After a super chilled 5 days in Uluwatu it was time to get even lazier. Our next stop - Gili Air, the smallest of 3 Gili Isles and one that appealed most, with a nice balance of quiet island life with some decent beach bars and restaurants.

Gili Air

Gili air is the closest island to Lombok, meaning a quick and easy 10 minute boat ride from Bangsal harbour. Gili air is a very small island, so after landing we wandered along the beach front, passed by charming horse drawn carriages and bicycles to our bungalow accommodation - Mowies on the beach. We arrived just before sunset, so we dropped our bags in our lovely bungalow and walked about 30 steps to the beach and settled into some beanbags to watch the beautiful sunset with cocktails in hand. We ordered dinner, which was brilliant (Mowies turned out to be our favourite place to eat on Gili Air) and had a lovely evening getting into the swing of relaxing island life.

Every morning we had breakfast on the beach at Mowies and spent our days on the white sand beaches and lounging in the crystal clear waters. Most of the beaches are associated with either accommodation or a beach bar which makes for a nice vibe. Our favourite place to spend the day was at Ledgends bar in the opposite side of the island, and where the beach seemed to be the nicest for swimming. We were such loyal customers that the staff even brought us cold beers while in the sea!

After walking to Legends on our first day and finding it way too hot, we opted to hire bikes to get around which was a lovely way to explore the small island. We had heard that there was good snorkelling and diving around Gili Air, so one afternoon we headed to the east side of the island and got our snorkelling gear out for the first time. We were really surprised at how lovely the little reefs were, with quite a few tropical fish, some pretty coral and we even spotted a moray eel hunting and a brightly coloured mantis shrimp.

Kuta, Lombok

Kuta is located in southern Lombok, with many stunning white sand beaches along the coastline. It’s also well known for its surf culture, with a variety is waves for different experience levels, from beach breaks to open water reefs. We’d heard it’s a lot easier and less crowded than many spots in Bali, so when we came across Mana Surf & Yoga Retreat we thought this sounded right up our street.

From the moment We left the Gillis we were so looked after by Mana. There was a driver waiting for us in the boat port and after the 2 hour drive, we arrived to this little oasis of bungalows, chilled vibes, yoga and the most heavenly pool. Keen to finally see what all the fuss was about with yoga, we bought a week unlimited pass and booked in some surf lessons. There were 5 classes a day to choose from and we managed to fit in about 2 a day as well as a few meditation practises. The teachers were all excellent and the shady open air studio, surrounded by tropical plants, was the most perfect way to get to grips with the basics of yoga. There were also a few surf yoga sessions to specially target tired limbs! A yoga class, followed by a swim and a healthy breakfast became the most perfect routine throughout the week.

Most evenings we would head into Kuta town, about a 10 minute walk from Mana. There were some great restaurants around, including KRNK (pizza/pasta/burgers), El Bazar (Moroccan) and Fish Bones, a fish bbq warung which was really tasty! We also spent a lovely evening in the Treehouse Bar, a reclaimed wood bar built around a large tree. On our way back we spotted a shop selling the traditional ikat, a fabric hand woven in Lombok. We found a pattern we loved and were really thrilled to find a 3m x1.5m bed throw for around £15, a great souvenir for our home back in London.

Mana is linked with Heartbeach Surf School, so on our second day we were picked up and taken to Selong beach, the beginners beach! Seeing as we had come for the waves, we were not expecting such as stunning beach! White sand, crystal clear waters and very small waves. It was a perfect way to find our feet in the ocean again! We spend a few fun hours messing around in the surf with our group and then headed back to mana for our evening yoga session.

Our second day surfing was at an open water reef break - quite a step up from the small mellow waves at Selong. It was more of an intermediate spot, but they promised ‘minute long rides’ so we would be silly not to! After a half hour car journey, we arrived at a little fishing village where we loaded a boat with our boards and headed to the open water reef break. The waves were around 3-4 ft, with really nice long right-hander waves with not too much power. We both managed to get nice rides (although Stef unfortunately got hit by another surfer, see ‘Lombok tattoo’ image below!). Being a reef break required a lot of paddling, so after 2 hours and with tired arms we were glad to get back in time for the ‘surf yoga’ at Mana to stretch out. The surf session was fun but definitely not for the faint hearted!

On our surf trips we had met a lovely Austrian girl called Georgia, who was also keen to visit the beaches. Mana helped us arrange a driver for the afternoon (at a very good rate). Our first stop was back to the beautiful Selong Belanak Beach where we had surfed a few days before. This crescent white sand beach, with crystal clear waters, surrounded by hills is really something and we were keen to try the smaller fun waves again. We spent a fun few hours messing about with hired boards and marvelling at this stunning beach.

We then headed to the equally beautiful but much quieter Mawun beach, around 20 minute drive away from Selong Belank. On the way we passed a heard of buffalo that was being guided along the road. The vibe in Lombok felt much more rural and chilled then in Bali and we were loving it. Reaching Mawun, again the water was amazing, we couldn’t resist a swim, and the golden sand beach situated in a hilly cove was really picturesque. There was a group of local kids who were selling bracelets. They loved getting their photos taken, and generally being cheeky to us and other nearby tourists!

Our final beach destination was Tanjung Aan, a very popular beach near Kuta. We had a quick walk and mess about on the swings, before heading to the Merese hill sunset point. We grabbed some Bingtang from the car park and made the short walk up the hill where tourists and locals gathered to farewell the day. It was a great view and had a lovely atmosphere. Once We’d been treated to another great sunset it was time to jump in the car and head back to Mana.

The beaches of south Lombok had really impressed us and the laid back vibe of the island was a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of Bali. Only spending a week in Kuta we had only really scratched the surface of all Lombok had to offer. We felt this was definitely a place we’d like to visit again, and explore more of the islands jungles, volcanoes and waterfalls. Luckily for us our next stop was Komodo National Park, a place with stunning scenery, diving and of course, Komodo dragons!