Pink Beach (Pantai Tangsi) lies near the tip of the Sekaroh peninsula, about 1.5–2 hours’ drive from Kuta. The pink colour, strongest at the water’s edge and in wet sand, comes from crushed red coral mixed with white sand; it is subtle in harsh midday light and stronger in the morning and late afternoon. Most visitors come by boat from Tanjung Luar, a Bajo fishing village, snorkelling at small islands such as Gili Petelu on the way.
On the north-east coast, near Labuhan Lombok — the port for ferries to Sumbawa — a scatter of small islands includes Gili Kondo, with white sand and good snorkelling, Gili Kapal, little more than a sandbank at low tide, and the mangroves of Gili Petagan. Boat trips start from fishing villages such as Transat and Labuhan Pandan.
East Lombok sees few foreign visitors. Facilities are basic, distances long and the reward is space: beaches you may share with a fishing boat, and reefs without a queue of snorkellers.
Highlights
- The pink-tinted sand and clear water of Tangsi
- Snorkelling small reefs around Gili Petelu and the south-east islets
- Gili Kondo’s white beach and shallow coral gardens
- Walking on the Gili Kapal sandbank among terns at low tide
- Mangrove channels around Gili Petagan
- Views across to Sumbawa from the eastern headlands
In pictures: east Lombok
How long to stay and where to base yourself
Most visitors see Pink Beach on a long day trip from Kuta or Senggigi with boat transfers and lunch included. For Gili Kondo and the north-east islands, a day from Sembalun or Tetebatu works too. Accommodation in the east is limited: a few homestays in the coastal villages and a handful of remote lodges, including an upscale beach camp near Tanjung Ringgit.
