Sumbawa is located east of Lombok, and is larger than Bali and Lombok together. Area 15.448 sq. km, population about 800.000, of which the majority are occupied with agriculture and fishing. The people here are, like on Lombok, mainly Muslims. Christian missionaries did not even bother to come here. Some old animistic traditions are still alive. The soil is fertile, and the most important products are rice, maize, beans, timber, cattle and minerals. There is now a large mining industry on Sumbawa.

Sawu (also known as Sabu) is a small island, approx. 461 sq. km, located southwest of Timor and southeast of Sumba. Population about 60.000. Sawu is isolated from other islands by a deep ocean. This island is like Sumba less influenced by modern lifestyle, and is known for a culture where old traditions like offerings, dance and other rituals can still be seen. Their old animistic beliefs are known as "jingitui", and survived the first Portuguese missionaries who came here before year 1600 AD, later followed by Dutch missionaries.

Just south west of Timor, about three hours by boat from Kupang, is the small island of Roti, size 1.214 sq. km. Like on Sawu much of the life here depends on the "lontar" palm tree, used for everything from nutrient to building material. The population are mainly occupied by fishing, some agriculture and weaving of "ikat". Traditionally Roti was divided in as much as 18 districts, but after a bloody campaign the Dutch in 1681 put their own allied as rulers of the island. Roti became a source for slaves and other resources to the Dutch base in Kupang.

South Lombok is the least populated and maybe the least accessible part of the island, except for the Kuta area which is more developed. The roads are often in a bad condition, especially in the wet season. There is not much public transportation here, it is best to have your own car with or without a driver. But if you like a challenge the southern coast can offer some of the best and whitest beaches on Lombok, located between high cliffs and mountains.

Senggigi is maybe Lombok's equivalent to Bali's Kuta Beach, but is in many ways totally different. It's far more quiet and peaceful, the nightlife here is also much more limited. The place is located north of Mataram and not far from the airport, many tourists prefer to stay here the first days before they explore the rest of the island, but you can also use Senggigi as your permanent base. Senggigi is clearly the most developed tourist area on Lombok, but stretches over a wide area and is still not overdeveloped.

North Lombok is dominated by the massive Gunung Rinjani volcano, and most of the villages here sits on the slopes of the mountain or along the narrow coastline. Many travelers come here on their way to the Gili islands or to climb Gunung Rinjani, and will therefore miss the rest of the beautiful landscape with waterfalls, the great view over the ocean and the mountain and the traditional villages. The road from Pemenang north of Senggigi via Bangsal to Obel Obel and East Lombok follows the coast contour and the traffic can be slow sometimes.

Driving far south on Lombok you will eventually reach the small village of Kuta, about 54 km south of Mataram. This is the only area on the south coast which has some tourism of any significance, but must not be compared to Kuta on Bali. This place is much more quiet with only a fraction of the tourists and facilities, but there are some plans to continue to develop the southern coast with some large luxury hotels.

>Gunung Rinjani is one of the highest mountains in Indonesia with an altitude of 3.726 m. At the bottom of the crater there is a large lake called Segara Anakan, about 8 km long and 6 km wide. The lake is surrounded by steep walls and is located about 600 meter below the rim of the crater. Between the lake and Rinjani sits the new crater of Gunung Baru which is only a couple of hundred years old. Rinjani's latest eruption took place in 1994, when the shape of the crater changed and ash was spread all over Lombok.

The three Gili islands are located just outside the north west coast of Lombok, and is a great place for snorkeling and diving. Gili Air is closest to Lombok, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan further out. Boats are leaving Lombok regularly for the different islands from the Bangsal village or Senggigi, it is also possible to rent your own boat to take you to the island you like. Also from Bali you can go by boat to the Gili islands.

The fertile area south of the mighty Rinjani mountain has several interesting villages, beautiful landscapes and green rice fields. Most of the villages here are populated by Sasak, one often visited village is Tetebatu at the foot of Gunung Rinjani, from here the view to this mountain and the southern part of the island is great. A few km from Tetebatu you will find the Taman Wisata Tetebatu monkey forest with it's black monkeys and waterfalls, among them the popular Air Terjun Jukut waterfall. According to the locals the water from Air Terjun Jukut will give increased hair growth.