Lombok · Indonesia
May
The dry season opens fully — Rinjani at its best, Gilis at their clearest.
Best match
#2 of 12 months
May is one of the best times to visit Lombok.
Climate
High
31.5°C
Low
23.8°C
Rain
48mm
Sun
8.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in Lombok
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Very good
Crowds
Very good
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in May
- ↑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.
- ↑Kuta Lombok south coast is at its surf peak for intermediates: consistent 1–2m sets on Selong Belanak, the possibility of more serious waves at Mawi for experienced surfers, and the entire bay to yourself compared to the Bali crowds.
What you sacrifice
- ↓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.
How May compares to June (best month)
| Factor | May | June ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 9 | 10 |
| Value | 7 | 6 |
| Crowds | 7 | 6 |
May in other destinations
Lisbon (20.7°C)Barcelona (20.8°C)Tokyo (23.8°C)Bali (31.2°C)Santorini (19.8°C)Paris (18.1°C)New York (20.4°C)Marrakech (26.4°C)Amsterdam (16.4°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (21.7°C)Bangkok (32.6°C)Istanbul (20.7°C)Vienna (19.7°C)Seoul (21.4°C)Dubrovnik (20.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (26.2°C)Kyoto (25.2°C)Phuket (32.6°C)Cape Town (18.9°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (23°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (28°C)London (18°C)Sydney (19°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (38°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (33°C)Miami (30.6°C)Florence (23.1°C)Queenstown (11°C)Madrid (21.7°C)Porto (21°C)Edinburgh (15°C)Copenhagen (16°C)Budapest (22°C)Kraków (20°C)Tbilisi (23°C)Palawan (32°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (25°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (19°C)Mykonos (23°C)Zanzibar (28°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (32°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (25°C)Seville (27°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (34°C)Havana (30°C)Split (22°C)Taipei (30°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (24°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (29°C)Cappadocia (22°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (31°C)Tanzania (23°C)Seychelles (28°C)Nepal (28°C)Jordan (28°C)Azores (21°C)Bora Bora (28°C)Los Angeles (22.8°C)Cairo (34.8°C)Kenya (26.1°C)Jaipur (40.2°C)Las Vegas (33.8°C)San Francisco (17.5°C)Madeira (23°C)Vancouver (17.8°C)Muscat (40.1°C)Lima (20.5°C)Cinque Terre (21°C)Kotor (22°C)Tel Aviv (27°C)Santiago (17°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (17.8°C)Penang (33.2°C)Cape Verde (27.8°C)Fez (27.8°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (28°C)Oslo (17°C)Auckland (17°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Lombok, not across destinations. Methodology →