Pink Beach Lombok - A Boat Tour in the East

When most people think of Pink Beach, they think of a completely pink beach, often confused with the one on Komodo. Many visitors are disappointed because they see the many Instagram photos of the Pink Beach on Komodo and expect exactly the same on Lombok.

Well, I have to disappoint you right from the start, because the Pink Beach on Lombok doesn’t have such an intense color. However, it’s still a beautiful beach with bright turquoise water.

Lombok: Tour from Tanjung Luar to the Pink Beaches and Gili Sunut

Now that your expectations of the color of the sand have been lowered a bit, you can still look forward to an exciting tour of eastern Lombok. The east is still one of the most remote areas of Lombok and there is very little tourism in this area.

We have visited Pink Beach several times, but only by land. On our last trip to Lombok in September this year, we went on a boat tour and discovered many more places. Among them are the secret Pink Beaches 2 and 3 that hardly any tourist knows about. In this article, we’ll tell you about this great tour.

How to get to Lombok

To get to Lombok there are only two options, the airplane and the boat. Flights operate from many cities in Indonesia to Lombok. But the international airport already welcomes flights from abroad, e.g. from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. For the future even flights from the Emirates or Australia are planned.

To find the best and cheapest flights for your trip to Lombok, check out Skyscanner. There you can compare prices, departure times, flight duration and the different airlines.

You can also take a boat to Lombok from e.g. Bali, the Gili Islands or Sumbawa. There is a difference between speed boats and local boats, because not only prices, but the duration of travel can vary significantly. An overview of different boats can be found on 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Lombok – our hotel tips

Lombok is a relatively large island with almost endless options for accommodations. We personally recommend staying in Senggigi and the surrounding area. A fantastic hotel choice is the Qunci Villas Resort, located right on a secluded, peaceful beach. The resort is beautifully integrated into the tropical surroundings and offers spacious rooms and stunning villas, some of which come with private pools, garden views, or ocean views. Naturally, you’ll find all the amenities you need, including air conditioning, a minibar, a safe, a seating area, and more.

The Qunci Villas Resort also features a spa for wellness treatments, three infinity pools, and several restaurants. These restaurants offer a range of culinary delights, including international, Asian, and local cuisine, ensuring that all your dining needs are met. The resort’s prime location is another highlight, with Senggigi just a few minutes away by taxi or scooter, where you’ll find even more restaurants and shops to explore.

Of course, there are also a number of beautiful hotels and homestays in Kuta or other parts of the island that you can book at affordable rates.

Getting to the Pink Beach

Our tour started at the port of Tanjung Luar in the east of Lombok. There you can find lots of offices and boats that offer these tours. Tanjung Luar is known for its controversial fish market where unfortunately sharks are sold. The trip from Senggigi to Tanjung Luar takes over 2 hours and crosses the entire island. So it’s very important to leave on time.

Going to Pink Beach on your own, e.g. by scooter from Kuta, is a popular choice. But be careful: the roads are still very bad and in the dry season even very dusty. This is certainly not for the inexperienced scooter rider. So we think a boat trip might be a good alternative.

Pink Beach 2 and 3

From Tanjung Luar, we passed Gili Maringkik (Maringkik Island) – a small island with a whole village built on it. There are even power poles running through the sea connecting the island to Lombok. Another popular stop in this area is Gili Pasir, a sandbank island. Because of the high tide, we couldn’t stop there.

So we went straight to the first highlight without stopping. Pink Beach 3 is not directly accessible by car or scooter (you have to walk a little bit), which makes it a very isolated beach. When we arrived there, no one was around. It was just perfect!

The name “Pink Beach” is a bit misleading. But the beach itself was very impressive. The water is turquoise and the sand is so soft that your feet sink into it. It was absolutely peaceful and secluded.

This boat trip is also great for snorkeling. A popular snorkeling spot is Tanjung Cumi. The “Octopus Cape” is a rock formation that looks like the tentacles of an octopus, hence the name. We didn’t go snorkeling here due to strong currents and cold water temperatures.

The next Pink Beach was also completely deserted. Theoretically, you can get there by land, but the roads are only sand tracks. There is nothing else around, so a scooter ride is not really safe.

We made it: Pink Beach (Tangsi Beach)

The last stop before the actual Pink Beach was the 2 tiny islands Gili Petelu and Pulau Tiga, which are connected by a sandbank. They are incredibly small and just rocks in the water. It’s a great spot to take photos and also a good place for snorkeling.

A few minutes later we were on our way to the place I already knew. The cape of Pink Beach was getting closer and closer and just behind it we were heading straight for the beach. Admittedly, the surroundings of Pink Beach (as well as the whole area in the southeast of Lombok) don’t look quite as beautiful in the dry season as in the “green season”. But the water was just as I remembered it: clear and turquoise.

We stayed here for a while and before we went into the water, we climbed onto the rock or cape on the east side of the beach. From up there you have a great view of the surroundings and Tangsi Beach, as it’s actually called.

At Pink Beach, there are several warungs and small shops. Here you can get something to eat, a coconut or other drinks. Sometimes you can see goats or even monkeys living behind the beach.

By the way: If you visit Pink Beach by car or scooter, you have to pay an entrance fee of 50,000 Rupiah (at least if there is someone there). If you go by boat, you save this money.

Gili Sunut

After a few hours on the beach, our guide took us to the last stop of the tour. On the way back to Tanjung Luar we stopped at Gili Sunut. This island is only populated by a few fishermen and is otherwise uninhabited. Gili Sunut is also known for its sandbank that connects it to Lombok.

The beach on the north side of the island is absolutely wonderful! There were no tourists around for miles, and except for two fishermen, nobody else was on the beach. The view from the hill to the white shimmering beach was especially beautiful. A real highlight at the end of the tour!

Apparently, the sandbank is a popular photo motif, especially for the locals. We found the beach on the other side of the island much more interesting.

Conclusion

A great alternative to the Pink Beach on Lombok. Admittedly, Pink Beach is no longer an insider tip and has become a popular tourist destination on Lombok – especially for day-trippers or visitors from Kuta who come by scooter.

If the original Pink Beach didn’t convince you, the other beaches on the Ekas peninsula or in the Sunut area sure will. Pink Beach 2 and 3 were really nice and we also liked Gili Sunut. If you’re looking for real peace and solitude, then you should take a boat trip from Tanjung Luar.

By the way, plan a full day for this. Just the trip to the east and back takes more than 4 hours. The price for the boat trip is 600,000 rupiah (excluding transportation) and is definitely worth the money. Especially if you’re traveling with several people and can share the cost.

Lombok: Tours and Tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Lombok in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Lombok.

Have you been to Pink Beach Lombok before? How did you like the beach? Have you visited the other Pink Beaches?