Lombok for Digital Nomads: Bali’s Quieter Neighbour

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Bali gets the headlines. Lombok, the island right next door, is where my life as a digital nomad really started.

I landed there with £500 and a battered laptop. I spent three nights a week in a hostel and sublet the rooms of a small house I had rented, just to make ends meet. One afternoon a grumpy old man found me updating my portfolio in a sweltering bar and told me to stop wasting my time and have a beer with him. I said no to the beer. I kept working, the online jobs came, and that island is where I built a business.

So yes, I am biased. But Lombok is still one of the best bases I know for remote workers who want Indonesia without the crowds.

Why Lombok works for digital nomads

• It is quieter. Fewer people, less traffic and more space to focus.
• It is close to Bali. When you need a city fix or a coworking crowd, Bali is a short hop away.
• The surf is excellent. Just respect the reef.
• It suits slow travel. Lombok rewards people who stay. Read why slow travel works better for remote work.

Getting to Lombok

Lombok International Airport sits near Praya in the south of the island, with short flights from Bali and other Indonesian cities. Fast boats also run from Bali to Lombok and the Gili Islands. The sea can be rough in the afternoon, so morning crossings are usually calmer. Book with an operator that has recent reviews and safety equipment on board.

Time zone and internet

Lombok shares Bali’s time zone, eight hours ahead of London in winter and seven in summer. That suits clients in Asia and Australia. Clients in Europe mean evening calls, and the USA means very early mornings or late nights. My guide to digital nomad time zones explains how to make it work.

Internet is good in the main towns and patchy in remote spots. Test the wifi before you rent anything for a month, and buy a local SIM with plenty of data as your backup. Always have a plan for the day the power goes out.

Visas: check the official sources

Visa rules in Indonesia change often, so always check the official sites before you fly. At the time of writing, the UK government says:

• A visa on arrival costs 500,000 rupiah and lets you stay 30 days.
• You can extend it once for another 30 days, as long as you do it inside the first 30. Overstaying costs 1 million rupiah a day.
• You can apply online before you travel on the official Indonesian evisa site, at least a week ahead.
• Your passport needs at least six months left and two blank pages.

Read the full list on gov.uk’s Indonesia entry requirements. The visa on arrival is for tourism, so check the evisa site for the right visa if you plan to stay longer or work for clients outside Indonesia. Indonesia now has a remote worker visa for people paid by companies abroad, with income rules you should check on the official site. I wrote about the early plans in the Bali digital nomad visa.

Health cover in Lombok

Lombok is not the place to be uninsured. Serious cases may mean a transfer to a bigger hospital, sometimes in Bali. Surf, scooters and reef cuts all add up. I broke a rib on a wave on a remote Indonesian island, so I know how fast a good day can turn.

I use Genki. Genki Traveler covers unexpected illness and injury worldwide for up to 12 months, and you can sign up even if you are already in Indonesia. If you had no cover before, only emergencies are covered for the first 14 days. Read the conditions for surfing and scooters before you rely on it, and check your price on Genki. My guide to travel insurance for Bali covers the details for this part of Indonesia, and insurance for digital nomads covers the rest.

Make Lombok your first base

Lombok gave me a cheap place to start and time to build my work. If you want Indonesia at a slower pace, give it a month. Then decide if you ever want to leave.

Photo by Rokhmadi Teguh Yuwono on Unsplash.