The Indonesian island of Lombok is often overlooked for its glamorous neighbour, Bali, but the beauty on offer here is on a much grander scale with just a fraction of the tourists. Lush forests, the brooding Mount Rinjani, exquisite white-sand beaches, beautiful headlands, epic surf, and turquoise bays assault your senses around every corner – add to this The Lombok Lodge, our hidden gem of 2015, and the result is a very alluring tropical escape.

Located just a 10 minute boat ride from the Gili Islands, three tiny islands fringed by sparkling white-sand beaches and coconut palms and with the turquoise sea teeming with marine life and some lovely coral reefs, The Lombok Lodge finds its home on the northern part of Lombok overlooking Mendana Bay and shadowed by Indonesia’s second highest volcano, Mount Rinjani.

The Lombok Lodge’s Belgian owners, Ben and Anja Olaerts, have created a stunning and intimate nine room retreat – cascading down the sloping block of land towards the sea, the design is a visual feast of lush green lawns, swaying palm trees, a glittering infinity pool and coconut-white suites. Although you couldn’t go wrong no matter which room you stayed in, we particularly love the Poolside Lodge Suites (of which there are two) for their sensational ocean views, expansive wooden terrace, oversized daybeds, and the direct access to the pool deck and stone-tiled pool.

Apart from the sensational design, what sets The Lombok Lodge apart from so many other small and intimate hotels is the food. The Lombok Lodge is a food destination in its own right. Born and raised in Lombok, and formerly of Ubud’s renowned Mosaic restaurant, Chef Jiwa has worked in fine-dining restaurants in both Europe and throughout Indonesia, and the result is an outstanding food offering from breakfast through to dinner.

Elegant and sophisticated dishes continually flow from the kitchen here, with the piece de resistance being the five-course dinner each evening that is included in your stay. With a very high staff to guest ratio, dinner is often set up in a different location each night and no effort is spared. Beautifully dressed tables magically appear throughout the property, and we enjoyed dinner on the jetty under the stars, on the terrace by the pool and on the wooden terrace of our room another night.

We’ve fully experienced everything this resort has to offer, from the best rooms to the not to miss experiences, so contact us about adding a stay at The Lombok Lodge to your Seven Skies’ experience.