Getting There

By Air

Selaparang Airport (sometimes called Mataram Airport) is located slightly north and between the cities of Ampenan and Mataram. The airport handles domestic flights, as well as international flights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Airline offices on Lombok are in Mataram: Batavia Air, Jl. Pejanggik; Garuda Indonesia, Jl. Panca Usaha 11 (tel. 0370/638259); Indonesia Air Transport (IAT), Jl. Adi Sucipto; Lion Air, Jl. Sriwijaya 81 (tel. 0370/629111); and Silk Air, Jl. Panca Usaha 11 (tel. 0370/628254). In Cakranegara, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Jl. Pejanggik 69 (tel. 0370/636745).

From Bali -- Lombok is only 25 minutes by air from Bali. Payment online is difficult; buy tickets direct from the airline counters at the domestic airports or through local travel agents in both Bali and Lombok. Many seats cannot be held for longer than a few hours so make sure you have time to spare. An alternative to booking direct is to get your hotel or tour operator to book transfers for you; the costs involved are not much more than the flight tickets.

Bali to Lombok airfares are approximately Rp385,000 to Rp450,000, depending on the season. A Domestic Departure Tax of Rp30,000 from Denpasar and Rp20,000 from Mataram is applicable to all travelers and is paid when you check in to your flight.

Garuda Airlines (tel. 08/041807807, at the Bali airport tel. 0370/646846; www.garuda-indonesia.com) flies a comfortable 737 jet every evening to facilitate international arrivals and departures.

Merpati Airlines (on Lombok tel. 0370/621111, at the Lombok airport tel. 0370/33637, on Bali tel. 0361/235358; www.merpati.co.id) flies direct daily.

Indonesia Air (on Lombok tel. 0370/668-0210 or 0370/639589, on Bali tel. 0361/759768 or 0361/740-6929; www.iat.co.id) has two flights daily.

Trans Nusa Air (on Lombok tel. 0370/616-2428 or 0370/616433, on Bali tel. 0361/760218; www.transnusa.co.id) and Trigana Air (on Lombok tel. 0370/646839, on Bali tel. 0361/760218; www.trigana-air.com) operates three flights daily.

From Elsewhere in Indonesia -- Daily direct flights from Jakarta to Lombok are usually timed to connect with European flights. Lombok is easily accessible from Jakarta, Bali, Jogyakarta, and Surabaya and is an important connection for travel to the eastern islands, in particular Sumbawa, Komodo, and Flores.

Garuda Indonesia has direct flights between Lombok and Jakarta twice daily. Lion Air (tel. 0370/663444; www.lionair.co.id) has daily flights between Lombok, Jakarta, and Surabaya. Merpati Airlines has flights between Lombok, Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Sumbawa, Flores, Kupang, and many other Indonesian destinations. Trans Nusa Air (tel. 0370/616428 or 0370/616433; www.transnusa.co.id) flies between Lombok and Sumbawa four times a week. Batavia Air (tel. 0370/648998; www.batavia-air.co.id) has daily flights between Lombok, Surabaya, and Jakarta.

From Outside Indonesia -- Selaparang Airport in Lombok currently handles international arrivals and has efficient and fast visa processing. Silk Air (a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines; tel. 0370/62825, 0370/628254, 0370/628256; www.silkair.com) flies direct between Lombok and Singapore, three times a week. Merpati Airlines has daily flights between Lombok and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with a short stopover in Surabaya.

Lombok's New International Airport -- Central Lombok is the location of the new Lombok International Airport currently under construction and due to open in late 2010.

The airport will be located on approximately 539 hectares (1,331 acres) of open land in Tanak Awu, around 40 minutes drive south of the cities, and just off the main road to Kuta. There are plans to build a toll road linking the airport and the city, with a travelling time of around 20 minutes, and to construct a bypass road allowing fast access to the beautiful south coast.

The new airport will replace the existing Selaparang Airport in Mataram, which currently handles only short-bodied aircraft and is limited mainly to domestic flights. Phase I of the runway at the new Lombok International Airport will be suitable for landing Airbus 310s and Boeing 747s, and is within flight range of Australia, Japan, Timor, Taiwan, and Korea. Plans to lengthen the runway stretch all the way to 2028.

In the past, controversy raged over the acquisition of the land by government decree at below-market value. Today, however, most local people approve of the new airport, recognizing it as opening Lombok up to international travelers and bringing new opportunities to the predominantly agricultural communities near the airport. Some Balinese feel threatened by the international airport in Lombok, as most travelers previously had to travel to Bali to make the connection to Lombok.

By Sea

Padangbai Harbour provides the sea link between Bali and Lombok. Lembar Harbour, on Lombok, is approximately 1 hour south of Senggigi. Public ferries depart every hour from 12:35am to 4:55am, then at 7:55, 8:15, 9:50am. The crossing takes approximately 4 to 5 hours and costs Rp31,000. Get to your boat a half-hour before departure. Night ferries run at 9:20, 10:25, and 11:30pm.

Perama Tours (Main office: Jl. Legian 39, Kuta, Bali; tel. 0361/751551 or 0361/751875; www.peramatour.com) offers a complete transfer package, which includes pickup from destinations throughout Bali and Lombok, bus transfer to the local harbor, ferry ticket, and transfer from the harbor to your destination, on either island. Depending on weather and number of bookings, they may use their private boat transfer direct to the Gilis and then on to Senggigi, otherwise it's the public ferry. Travel time is approximately 8 hours. The return leg from the Gilis leaves at 7am and from Senggigi at 9am. Times and prices are as follows from: Lovina, 9am, Rp450,000; Kuta, 10am, Rp350,000; Sanur, 10:15am, Rp350,000; Ubud, 11am, Rp350,000; Candidasa, 12:30pm, Rp325,000; Padangbai, 1:30pm, Rp300,000.

The Fast Boats -- Blue Water Express (BWS; tel. 0361/723479 or 08/1338418988 after hours; www.bwsbali.com) provides transfers between Bali and Gili Trawangan, stopping at Teluk Kode on Lombok. BWS operates two boats, with 25- and 15-passenger capacities, departing from Benoa Harbour, Bali, daily at 8am, arriving in Lombok at 10am; and from Gili Trawangan at 11am. BWS leaves Lombok at 11:30am, arriving in Bali at 1:30pm. Fares include air-conditioned hotel transfers in Bali. Tickets cost Rp690,000 one-way; Rp1,300,000 round-trip. Price is the same regardless of where you disembark.

Gili Cat (tel. 0361/271680; www.gilicat.com), an Australian-built small fast ferry, departs Padangbai on Bali at 9am daily and travels to Lombok and Gili Trawangan, before returning to Bali, departing Gili Trawangan at 11:15am. Their service also includes free transfers between Padangbai, Ubud, Kuta, and Sanur on Bali. Journey time is around 1 hour; tickets are Rp660,000 one-way; Rp1,200,000 round-trip.