Surf Travel with Kids No.2: Lombok, Indo.

thewhale
May 8, 2016
4 min read

Bali has long been the Indonesian island of choice and quite rightly so; it's paradise. Despite the hordes of people that flock to Bali to enjoy it's unique culture and epic waves, Bali retains its charm. But if you are prepared to venture a little further south-east in the Indonesian archipelago you will soon realise that there are other jewels to be discovered, and Lombok is first in line, just after the Gili Islands.

Left - Right: Kids making pots; the view from Ashtari; Bombora Bungalows; Mount Rinjani from Gili Meno; Surf Shop Kuta, Lombok; Mawun Beach.

Lombok has many guises and if you are looking for more of Bali with fewer people, then head to the developed west coast, which serves up some lovely boutique hotels (such as Qunci Villas) at Senggigi and Mangsit, but if you are looking for surf and an old school backpacker vibe then you need to head south to Kuta. Kuta on Lombok acts as the centre of the Lombok surf scene, and it is also a nice little sleepy backpacker haunt too. Amongst all of the basic places to stay are some more family friendly places such as Bombora Bungalows, which is a cluster of newish thatched huts situated around a pool; they also have a family room. Once you have sorted out your inexpensive accommodation in Kuta you can then start to explore the area, it's surf potential and it's easy going vibe.

One of the main issues of surfing with younger kids in Indo is that many of the breaks are simply too gnarly; shallow reefs and heavy crowds are a problem for those still cutting their teeth. Lombok does have the same issue to some extent, but there are one or two spots that you can go as a family and a few you can go to on your own for a dawny before mum or dad duties kick in. If your kids are old enough, you can stick them on the back of a moped and access quite a few surf breaks in the area, or you could rent a car, drive it yourself or get a driver for the day. The following surfing breaks are easily accessible from Kuta and are reasonably friendly in terms of surf: Gerupuk (pick up a boat from at the end of the road from Kuta), Ekas (a little distance away, but worth it), Selong Belanok (beginners beach break, with board rental, parking and shops selling food). Mawun (a beautiful beach to chill out on with some shade and some waves). Check out this link for more details: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuta_(Lombok)

If it's flat there is plenty to do that will give your kids an awesome Indonesian experience and the locals are super friendly, especially when you have your little ones with you. Check out some of the pottery villages, such as Penujak and the Sasak villages, such as Sade. While the Sasak village is a popular tourist attraction; the weavers, sitting in their backstrap looms, will happily let your kids have a go, which is a really cool cultural experience. In the pottery villages there is little in the way of tourist pottery, but if you go and peruse some pots in one of the traditional potters shops/houses they will happily teach your kids to throw a pot - Sasak style. Also, if you are staying on the West Coast and you have not come via the Gili Islands you can pick up a local boat for the day to take the family up to the Gilis. You could snorkel Turtle Heaven off Gili Meno and then head to Gili Air for some lunch. Further afield you can head up north to Mount Rinjani, and which kid doesn't love a volcano?

Food wise there are some great little eateries along the the main drag in Kuta, but on the outskirts of either side of town thewhale found some great little spots that were super family friendly. There is the charming Drop In cafe, a German/Swiss place that serves up traditional Alpine food on the road to Gerupuk; the three female surfer owners have decked it out beautifully and the vibe is chilled with a grassy lawn out front; it is soon set to offer surf camp and lodging options too. On the other side of town half way up the big hill that leads onto Mawun beach and past cottage industry style gold mines (yes gold mines!) there is a really chic vegetarian place called Ashtari with commanding views of the Kuta area. You can sit in or out on super comfy sofa seats admiring the view for hours.

The surfers in the area are also pretty chilled, always up for a conversation about some gnarly reef they have just surfed and a scar or two to show you! The crew here are from all age groups, but many that thewhale met were 20-45 years old, so there was definitely a more mature approach to life with people heading here away from the crowds and into something that resembles the backpacker vibe that they probably experienced in their teens. The clientele in the area, the fact that Lombok is Muslim, as well as the lack of serious electricity, keeps the nightlife pretty chilled too and there is very little noise from bars beyond about 10pm, which is great for families.

If you are a very experienced surfer and need to get away from the intensity of the ankle bitters then don't forget that Lombok has its own version of Pipeline at Desert Point (Bangko Bangko).