Lombok Shopping Malls: Where to Shop, Change Money and Buy a SIM

3 November 2026

“Where is the town centre on Lombok?” “Are there shopping malls or big supermarkets?” “Where should I change money and buy a SIM card?” These questions come up when you are getting ready for a trip to Lombok. The short answer is that the island’s shopping centre is Mataram, the provincial capital on the west coast, and especially the area around Cakranegara, which grew up as the commercial district. There are few malls: as of October 2026, the two whose existence and location we could confirm were Lombok Epicentrum Mall and Transmart Mataram.

Lombok is not an island like Bali with several large malls. The realistic approach is to stock up on food and daily goods, change money, and sort out your SIM card and medicines in Mataram in one go, then head on to your accommodation in Senggigi, Kuta or Sekotong.

This guide is based only on information we could actually read: the official websites of Indonesia’s tourism ministry and the city of Mataram, Indonesian news reports, a paper published in April 2026 and similar sources. Mataram Mall, which was reported to be heading for closure, is not included as a destination. Shops change, so check them on a map app before you go.

Information as of October 2026

What this guide covers

✓Where Lombok’s town centre and main shopping area are
✓The two shopping malls whose existence and location we could confirm
✓Where to go for supermarkets, money exchange, SIM cards and pharmacies
✓How traditional markets (pasar) differ from malls
✓Distances from the airport, Senggigi and Sekotong, and Friday prayer times

IN SHORT

Lombok’s main town is the provincial capital Mataram, and its commercial heart is the area around Cakranegara. As of October 2026, the malls whose existence and location we could confirm are Lombok Epicentrum Mall (daily 10:00 to 22:00, with a supermarket, cinema, food court and an ATM corner) and Transmart Mataram in Cakranegara district. If you want to do your shopping and withdraw cash in one place, Epicentrum is the easiest choice. Around midday on Fridays, small shops, money changers and bank counters may close.

Contents

Where is Lombok’s town centre? Mataram and Cakranegara

The island’s centre is Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, on the west coast. According to the city of Mataram’s official website, the city was originally made up of three areas with different roles: Ampenan was the port town, Mataram the centre of government and education, and Cakranegara the centre of trade and the economy. The part travellers think of as “town” or “the centre” is the stretch from Mataram to Cakranegara.

According to statistics office estimates compiled on English Wikipedia, the city of Mataram had a population of about 441,000 in mid-2023. It is divided into six districts (Ampenan, Sekarbela, Mataram, Selaparang, Cakranegara and Sandubaya). The same page says Sweta, on the east side of the city, has the island’s largest market and a bus terminal.

Senggigi is a resort town on the coast north of Mataram, a seafront road lined with hotels and restaurants. Kuta (Mandalika) is a beach town in the south. Large shopping facilities such as malls are in Mataram. For how Mataram developed and what to see there, see our guide to Senggigi and Mataram. This guide focuses on where to go shopping.

Where are the shopping malls on Lombok? The two we could confirm

As of October 2026, these are the two malls whose existence and location we could confirm from official websites and news reports. Both are in the city of Mataram.

← Scroll the table sideways

Item	Lombok Epicentrum Mall	Transmart Mataram
Location	Jl. Sriwijaya No. 333, Mataram	Cakranegara district (on the edge of the built-up area)
Opening hours	Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 22:00 (local time)	Could not be confirmed
What’s inside	Supermarket, cinema (XXI), food court, clothing shops, electronics shops, an ATM corner with several banks, free Wi-Fi	A hypermarket combined with food, entertainment and clothing (as reported when it opened in 2017)
Opened	Could not be confirmed (the supermarket inside was announced as opening in June 2015)	23 June 2017
From the airport	About 30km, about 40 minutes by car	Could not be confirmed

*Epicentrum from Indonesia’s official tourism website; Transmart from detikFinance (2017) and a paper published in April 2026. As of October 2026.

Indonesia’s official tourism website (Wonderful Indonesia) describes Lombok Epicentrum Mall (LEM) as “the largest modern shopping centre on Lombok”. It is open Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 22:00 (local time).

The same page lists a supermarket, the XXI cinema, a food court, clothing shops and electronics shops, as well as an ATM corner with several banks, free Wi-Fi, a nursing room and parking. The Lonely Planet travel guide also describes it as the island’s largest mall, over four floors.

Sources disagree on the name of the supermarket inside. On 30 June 2015, PT Matahari Putra Prima, which runs Hypermart, announced it had “opened a Hypermart at Epicentrum Mall”, while the tourism ministry’s page says “Hero Supermarket”. We could not confirm which name it trades under as of October 2026. Both sources agree, though, that there is a supermarket in the mall selling food and daily goods.

detikFinance reported that Transmart Mataram opened on 23 June 2017 as “Transmart Carrefour Mataram”. Reports at the time described it as a hypermarket combined with food, entertainment and clothing under one roof. A paper published in April 2026 places it on the edge of the built-up area in Cakranegara district and notes that it has recently seemed to draw fewer visitors than other malls. We could not confirm its opening hours or street name.

