Today: Mon Sep 21 00:48:14 2026
Mount Rinjani and Lombok Trip
Years ago, I was already thinking of visiting Lombok. In the end, I finally decided to go. There were a few local (Lombok) tour operators organizing Rinjani hiking trips. I chose “Green Rinjani Trekking” and contacted them via WhatsApp. The only thing that stopped me from signing up with them was that the sales guy told me it was their company policy not to allow customers to request a private porter to carry personal belongings. My main concern was whether I should climb to the summit or just the rim, and whether I was physically capable of even just reaching the rim. I did not want to be the bottleneck, because I believed my son, being younger and regularly running, would surely be able to reach the summit. In short, money was not the main issue. I simply wanted to leave myself enough margin to ensure we could achieve what we had planned.
On hindsight, the sales guy was less experienced than he should have been. Instead of citing company policy, he should have explained that a private porter was generally not necessary because drinking water and other heavy items were already carried by the guide and porters. During the climb, I noticed that the guides from “Green Rinjani Trekking” seemed more actively engaged with their customers than my later guide (from another company) did.
Since it was company policy and I strongly preferred a private guide,
I contacted “Visit Mount Rinjani” instead. I think all these company name can change very dynamically.
Likely similar to our Sim Lim Tower story. Close down when reputation bad and start with a new name.
Some government agency also playing the same trip. Remember the NSTB, then ..., then the star thingy.
I signed up for the “Exclusive” Senaru Rim 2D1N Trek
package, because my priority was comfort and margin,
and money was not a major concern. I paid US$110 EXTRA for the package instead of the
“Premiere” package.
What did I get? The “Exclusive” package (for 2 persons) included total of four extra hiking poles and two
headlamps (worth about IDR 350K),
dinner (IDR 150K before the climb), and a better homestay or chalet (about IDR 300K per
night, of acceptable quality).
The “Premiere” homestay was probably about IDR 200K per night. To be honest, the better
food on the climb was not important to me (should not be important for anyone);
after all, you are not there to enjoy a fancy
meal. The more variety of food there is, the greater the risk of stomach problems,
especially since there is no free flow of water on the mountain top. I could not imagine
eating a rich curry during a strenuous climb. It is better to keep the food simple and
energy-focused. The same goes for sleeping bags, mattresses, and pillows. I suspect they
were short-changed to us, which later turned out to be true when I signed up for the
“Premiere” package on our later Sembalun summit trek. I paid US$110 for the extra value
of around US$40. In the end, the mission mattered more than the money. I also could not
really tell any difference in food quality between the “Exclusive” and “Premiere”
packages.
In fact, on the morning of the Senaru Rim trek, when we reached the starting point, I asked the guide where our hiking poles were. He replied that the manager might have forgotten to inform them to bring them. He made a phone call, and we waited for a short while until someone brought two pairs of hiking poles by motorcycle. This raised my suspicion that they may have forgotten that we were on the “Exclusive” package. Later, when I entered our tent at the rim, I saw that our mattress was only about 4–5 cm thick, not 8 cm thick as I had seen on the luxury package of another company. There might be comms breakdown between operation manager, porters, guide whether the package should be premiere or exclusive.
That reminded me to speak to the manager after the trek. He acknowledged the difference and reimbursed the IDR 150K for the dinner I had paid. At that time, our flight had touched down in Lombok around 5pm. It took about three hours to reach Senaru Village, where we stayed for the night. The pickup driver, who worked for the company and had a few cars and drivers, was trying to find petrol on the way. He eventually found a station with a shorter queue, but not before trying a couple of places with long lines. It wasted some time. You should fill up before picking up customers, not after. Sunset was around 6pm, and by 7pm it was fully dark. We then had to travel in complete darkness for more than an hour. It was a bit worrying for me to experience the high speed drive with car headlamp, but it is normal for local night driving. We reached the homestay around 8:30pm, had our dinner there (paid IDR 150K, suppose to be free/included), and the shop closed at 9pm. Accommoduation, sales, operational, transport, portal, guide, food and equipment rental could be sources from different vendors by the company (out sourcing...).
The good point is that both packages were for private groups. We had two porters and one guide for just two of us. So the pace was decided by us. If price is a concern, there are cheaper options, but in the end they are often run by the same people. It is a form of self-selection in marketing.
