Mr & Mrs Smith

Had an unforgettable stay at Puri Mas. You must pay a visit to the three Gili Islands just off the coast of Lombok (great snorkeling and fantastic diving). Just down on the beach by Puri Mas you'll see the boats – pop down to book your trip the day before you plan to go (generally pay around $40 for the whole day). The boat will generally leave around 9am and bring you back late afternoon (5pm-ish). Be warned that the journey there is smooth but on the way back you may get a little bit wet!

The Gili Islands are each unique in their own way. Gili Meno was our favourite – the smallest, with some lovely beachside cafes and great snorkeling. Gili Air is also well worth spending some time on. Gili Trawangan is slightly more 'luxe' with new villa developments and a daily influx of tourists from Bali, so we chose to avoid it.

In Lombok itself, get a car to take you to Sire Beach in the north of the island. Spend the day sunbathing in total privacy and watch the sunset with drinks at the nearby Oberoi Hotel.

Puri Mas was fabulous (thankyou Mr and Mrs Smith). Just a short walk down the beach from the Puri Mas is a relatively new development called Qunci Pool Villas. This is a stunning contemporary boutique resort that has a lovely beach side bar/restaurant which does great cocktails and little tapas/bar snacks – perfect at sunset when they have happy hour on cocktails too.

Finally also a word of warning. For all travellers going through Bali airport – beware the 'porters'! We were in Lombok for a wedding and most of the guests we were with went through Denpasar airport and had the same experience. The porters take your baggage off the carousels, escort you through customs to the money exchange immediately outside. All while you are a bit bemused and tired from your long journey. Then while you are still confused about the exchange rate they ask for tips and are not happy with small denomination notes…