Beyond Bali
The Gili Islands, Lombok, Komodo, Sumbawa and the volcanoes of East Java.
Bali or Lombok: Which Island Is Right for You?
Bali and Lombok sit side by side across a narrow strait, yet they feel like different countries. One is a vibrant, Hindu island with everything at your fingertips; the other is quieter, wilder and still finding its way.
Climbing Mount Rinjani: Routes, Rules, Costs and Safety
Rising 3,726 meters above Lombok, Mount Rinjani is the hardest and most beautiful volcano trek within easy reach of Bali, with a turquoise crater lake and a summit that seems to float above the clouds.
Komodo National Park from Bali: Dragons, Padar and Mantas
An hour's flight east of Bali lies a scatter of bare, golden islands where the world's largest lizard still hunts and manta rays glide through the channels. Komodo is the most spectacular side trip you can make from Bali.
Lombok from Bali: A Travel Guide to the Island Next Door
Lombok sits just 35 kilometers east of Bali, yet it feels a decade behind in the best possible way: wide empty bays, a towering volcano and a culture all its own.
Mount Ijen and Bromo from Bali: The Classic East Java Volcano Trip
Just across the narrow Bali Strait, East Java holds two of Indonesia's most extraordinary volcanic landscapes: the electric-blue flames of Ijen and the smoking crater of Bromo rising from a sea of sand.
Sumbawa: The Wild Island Next Door to Bali and Lombok
East of Lombok, Sumbawa is bigger than Bali and Lombok combined, yet it sees only a trickle of travelers. Those who come find world-class surf, whale sharks and the volcano that changed the world's weather.
The Gili Islands from Bali: Trawangan vs Meno vs Air
Three small coral islands off Lombok, a couple of hours by boat from Bali, with no cars, no scooters and turtles grazing in the shallows. The only real question is which one to choose.