Overall, the manager and guide were reasonable and friendly people. I chatted a lot with the manager, and he shared many stories about his business and encounters with various customers. I prepaid the package by bank transfer to an Indonesian bank account. They showed me some reviews to reassure me before my wife made the transfer. There were some imperfections here and there, but they were acceptable to me. Small amount of money is always a small issue compare to other more important factors.
In fact, on the morning of the Senaru Rim trek, when we reached the starting point, I asked the guide where our hiking poles were. He replied that the manager might have forgotten to inform them to bring them. He made a phone call, and we waited for a short while until someone brought two pairs of hiking poles by motorcycle. This raised my suspicion that they may have forgotten that we were on the “Exclusive” package. Later, when I entered our tent at the rim, I saw that our mattress was only about 4–5 cm thick, not 8 cm thick as I had seen on the luxury package of another company. There might be comms breakdown between operation manager, porters, guide whether the package should be premiere or exclusive.
That reminded me to speak to the manager after the trek. He acknowledged the difference and reimbursed the IDR 150K for the dinner I had paid. At that time, our flight had touched down in Lombok around 5pm. It took about three hours to reach Senaru Village, where we stayed for the night. The pickup driver, who worked for the company and had a few cars and drivers, was trying to find petrol on the way. He eventually found a station with a shorter queue, but not before trying a couple of places with long lines. It wasted some time. You should fill up before picking up customers, not after. Sunset was around 6pm, and by 7pm it was fully dark. We then had to travel in complete darkness for more than an hour. It was a bit worrying for me to experience the high speed drive with car headlamp, but it is normal for local night driving. We reached the homestay around 8:30pm, had our dinner there (paid IDR 150K, suppose to be free/included), and the shop closed at 9pm. Accommoduation, sales, operational, transport, portal, guide, food and equipment rental could be sources from different vendors by the company (out sourcing...).
The good point is that both packages were for private groups. We had two porters and one guide for just two of us. So the pace was decided by us. If price is a concern, there are cheaper options, but in the end they are often run by the same people. It is a form of self-selection in marketing.
Overall, the manager and guide were reasonable and friendly people. I chatted a lot with the manager, and he shared many stories about his business and encounters with various customers. I prepaid the package by bank transfer to an Indonesian bank account. They showed me some reviews to reassure me before my wife made the transfer. There were some imperfections here and there, but they were acceptable to me. Small amount of money is always a small issue compare to other more important factors.
We had breakfast at 6:30am and were picked up and taken to the starting point of the
trek.
This is where they check your passport to ensure you have applied for the permit. Before that, we stopped at a village to receive a blessing from the village elder for the climb. It was simply part of the process. Business-driven or belief-driven? I only saw the tip box after almost keluar the place, so was hesitated and didn't tip. We started trekking around 8am. Most of the route was under vegetation, so it was not too hot. We reached the rim around 3:30pm. I recorded the timings from point to point, but I do not think it is meaningful to include them here. In general, people can reach the rim in roughly 4:30pm, so our pace was slightly better than average.
This is where they check your passport to ensure you have applied for the permit. Before that, we stopped at a village to receive a blessing from the village elder for the climb. It was simply part of the process. Business-driven or belief-driven? I only saw the tip box after almost keluar the place, so was hesitated and didn't tip. We started trekking around 8am. Most of the route was under vegetation, so it was not too hot. We reached the rim around 3:30pm. I recorded the timings from point to point, but I do not think it is meaningful to include them here. In general, people can reach the rim in roughly 4:30pm, so our pace was slightly better than average.
We had two porters to carry everything we needed. Most of them wore slippers (flip-flops),
and I even saw some with bare feet (<5%). They could carry 20–30 kg and walk very
fast. Since they needed to go ahead to prepare food and tents and to secure a good
campsite for the night, they were constantly moving. The guide spoke reasonably good
English and served as our point of contact.
Sunset was around 6pm, and we had dinner. By 7pm, it was completely dark, and with the wind
it became very cold. It was time to hide inside the tent. My measured heart rate was
about 70 beats per minute at 2,600m, which seemed normal. I tried to drink as much water
as possible during the day and to stop drinking too much later in the evening, otherwise
I would have to wake up several times at night to urinate. After dinner, You might needed some
time to settle down before you could sleep.
