The unspoilt Island that gives you a taste of what Bali used to be
As Lombok is close to Australia and it takes a while to get there (about 24 hours) stopping in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is recommended, it’s a vibrant city full of life with many things to see. 
The PETRONAS Towers are a must, they used to be the world’s largest buildings from 1998 until 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101 in China but is still the worlds largest twin building, and was also the setting for the 1999 Sean Connery film Entrapment. There are also many markets to visit but unfortunately due to an excess of the local Tiger beer I can't tell you much about them as I lost the second day of my 2 day stop over. A word of warning beware of lady boys unless that’s what your into, they will be the really attractive tall ones with the Adams apple.
Following the 2002 terrorist bombing in Bali tourists have kept away; and I for one think if you have an idyllic idea of what Bali is like in your mind then that’s the right thing to do as it has become a little run down.
On the positive side there are some beautiful hotels and security is tight so you do not feel unsafe so a one or two day stop en-route to Lombok is a good idea and it also allows you to stick two fingers up to the terrorists that spoilt the local economy.
It’s then a short trip on a very small plane to the beautiful island of Lombok. There are some excellent 5 star hotels and much cheaper places to stay and is a popular with back packers en-route to or from Australia. Seggigi is the principle beach resort and has many restaurants and shops where you will get good food and bargains.
As soon as you step off the hotel grounds or the private beach you will have a lot of attention from street hawkers but if you know your exchange rate and barter you can get some good deals.
Tips for bartering
Never look to interested in anything even if you want it
Have a price in your mind of what it’s worth in the local currency Rupiah or US Dollars but start well below that with your offer
If the price is not right walk away and it may come down quickly
If you go with the right attitude it can be fun and you will be putting food on their table if you buy something
I met some really nice street hawkers and if there is anything you want they will get it for you - for a small fee
The best way to get around the island is to let someone else drive you and private tours can be organised at the hotel and are not expensive. As the island is small in a full day you will see all the interesting stuff, the most beautiful being the Sendang Gile 
waterfall it’s a long walk down a lot of steps but well worth it. If you wish to see the waterfall in the photo it’s a longer walk and I recommend you wear trainers as it’s a challenging walk including walking through streams and over rocks but well worth it.
Other things of interest on the island are diving and surfing, trips to other islands and there are a few night clubs
all things concidered it's a long way to go but worth the effort.
Neil
Nicole
Christine
Laura
