Lombok · Month comparison
June vs May
June ranks #1 overall vs May at #2. Peak dry season perfection — Rinjani, Gilis, and south coast all at their best before crowds arrive.
June
#1 of 12 months
Best match
Peak dry season perfection — Rinjani, Gilis, and south coast all at their best before crowds arrive.
- ↑June is the finest weather Lombok produces: 9.1 sunshine hours, 29mm of rain, and lower humidity than May. The Rinjani crater lake is accessible from the crater rim by a steep descent — camping beside the hot springs at Segara Anak Lake (2,000m altitude, with Rinjani's perfect cone reflected in the water) is one of the most spectacular campsites in Indonesia.
- ↑The Gili Islands in June offer snorkelling and diving conditions that rival the Maldives at a fraction of the cost: flat water, extraordinary visibility, and turtle encounters on almost every dive. The no-motorised-vehicle policy on all three Gilis means the only sounds are birdsong, cicadas, and the call to prayer from the mosque on Gili Meno.
May
#2 of 12 months
Best match
The dry season opens fully — Rinjani at its best, Gilis at their clearest.
- ↑May is when Lombok reveals its full potential: 8.5 sunshine hours, low humidity (76%), and barely any rain (48mm). The Rinjani summit trail is open, clear, and uncrowded compared to the July-August peak. Sunrise from the crater rim at 2,900m — looking out over Bali's Gunung Agung and the Java sea — is one of the great experiences of Southeast Asia.
- ↑Gili Trawangan diving is outstanding: visibility in the water reaches 20–25m on good days, the hawksbill turtle population around the Gili Air sanctuary is easily encountered, and the Gili T dive operators (Blue Marlin, Manta Dive) offer competitive prices before the peak season markup.
| Factor | June | May |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 10 | 9 |
| Value score | 6 | 7 |
| Crowd score | 6 | 7 |
| Events score | 5 | 5 |
| Atmosphere | 9 | 8 |
| Avg high temp | 30.8°C | 31.5°C |
| Monthly rain | 29mm | 48mm |
| Daily sunshine | 9.1hrs | 8.5hrs |
June trade-offs
- ↓June is when Lombok begins appearing on more travel itineraries: accommodation on Gili T and in Kuta Lombok requires advance booking, and prices have moved from the affordable May levels to moderate.
- ↓The Rinjani National Park has tightened group size rules and requires permits booked through registered operators — last-minute arrangements are becoming harder to secure for popular dates.
May trade-offs
- ↓May is not as fully quiet as the months before it — visitor numbers have picked up, and the Gili Trawangan party scene begins operating at higher capacity from this month onward.
- ↓Temperatures on the Rinjani summit trail are cold at night (below 5°C at the crater rim camp) — proper sleeping equipment and layers are essential, and operators who provide inadequate gear are common. Vet your trek operator carefully.
Scores compare months within Lombok. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →