Travel Tips, Do's & Dont's

Lombok and Bali offers travelers of all ages numerous and various leisure activities to enjoy. There are variety of hotels, resorts and villas to choose from.

Related articles: Accommodation for a family group Traveling with kids (family group) Avoiding hassles during daytrip to Gili Islands

 

FOOD & BEVERAGES

Peel the fruit before eating; avoid raw vegetables except at reputable restaurants. Ice in restaurants is safe. Drink always from bottled water and eat well done cooking food, unless when eating at recommended restaurants/cafes or hotel's outlet.

 

SHOPPING

Street or beach vendors are often pushing too hard on selling and most visitors feel inconvenient. Never try to look at any of their item/s even they might be interesting to you, even this could be fun for those who want to learn about bargaining tactic. For most visitors this is hassling.

 

HEALTH

Protect yourself from the intense equatorial sun. Use sun block and hat.

Sexually transmitted diseases are increasing in Indonesia. Local sex workers have multiple partners from all over the world. Act responsibly and use condoms, available over the counter at pharmacies.

 

BOOK IN ADVANCED

Due to the limited number of flights to Lombok, during the peak season we highly recommend you to make flight booking far in advanced. Don't forget to ask your local tour operator to re-confirm your ticket minimum 24 hours in advanced to ensure yourself to get seats.

 

RAMADHAN (FASTING) BREAK

Most tourist facilities in Lombok (Gili Islands & Senggigi) remain open during Ramadhan. Local Restaurants might close in residential area in Mataram or Cakranegara to respect the majority of Moesleem Fasting. Tourist are suggested to eat and drinks in hotel's or resort's area.

 

CUSTOM REGULATIONS

You must have at least 6 (six) months validity of passport to enter Indonesia.

Visa On Arrival (VOA) can be obtain at the International Airports in major cities of Indonesia.

 

According to customs regulations, one adult is allowed to bring into Indonesia a maximum of one liter of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 1000 grams of tobacco, and reasonable amount of perfume.

Photographic, video and filming equipment radios, typewriters, and cars are admitted provide they are recorded in your passport on entry and taken out of the country on departure.

Narcotic, firearm and ammunition, TV set, and Chinese medicine are strictly prohibited. Fresh fruit, plants and animals must be passed by Quarantine Office.

LAND TRANSFERS AND SIGHTSEEING
Visitor can explore the tiny island by using various kind of transportation such as: Chartered/Car Hire, Taxi, Bus, Bemo/Angkot (local’s public transportation) and Motorcycle.
 

Public Transportation or known locally as "Bemo OR Angkot", a non-AC minivan are available in major town with quite inexpensive price. They take and drop off local passenger and often load over capacity, without travel insurance coverage. For those who prefer to travel more privately, car-hire option or charter or motorbike rental may be the choice. The prices, however, do not always included insurance. And they vary depending upon the type of vehicle and the duration of hiring. Petrol pomp and service stations are available at every large town. In emergency there are always road side kiosks fuels out of drums at a bit dearer price.

If you rent a car (self drive), you may find the rental fare are much more expensive than in Bali because of limited car available on Lombok. While driving yourself, please take out most care since the traffic rules may be some what different from those observed in your country. Indonesian and any other Asian Countries uses "right side steering system"

An international drivers license is required, but one can apply for temporary permit in Lombok and go for test driver in tourist driving license office in Jalan Langko Mataram Lombok.

It is compulsory to wear a crash helmet while you ere on the road on a motorbike. Helmets are available at motorbike hire outlets. Small horse drawn carts called Cidomo serve as convenient transportation during off hours and off the beaten track.

 

Private Transfer Service (Point to Point) is one of the best option to avoid hassles during your vacation in Indonesia. For Bali & Lombok, Call Lombok Network Holidays: +62 (0) 370 6628139 or email: bookings@lombok-network.com 

 

Things to consider in selecting accommodation for a family group are:

 

Location

Try to choose a location that is popular and close to family oriented attractions i.e. near the beach, shops, restaurants and amusements.

 

Facilities

Make sure your accommodation choice is suitable for kids, it has a children's pool, connecting doors, play ground etc. Some venues are unsuitable for family groups.

 

Transport

When you travel with a family, it will be much more convenient if you use private transport. Check with your travel agent venue if they provide private transport as part of the holiday package.

 

Pricing

Does your accommodation choice offer discounts for children under a certain age?

