool. So much joy! We run to the beach through the lawn to dip our feet in the warm water. It’s perfect. White sand, turquoise water, almost nobody around. Some folding beds and back couches on the beach – just lie down with a book, read and relax in such a magical place.
I guess the first breakfast we had in Tugu Lombok was the most delightful moment – we had it on the beach ad got a charming card ‘Mr and Ms Smoliński have a tasty breakfast!’. It was the most beautiful breakfast of our lives, eaten in the most beautiful place. In Tugu, you can have the meals pretty much everywhere, so despite two really nice restaurants on site, we often ordered food to our garden or to the beach. But still, nothing could beat the first breakfast!
We spent our time in Tugu Lombok doing absolutely nothing. It was also the best time for Maks who could spend whole day running between the beach and the pool, digging in the sand, taking a bath, picking stones and mussels and eating his favourite pizza or pasta for lunch, washing it down with a freshly squeezed orange juice. We took some rest after a long trip, traffic jam and many hours spent in the car, mainly during our trip through Java.
Even though we spent most of our stay in out hut and on the beach, Tugu Lombok surroundings are amazing as well, a little bit similar to other Tugu spots with plenty of works of art and incredible Indonesian sculptures. Maks loved them!
Tugu Lombok is a perfect place to take some rest from everything. No crowds of tourists, no resorts nearby and no souvenir shops. The hotel is located right by the beach and you have to drive through tiny villages and fields in order to reach it. That makes it look even more magical! A perfect place to go snorkelling on Gili. And to forget about the rest of the world!
We spent a few amazing days there right after our engagement – write down the name with a SPECIAL OCCASIONS note next to it 🙂
You will find all the practical information on hotel’s website. You can also book a room via Booking.com.
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