21-28oC

Traveller Tips


Currency
The national currency unit is the Rupiah (Rp). Bank notes come in denomination of 100 – 500 - 1,000 – 5,000 – 10,000 – 20,000 – 50,000 and 100,000 Rp. Coins, increasingly little used, are 50 – 100 – 500 and 1,000. Money changer opens every day from 09.00 hrs until late in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Banks only open Monday to Friday from 08.00 – 14.00 hrs. Passport always required when changing money. The exchange rate fluctuates daily. 
Money changing advice:
  • Avoid any place that offers a ridiculously good rate. Better still, stick to banks, hotel counters or exchange desks attached to the hotel where you are staying.
  • Always try to work out the total amount  you are expecting beforehand and write it down.
  • Always ask whether there is commission
  • Before signing your cheque, ask for notes in reasonable denominations (Rp 10,000 is unreasonable, Rp 50,000 is acceptable)
  • Always count your money carefully. You should be the last person to count the money before you put it away.
  • If you have signed a traveller’s cheque. Stay calm, don’t get distracted and count everything slowly and methodically.
Drinking Water and Food
Do not drink tap water. Most hotels provide drinking water in the room. Bottled of mineral water is recommended for drinking. There are an infinite variety of restaurants both in and outside the hotels to suit every taste and purse. Although Lombok is predominantly Muslim, visiting Lombok during Ramadhan (Fasting Month) does not mean long hours during the day without sustenance. Most of the local restaurants (especially at tourists / resorts area) remain open during the day at this time, although a curtain at the window discreetly hides the eating tourists.

Insurance
Before travelling to Lombok it is important to take out travel insurance. A typical policy usually provides cover for medical expenses due to illness or injury, the loss of baggage, tickets and – up to a certain limit – cash or cheques, plus cancellation or curtailment of your journey. Most exclude so – called dangerous sports or adventure unless an extra premium is paid; in Lombok this can mean scuba diving, snorkeling, cycling, rice field walking and Mount Rinjani Volcano trekking.

Health
Travelling in Lombok, most people end up with nothing more serious than about of travellers diarrhoea (“Bali Belly”). Wear a hat or buy yourself a parasol, protect your eyes with sunglasses and don’t forget the sunscreen. Drink plenty of fluids, especially beneficial with a squeeze of lime and keep your salt level up. A traveller’s first – aid kit that you might want to carry with you include:
  • Antiseptic Cream
  • Insect Repellent
  • Plasters / Bandages
  • Water sterilization tablets or water purifier
  • Lint and sealed bandages
  • Knee supports
  • A course of flagyl antibiotics
  • Rehydration sachets
  • Emergency diarrhoea treatment
  • Paracetamol / aspirin / Tylenol
  • Multivitamin and mineral tablets
  • Hypodermic needles and sterilized skin wipes
Safety & Security
Beware of pickpockets on crowded buses or bemos and in markets; they usually operate in pairs: one will distract you while another gets what they can either from your pockets or your backpack. Carry vital documents and money in a concealed money belt; the bum – bags that have become fashionable with travellers are far too easy to cut off in a crowd.  
Check the security of a room before accepting it, make sure doors and windows can be secured and don’t forget access via the bathroom. Some guesthouses and hotels have safe-deposit boxes, which neatly solves the problem of what to do with your valuables while you leave the hotel room. Keep a separate photocopy of you passport so you can prove who you are if you need to get a replacement.

Dress Code
To respect local tradition, modest dress is required. Please wear long pants or trouser or a sarong when entering mosques and temples. Everyone is required to take their shoes off before entering the mosques and to wear long sleeves and long trousers; woman should definitely cover their shoulders and may also be asked to cover their heads as well (bring a scarf or shawl as there probably won’t be any provided).

Transportation
Taxi counter is available at Selaparang Airport with fixed –price fares otherwise metered taxi can be found outside your hotel or the airport. There are plenty of metered taxis, easily identifiable with pale blue colour (Lombok Taxi, 0370 - 627000) and with colour (Lendang Express Taxi, 0370 – 634444); you can flag them down anywhere. 
The local minibus, called “Bemo” and is available on the main road of Senggigi to take you the city center; Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara and Sweta. The bemos are not air conditioned and get very crowded, fares start at Rp 3,000/person. Simply flag down bemos in the street and shout when you want to get off. The bemos only depart when they have enough passengers to make the journey worthwhile. 
Please note, bemo vehicles and taxis in Lombok do not have passenger liability insurance. The horse-drawn carts here, unlike the ones on Bali, have small pneumatic tires and are called “Cidomo”; they aren’t allow on the main streets, covering instead the back routes that bemos don’t work and are generally used for carrying heavy loads. Always negotiate a price before getting in.

Bargaining
It is one of the most obvious ways of keeping your costs down. The first price is rarely the real one, and most stallholders and shopkeepers expect to engage in some financial banter before finalizing the sale; on average, buyers will start their counter bid at about 30 to 40 percent of the vendor’s opening price and the bartering continues from there. 
Places that are oriented towards the up market tourist trade usually don’t like to bargain, and many such shops display “fixed price” notices prominently, although even here it’s worth asking about low – season discounts.
Flight Reconfirmation
Please make sure that you reconfirm your flight at least 3 days prior to departure. Please let Lombok Plus Holidays representative knows your flight detail and we will reconfirm it for you. Departure Information will be sent to you one day before departure