 

Activities
Just about every attraction are children friendly - which makes Lombok and Bali are ideal destination for parents as well; from surf, sand and beach activities; cultural activities such as dancing, temple visits, and traditional local's life style experiences; adventure activities such as rafting, cycling, bungee jumping and elephant rides; and theme parks such as Bali Bird Park, Water boom, Butterfly Park, etc.

 

TRAVELING WITH BABY/INFANTS

Traveling with babies can be a surprisingly delightful experience, as long as our fulfillment of their basic needs is kept pretty much on schedule… their schedule.

Babies aren't as fragile as parents sometimes fear. It’s most likely that your baby enjoys the trip. Babies often find flying soothing and usually fall asleep listening to the hum of the engines, which by the way, disguises the sound of a baby crying very well.

By three months your baby is a pretty good candidate for flying. It isn’t a good idea to bring your baby for air travel before this age. In the first week, the baby’s heart and respiratory systems couldn’t cope well enough with the reduced level of oxygen during the flight and at the age of two months, your child would still be susceptible to infection and should avoid all crowds, especially in a closed environment, such as the airplane cabin. The best part is that a three month old baby also can't run around.

There is no evidence that flying is unsafe for babies, if they are healthy. If you fly with your baby on either long or short flights, you should follow these guidelines:

PRE-FLIGHT ADVICE
Pack well in advance and check that you have all necessary documents. Children are sensitive to parental anxiety. Minimize your baby’s stress by reducing yours.
Prepare a bag for your baby for use on the flight and include favorite foods, snacks, toys, diapers, wipes and so forth. Drinks and food, take more than you think you'll need for emergencies and the inevitable delays.
If you are breastfeeding drink plenty of water whilst flying. .
Some of the Airline Companies cater for small children’s needs. You can check this out when you are booking and can pre-order special food for your baby.

IN FLIGHT ADVICE
Feed baby both during take off and upon landing. Swallowing encourages baby’s ears to clear ‘air blocks’. Also make sure your baby takes appropriate feeds and doesn’t become dehydrated.
Keep your baby cool. Remove hats and extra clothing. When you check your baby, if he or she is sweating or the tummy feels hot to the touch, take off some clothing. Don't worry if the baby's hands or feet feel cool, this is normal. Place your baby on their back to sleep.


Some experts advise to give baby massages, usually two or three days, before and after flying. Massage before flying helps the baby to be more relaxed, in hope for a smooth flight and massage after flying helps the baby cope with jet lag, or other differences at the destination. Anyway, as long as there’s no contraindication for massaging the baby, such as muscle or bone disorders (fracture, dislocation, or ask your doctor for more information), massages won’t harm your baby if done gently.

Baby Massage Technique
Use natural oil like organic sunflower or olive. Make sure your hands glide easily and for the best results use a firm touch. Pull baby's leg through your palms and fingers, hand over hand, from the thigh to foot, repeat three or four times. Give your baby's leg a gentle shake. Now do the same with the other leg
Then massage both legs together. Place your hands on the inside thighs and pull downwards around the back of the thighs, down the back of the knees, calves and feet. Repeat three or four times.
Now stroke firmly two or three times down the front of the legs.
This will help relax your baby’s legs and feet and stimulate their circulation. The baby’s hands feet and head are the coldest parts of their body until their circulatory system is fully developed.
Lay the weight of your open, relaxed hand on baby's tummy and, without pressing but rather using the relaxed weight, your hand, massage their tummy clockwise, the same direction as the baby's digestive system. Now lay your relaxed hand across your baby’s tummy and gently press from side to side (not downwards) between the hips and the ribs. This stimulates the large and small intestine and will help to relieve wind, colic fractiousness, and anxiety.
Place your hands on the centre of your baby's chest and massage upwards and outwards, over the shoulders. Draw both arms down vertically through the centre of your palms repeat a few times and give the arms a gentle shake. This will relax your baby’s arms and shoulders and stimulate the circulation of their arms and hands. Rest your hands on the front of baby's shoulders and using their relaxed weight draw them downwards over the chest, hips, legs and feet. Repeat three or four times before turning your baby onto their tummy. Once on their tummy, if they can, help your baby to bring their hands forward so they can rest on their elbows. Now stroke firmly, using lots of oil, hand over hand several times, down your baby’s back. With a relaxed open hand, stroke clockwise several times around the base of the spine and buttocks. Now rest both your hands on the back of your baby's shoulders and stroke downwards two or three times over the back and down the legs to the feet.
Remember to place your baby on their back to sleep and on their belly to play.

Source:
www.thebabywebsite.com | www.travellingwithchildren.com | www.babytips.co.uk