The next day, sunrise was around 6am. Breakfast was at 7am, and we started descending at
8:15am. We reached the gate around 11:15am, taking lunch at one of the rest points along
the way. The guide seemed to have an incentive to return early and was pushing us to
move as fast as we could. I think you should take control of your time unless you are trying to
rush to the next destination. I had already booked one night of accommodation (IDR 300K,
good quality), because I thought the descent would be tiring and I did not want to reach
Bangsal too late in the afternoon. Because of that, I missed the post-climb
transportation, as the manager later explained. They should be more general so as to
encourage people to stay in their homestay for a good rest.
So I had to pay IDR 350K (w/o the extra 1 night stay, this should be free) the next day to get to Bangsal and then to the ferry port for Gili.
We decided to sign up for the “Sembalun Summit 2D1N Trek” because my son was motivated to reach the summit. After the Senaru trek, We assessed that we still had enough margin to go for more. Moreover, the weather condition and our body condition was good. Likely this is our only chance to reach the submit (now or never...). So we changed our original plan and signed up for it (this time round, premiere-:)), as the manager could secure permits for us.
We decided to sign up for the “Sembalun Summit 2D1N Trek” because my son was motivated to reach the summit. After the Senaru trek, We assessed that we still had enough margin to go for more. Moreover, the weather condition and our body condition was good. Likely this is our only chance to reach the submit (now or never...). So we changed our original plan and signed up for it (this time round, premiere-:)), as the manager could secure permits for us.
A taxi driver called his friend and offered us 400K to take the two of us to Gili Air via private boat.
I did not accept the offer. At Bangsal, we were not sure where the official counter for
the boat was. One shop offered us a speedboat for 150K per person. There was a family
from Germany who were offered 500K per boat, so we joined them (share cost) because the boat could
hold up to 10 people. Make sure you know how to swim, because I did not see any life
jackets on the 10-minute ride (maybe inside the cabinet?).
Upon arriving at Gili Air, we looked for a horse cart to take us to our hotel because it was too hot and too far to walk. The price was regulated at around 200K. One horse cart could carry two people with luggages.
We stayed at Tipsea Turtle. We accidentally booked a shared-toilet room, but it turned out to be fine for us. The hotel arranged snorkelling boat trips every day, so you could join them. Along the beach, snorkelling gear (mask, snorkel, fins) cost about 25K for the whole day, but the shop closed around 5–6pm (low tide and getting dark). The best time for snorkelling was from 8am to around 2pm (you need the tide and sunlight). We decided to buy a mask and snorkel (350K) and practice in the hotel swimming pool, as we had never snorkelled before.
Alternatively, you can snorkel near the beach and still see turtles. You need to wear wet shoes (the coral can cut your feet) instead of fins. Of course, be careful and make sure you are a strong swimmer.
Be prepared in advance. We were very interested only at the last minute, and we ended up buying gear and practicing snorkelling too late.
Upon arriving at Gili Air, we looked for a horse cart to take us to our hotel because it was too hot and too far to walk. The price was regulated at around 200K. One horse cart could carry two people with luggages.
We stayed at Tipsea Turtle. We accidentally booked a shared-toilet room, but it turned out to be fine for us. The hotel arranged snorkelling boat trips every day, so you could join them. Along the beach, snorkelling gear (mask, snorkel, fins) cost about 25K for the whole day, but the shop closed around 5–6pm (low tide and getting dark). The best time for snorkelling was from 8am to around 2pm (you need the tide and sunlight). We decided to buy a mask and snorkel (350K) and practice in the hotel swimming pool, as we had never snorkelled before.
Alternatively, you can snorkel near the beach and still see turtles. You need to wear wet shoes (the coral can cut your feet) instead of fins. Of course, be careful and make sure you are a strong swimmer.
Be prepared in advance. We were very interested only at the last minute, and we ended up buying gear and practicing snorkelling too late.
There were a few shops offering snorkelling boat trips. A private boat for a four-hour
trip (including a one-hour lunch break on one island) cost about 1M, while a group trip
(likely fewer than 20 people) cost around 150K per person. Group trips could be booked
on the spot, while private boat trips required a day’s advance booking. A private boat
had one boatman and one guide. The guide would enter the water and look after the
customers.
