The Oberoi Lombok

On the island of Lombok, between Bali and Sumbawa in the Indonesian archipelago.

The rooms at The Oberoi Lombok are idylls within an idyll, offering total privacy from the other guests at the resort. Built from pink-tinged local limestone, and with traditional thatched roofs, each of the villas and pavillions has a private walled garden where you can have a fragrant open-air bath. As well as this, the luxury villas have decks for al fresco dining, and some also come with a private pool. Inside, all the rooms are romantic cocoons, with sloping thatched ceilings, canopied four-poster beds, and colourful Indonesian artefacts for added character.

Cuisine at The Oberoi Lombok is a creative mix between Asian and continental flavours, but it’s the variety of stunning settings that make the dining experience unforgettable – lanterns flickering in the limpid reflection ponds, and with views of the ocean, forest, and formidable Mt. Rinjanj. A children’s menu is also available, and from time to time there are traditional dance performances. Aside from the 4 restaurants, there’s a spa where you can receive a full range of treatments, including a pool-side massage in the shade of a thatched pavillion.

The white sand beaches are much better for sun-bathers and sand-castles than the black sands you get on Bali, and there are loads of water-sports on offer at the resort’s Beach Club. Oberoi Lombok can also take you on a PADI certified dive, exploring the teeming coral gardens that surround the nearby Gili islands. Back on Lombok you can hire a bike and explore the beautiful unspoilt landscape, trek to enchanting waterfalls, or – if you’re fit and adventurous – you can try conquering Mt Rinjanj, which is the second highest mountain in Indonesia. Culture-wise, the surrounding villages are still relatively un-touched and a great way to get around is by horse-drawn courts called cidomos.