When I rented my scooter from Senggigi and headed towards Kuta Lombok, I gotta tell you frankly, I had no idea where I was going 😀 After hiking Rinjani and Bukit Pergasingan back to back for the past 2 days, I had no time to do any research or even look at photos of the place. I just hopped on my freshly rented scooter for IDR 50k a day, turned my music on and was ready for adventure!
I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, scootering from Senggigi to Kuta won’t be the most exciting road trip you’ll ever take just because the actual road isn’t that exciting. Apart from the locals grilling fish on the side of the road and the horse carts queueing up at the traffic lights in Mataram, Lombok’s capital, there isn’t much else that’ll grab your attention. Nonetheless, if you’re coming from North Lombok driving to the south would be your best option. From Senggigi, it’s actually just over an hour until you reach Kuta.
I arrived in Kuta just in time for sunset and as soon as I checked into my homestay, I was on a mission to find Bukit Merese – the legendary best sunset viewpoint in Kuta Lombok.
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How to find Bukit Merese
Once in Kuta you’ll be thrilled that you won’t have to drive for long to get to Bukit Merese. In fact, it’s only a 20 min drive from the centre of Kuta and that’s if you don’t rush through all thousands of bumps on the way. Google Maps is actually pretty good with the directions and if you follow it all the way, it’ll get you right at a little parking lot where you can pay IDR 10k to leave your scooter.
Once at the bottom of the hill, all you have to do is hike up for a couple of minutes before you’re immediately rewarded with truly the best views in Kuta Lombok.
Views for days
When I got to the top of the hills, there were only a handful of people very near the path for heading down so the options to escape absolutely everyone were endless. Both on my left and right, I could continue to hike to take in the views over the ocean, the town that was lighting up in the distance and the beaches that were just beneath the hills.
I truly was amazed by the tranquillity, awe and beauty of this place. You would think that for a place so easily accessible, it would be packed but only after another 10 min of walking further to the left, I was completely on my own, sitting on the grass, on the edge of the hill overlooking the coast and enjoying the views whilst seeing the sun slowly set on the horizon.
Just before getting to Bukit Merese, I stopped by these local ladies’ food stall on the main street in Kuta Lombok to buy the most delicious Gado Gado (the Indonesian salad with fresh veggies, rice cakes, tofu and homemade peanut sauce). For IDR 5k a portion, I bought myself 2 portions of salad which I then indulged in as I was watching the sunset so I got myself a little romantic solo picnic going on which was fantastic 😀 If you love fresh veggies and peanut sauce, get yourself some yummy Gado Gado before heading to Bukit Merese for sunset. It adds just a bit extra to the whole super relaxing experience!
Bukit Merese during the day
So overjoyed by the sunset views, I was curious to see what this place looks like during the day. It was just after 10 am when I headed up the hill again. It was already roasting hot. Not surprisingly, when I first got there I was the only person adventurous enough to hike up a hill to enjoy views that were completely in the open with not a single shade to hide under when it gets just a bit too toasty. I was starting to sweat but that didn’t matter. The views were so phenomenal that I wasn’t going away before exploring the hill in pretty much its entirety taking in the views from every possible angle.
Everywhere I turned to my eyes were filling up with unreal views of turquoise waters, pristine white sand beaches, strong waves travelling powerfully before crashing into the shore and hills spanning from both sides calling me to hike to the various little peaks to check the views. Bukit Merese truly is a place that has to be explored both for sunset and during the day to be fully appreciated because the views are tremendously different, yet equally mesmerizing.
Where to stay in Kuta Lombok
I stayed in Kuta only a couple of days and since what I wanted was to explore the town and see what’s actually around, I opted for a very good value budget homestay right in the centre of Kuta Lombok.
Imelda Homestay – this place was excellent for what I needed. It was well priced, right at the centre, the guys running it were super friendly and it even came with a decent breakfast and a little porch to have a read on before calling it a day. The area where they serve breakfast is the perfect spot to find fellow travellers or just to have a nice chat either before or after your daily adventures. This place definitely is value for money and is perfect especially for a short few days stay.
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Thank you so much 🙂
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