We signed up with the shop that sold us the snorkelling set. But on the actual day, the boat departed with only a boatman. He could not speak proper English and explained that the guide had fallen sick at the last minute. He said he had gone without a guide on a few trips and that it was safe. I was not convinced (luckily i insisted, I could otherwise...). I insisted on returning and cancelling the trip. The sales person then came along as the guide, and we set off. We took turns going into the water while one person stayed on the boat to look after the others and our belongings. We skipped the lunch break, so the whole trip lasted about three hours. That was more than enough. We were not yet comfortable using fins and masks, and we struggled a bit, but the water was clear and the effort was worthwhile. Boatman is needed as the current can prevent you from coming back to the boat and hence the boat must be controled to reach your position. In some place, anchor is not possible and hence the boatman must constantly adjust the boat position.
Things in Gili are two or three times more expensive than in Bangsal. But for roughly S$10 equivalent, the food was good enough.
Port in Gili Air was not too messy. We took the speedboat (which could carry about 32 people) for 85K per person. There was a counter where you could get the ferry schedule and price. We were heading back to Bangsal for transportation to the homestay.
We signed up with the shop that sold us the snorkelling set. But on the actual day, the boat departed with only a boatman. He could not speak proper English and explained that the guide had fallen sick at the last minute. He said he had gone without a guide on a few trips and that it was safe. I was not convinced (luckily i insisted, I could otherwise...). I insisted on returning and cancelling the trip. The sales person then came along as the guide, and we set off. We took turns going into the water while one person stayed on the boat to look after the others and our belongings. We skipped the lunch break, so the whole trip lasted about three hours. That was more than enough. We were not yet comfortable using fins and masks, and we struggled a bit, but the water was clear and the effort was worthwhile. Boatman is needed as the current can prevent you from coming back to the boat and hence the boat must be controled to reach your position. In some place, anchor is not possible and hence the boatman must constantly adjust the boat position.
Things in Gili are two or three times more expensive than in Bangsal. But for roughly S$10 equivalent, the food was good enough.
Port in Gili Air was not too messy. We took the speedboat (which could carry about 32 people) for 85K per person. There was a counter where you could get the ferry schedule and price. We were heading back to Bangsal for transportation to the homestay.
After the Senaru Trek, our leg muscle were painful for 2 full days. So, after 4 days,
we're in tip top condition for the challenges ahead.
Breakfast was at around 6:30am. We departed around 7:30am (we stayed in Senaru Village) and reached the gate (Sembalun) around 8:30am. Along the way, we rented hiking poles and a headlamps for 350K, and completed the medical and permit checks. The ranger would roughly inspect what we were carrying. Wet wipes, drones, and some items were not allowed.
You could skip the first part of the Sembalun Trek by taking a motorcycle (200K per person). We signed up for it to gain more margin. It was exciting, with a little concern, and I hoped nothing would go wrong. The rider’s skills were definitely good, but there is no such thing as 100% safety. High speed without helmet... Still, everyone made it according to the guide. We waited for a short while because the guide and porters had to walk the first section. The guide was happy because his heavy backpack could ride with us.
Breakfast was at around 6:30am. We departed around 7:30am (we stayed in Senaru Village) and reached the gate (Sembalun) around 8:30am. Along the way, we rented hiking poles and a headlamps for 350K, and completed the medical and permit checks. The ranger would roughly inspect what we were carrying. Wet wipes, drones, and some items were not allowed.
You could skip the first part of the Sembalun Trek by taking a motorcycle (200K per person). We signed up for it to gain more margin. It was exciting, with a little concern, and I hoped nothing would go wrong. The rider’s skills were definitely good, but there is no such thing as 100% safety. High speed without helmet... Still, everyone made it according to the guide. We waited for a short while because the guide and porters had to walk the first section. The guide was happy because his heavy backpack could ride with us.
Again, we were faster than average and reached the Sembalun rim around 2:30pm, likely
because we skipped the first part of the trek.
The Sembalun route is more popular than the Senaru route. Roughly, there could be 250
tents on the Sembalun rim compared with 150 tents on the Senaru rim.
At the rim, you can see the summit. It looks deceptively close. If you are heading up,
the slope on the left looks more gradual, but the right slope is not. You can drop down
a few hundred metres at the cliff. When you are climbing at 2am, you can see nothing.
Only when you descend in daylight do you realize how dangerous it is.
