Best time to visit Lombok on a budget
When to visit Lombok for lower prices on flights, accommodation, and food — without sacrificing too much on weather or atmosphere.
Best month
November
Wet season arrival — Rinjani closes, prices plummet, and the island empties.
↑November is the deepest value month on Lombok: accommodation prices on the Gilis and in Kuta Lombok are at their annual floor, and the restaurants and dive shops are desperate for business. A committed traveller can stay on Gili Air for prices that are genuinely remarkable.
↑The interior of Lombok in early wet season is extraordinarily beautiful: rice paddies flooded and reflecting sky, waterfalls at Tiu Kelep and Sindang Gila (near Senaru, on the Rinjani lower slope) roaring with monsoon volume, and the agricultural landscape at its most dramatic.
↑Snorkelling on the Gilis remains viable in November on calm days between rain events — the turtle sanctuary at Gili Air is not going anywhere, and the water is still warm (28°C).
All months ranked — Cheap travel
Worth considering
Wet season arrival — Rinjani closes, prices plummet, and the island empties.
#1 for cheap travel
Best match
The dry season opens fully — Rinjani at its best, Gilis at their clearest.
#2 for cheap travel
Best match
Last reliable dry month — Rinjani season closing, transition window for value seekers.
#3 for cheap travel
Worth considering
Rain easing but Rinjani still closed — south coast surfing begins to improve.
#4 for cheap travel
Best match
Peak dry season perfection — Rinjani, Gilis, and south coast all at their best before crowds arrive.
#5 for cheap travel
Best match
The dry season begins in earnest — Rinjani reopens and the Gilis transform.
#6 for cheap travel
Avoid
Bau Nyale festival brings Sasak cultural life to the south coast — otherwise still deep wet season.
#7 for cheap travel
Best match
The shoulder window opens — almost as dry as August with a significant crowd reduction.
#8 for cheap travel
Avoid
Deep wet season — Rinjani closed, Gili crossings rough, low prices for those who don't mind rain.
#9 for cheap travel
Avoid
Heavy wet season — Christmas week brings some visitors but rain is relentless.
#10 for cheap travel
Worth considering
Driest, most perfect weather — but Australian and European school holidays bring the biggest crowds.
#11 for cheap travel
Worth considering
The driest month of the year — and the busiest. Equal to July in every respect.
#12 for cheap travel