I requested dinner to be at 5:30pm. We did not drink water after dinner. We wanted to ensure we could rest and sleep early, since we had to wake up at 1:30am.
At 1:30am, the guide woke us up, and we had bread in the tent. My stomach was not in optimal condition, and I needed to go to the toilet. The toilet had almost collapsed. The porter helped to rebuild it. I had to do my business in strong wind and darkness while my son provide lighting, and held the two poles to prevent the temporary toilet from collapsing. During the ascent in strong wind and complete darkness, I could not imagine how to find a place for this.
As I was the weakest link, I asked my son to follow closely behind me. The wind was so strong and 1–2 metres to the right was a cliff. I kept shouting, “Keep left, stay low,” fearful that the wind would blow us towards the right. It was very cold because of the altitude and the wind.
My guide told us to move ahead, and he would catch up with us later, as he was also having stomach issues. Being a guide, I trust that he can find himself a good place in such conditions. In the end, only the two of us reached the summit, and we asked other hikers to help take a photo of us.
The path is only wide enough for a single file of people (mostly, especially with darkness), so I tended to let faster people pass and followed behind them, leverage on their lights. It is better not to be the front person if you are not the guide. At one point, some nice people shouted to me that I was going the wrong way (right side or right way tend to be dangerous). Amazing to see one column of light in front, and one column of light behind, couple with the city lights far below.
We were always slightly faster than average for the rim climbs, but the summit climb was not. We were supposed to reach the summit at 6am for sunrise, but we reached it around 6:30am instead. We took a quick photo, then started descending at 6:45am.
My stomach was not in its best condition. I needed to find a place to do my business twice during descent. Stomach was full of air. Can't image how I survive the ascend with this stomach. Almost not way for me to find a suitable place to do my business during the ascend. Imagine finding a wrong place... Simple food is best. My son was fine, so I could not blame the porters. We reached the rim at 9am, had breakfast, and began the descent at 10am. We reached Pos 1 at 1pm. I had been moving since 2am, so I decided to take the motorbike even though I could probably have survived with the hot sun and long walk. There was no point in taking unnecessary risk. My son felt fine and wanted to walk with the guide, and they walked fast, taking about one hour. We reached the homestay, cleaned up roughly, and threw away old, dirty clothing that had been planned for disposal in advance. Transport then took us to Senggigi, where we had pre-booked a hotel.
I requested dinner to be at 5:30pm. We did not drink water after dinner. We wanted to ensure we could rest and sleep early, since we had to wake up at 1:30am.
At 1:30am, the guide woke us up, and we had bread in the tent. My stomach was not in optimal condition, and I needed to go to the toilet. The toilet had almost collapsed. The porter helped to rebuild it. I had to do my business in strong wind and darkness while my son provide lighting, and held the two poles to prevent the temporary toilet from collapsing. During the ascent in strong wind and complete darkness, I could not imagine how to find a place for this.
As I was the weakest link, I asked my son to follow closely behind me. The wind was so strong and 1–2 metres to the right was a cliff. I kept shouting, “Keep left, stay low,” fearful that the wind would blow us towards the right. It was very cold because of the altitude and the wind.
My guide told us to move ahead, and he would catch up with us later, as he was also having stomach issues. Being a guide, I trust that he can find himself a good place in such conditions. In the end, only the two of us reached the summit, and we asked other hikers to help take a photo of us.
The path is only wide enough for a single file of people (mostly, especially with darkness), so I tended to let faster people pass and followed behind them, leverage on their lights. It is better not to be the front person if you are not the guide. At one point, some nice people shouted to me that I was going the wrong way (right side or right way tend to be dangerous). Amazing to see one column of light in front, and one column of light behind, couple with the city lights far below.
We were always slightly faster than average for the rim climbs, but the summit climb was not. We were supposed to reach the summit at 6am for sunrise, but we reached it around 6:30am instead. We took a quick photo, then started descending at 6:45am.
My stomach was not in its best condition. I needed to find a place to do my business twice during descent. Stomach was full of air. Can't image how I survive the ascend with this stomach. Almost not way for me to find a suitable place to do my business during the ascend. Imagine finding a wrong place... Simple food is best. My son was fine, so I could not blame the porters. We reached the rim at 9am, had breakfast, and began the descent at 10am. We reached Pos 1 at 1pm. I had been moving since 2am, so I decided to take the motorbike even though I could probably have survived with the hot sun and long walk. There was no point in taking unnecessary risk. My son felt fine and wanted to walk with the guide, and they walked fast, taking about one hour. We reached the homestay, cleaned up roughly, and threw away old, dirty clothing that had been planned for disposal in advance. Transport then took us to Senggigi, where we had pre-booked a hotel.
You will need two hiking poles for the summit climb (both AI and the manager had told
me before hand). Going uphill stresses the muscles, while going downhill is mostly painful for the
knees.
Essential items for the climb:
Good hiking shoes. Summit climb: 2 hiking poles + headlamp. Normal climb: 1 pole or no pole is fine. Long pant is needed for the summit climb. Outdoor conditions at the rim are cold, but shorts are fine for climbing to the rim. Sleeping bag provided. You could wear long pant or short pant for your sleep.
We wore one short-sleeved T-shirt, one long-sleeved T-shirt (which dries easily), and a jacket.
Beanie. Mask (I used cheap surgical mask, fine sand flies everywhere as people kick it up).
A small backpack for water and energy snacks. If your guide carries the water and then separated from you, then…
Essential items for the rim stay: torch light, slippers, wet wipes (for comfort and cleaning your face, use a small amount of water to clean up).
Cellular network is intermittent, but the rim can sometimes receive signal.
As usual, heavy items such as water were carried by my son. Thanks to him, I was able to reach the summit. At the last part of the summit climb, it was extremely tough. I had never doubted that he was capable of reaching the summit, but I was not so sure about myself (initially, not even sure about Senaru Rim).
Essential items for the climb:
Good hiking shoes. Summit climb: 2 hiking poles + headlamp. Normal climb: 1 pole or no pole is fine. Long pant is needed for the summit climb. Outdoor conditions at the rim are cold, but shorts are fine for climbing to the rim. Sleeping bag provided. You could wear long pant or short pant for your sleep.
We wore one short-sleeved T-shirt, one long-sleeved T-shirt (which dries easily), and a jacket.
Beanie. Mask (I used cheap surgical mask, fine sand flies everywhere as people kick it up).
A small backpack for water and energy snacks. If your guide carries the water and then separated from you, then…
Essential items for the rim stay: torch light, slippers, wet wipes (for comfort and cleaning your face, use a small amount of water to clean up).
Cellular network is intermittent, but the rim can sometimes receive signal.
As usual, heavy items such as water were carried by my son. Thanks to him, I was able to reach the summit. At the last part of the summit climb, it was extremely tough. I had never doubted that he was capable of reaching the summit, but I was not so sure about myself (initially, not even sure about Senaru Rim).
Mount Rinjani is more difficult than Mount KK (AI said) when I climbed it when I was
younger. At that time, I was one of the few who reached the summit early and then went
back down to meet my friends. Then went back up, with some of them to reach the summit together.
The danger is not the volcano itself, but the terrain. As it is a active volcano, you should avoid climbing if the alert level is not safe.
You could sign up for a 3D2N or 4D3N trip that includes the summit attack if your team is reasonably fit. You can always stop halfway (sunrise still will be there) before the summit. This is much better than doing two separate 2D1N treks, although our situation was special.
The danger is not the volcano itself, but the terrain. As it is a active volcano, you should avoid climbing if the alert level is not safe.
You could sign up for a 3D2N or 4D3N trip that includes the summit attack if your team is reasonably fit. You can always stop halfway (sunrise still will be there) before the summit. This is much better than doing two separate 2D1N treks, although our situation was special.
On the last night, we stayed at the Swiss-Belcourt hotel because it was near the airport
for our next-morning flight. The hotel offers interesting activities such as white-water
rafting and dirt biking. Maybe next time…
This was a nice and worthwhile trip. Exciting and things turn out to be very smooth. We met and chat with various people along the way - hardware engineer, software engineer, data engineer, doctor, bosses, manager, guides, students and etc. As long as you can open your mouth and smile, people on tour are in a mood to talk to you.
This was a nice and worthwhile trip. Exciting and things turn out to be very smooth. We met and chat with various people along the way - hardware engineer, software engineer, data engineer, doctor, bosses, manager, guides, students and etc. As long as you can open your mouth and smile, people on tour are in a mood to talk to you.