Good to know

Mataram Mall is not included here: Mataram Mall in the city centre, the city’s first mall, open since 2005, was reported in July 2023 (Mojok) to be losing tenants one after another and heading for closure. The April 2026 paper names it as one of the malls but does not mention whether it is operating. As we could not confirm its status as of October 2026, this guide does not treat it as a destination.
Opening hours can change: Epicentrum’s hours are as listed on the tourism ministry’s page. They may change on public holidays or during Ramadan, so check a map app before you go.

Supermarket, money exchange, SIM card and pharmacy: can you do it all in one place?

You can do your food and household shopping and withdraw cash in one place at Epicentrum Mall. According to the tourism ministry’s page, the mall has a supermarket and ATMs from several banks. Large supermarkets in cities such as Mataram often accept credit cards, while markets and small shops mostly take cash. For using cards and ATMs and typical withdrawal limits, see our guide to money and payments on Lombok.

For changing money, use authorised money changers in Mataram or Senggigi. Bank Indonesia, the central bank, lists the signs of a licensed money changer: the central bank’s “authorised money changer” logo, a business licence certificate, the official company name on display, staff who can be clearly identified, and being asked to show a passport or other ID (Bisnis.com, September 2025). Rates and fees vary from shop to shop, so confirm the total you will receive before handing over your cash.

You can buy a SIM card at the counters in the airport arrivals hall, or at official operator shops and phone shops in towns such as Mataram. You need to show your passport, and the shop staff usually register the number for you. We could not confirm on official websites the exact locations and opening hours of the operators’ shops in Mataram. If you want to use a map app as soon as you arrive, buying a SIM at the airport saves trouble on the road.

For pharmacies, the Kimia Farma chain has branches in Mataram. A directory site lists a branch at Jl. Pejanggik No. 1 in Mataram district, but no opening hours. It is wise to bring any regular or prescription medicines from home and use local pharmacies only to top up.

✓Does the money changer display the central bank logo and a business licence?
✓Did you confirm the total you will receive before handing over your cash?
✓Do you have your passport with you when buying a SIM card?
✓Have you withdrawn cash at a mall ATM for markets and small shops?
✓Did you check on a map app that the shop shows as open before setting off?

How do traditional markets (pasar) differ from malls?

Malls are air-conditioned buildings with chain stores and supermarkets, and many shops accept cards. Traditional markets (pasar) are where local people buy their daily food and household goods, and payment is basically in cash.

Kebon Roek market (Pasar Kebon Roek) in Ampenan has two floors, and shoppers tend to gather on the ground floor, detik reported in May 2025. According to the same report, part of the car park is used for selling, which the city’s transport office says is not permitted. If you go by car, expect it to take a while to find somewhere to park.

The Lonely Planet travel guide describes Mandalika market (Pasar Mandalika), next to the Mandalika bus terminal in Bertais, as a large market with no tourists but everything you could want. It says Cakranegara market (Pasar Cakranegara) has a collection of small, characterful shops, including some selling good-quality ikat. We could not tell from the page when this information was gathered, though.

Cakranegara also has a market selling Hindu offerings. In an article ahead of Nyepi (the Hindu new year) in March 2025, detik published photos of people selling offerings at Karang Jasi market (Pasar Karang Jasi) in Cakranegara.

How far is Mataram from the airport, Senggigi and Sekotong?

Mataram sits midway down the island’s west coast, within driving distance of the airport, Senggigi, Lembar Port and Sekotong. Approximate distances and times are as follows.

Figure: Approximate distance and drive time to Mataram

Figure notes: approximate, based on Indonesia’s official tourism website, Good News From Indonesia (January 2025) and our own guides (as of October 2026). The drive time from Lembar Port to Mataram could not be confirmed, so only the distance is shown.

From the airport, the tourism ministry’s page gives about 30km and about 40 minutes by car to Epicentrum Mall. Our guide to Lombok’s areas gives 45 minutes to 1 hour from the airport to Mataram, so the figure shows 40 minutes to 1 hour. From Senggigi it is about 17km, or about 30 minutes by car (Good News From Indonesia, January 2025). Lembar Port is about 21km south of Mataram (the tourism ministry’s cruise port page); we could not confirm the time.

From Sekotong to Mataram is about 50km: about 40 minutes by car from the village to Lembar Port, then a further 21km or so from the port to Mataram. The airport to Sekotong takes about 1 hour 10 minutes by car, so stopping in Mataram on the way from the airport to your accommodation adds that extra time.

If your accommodation is far from Mataram, trying to fit all your shopping into your departure day leaves little margin for getting to the airport. It is easier to stop on the way from the airport to your accommodation on arrival day, or to set aside half a day for shopping during your stay. In the rainy season (November to March), rain and road conditions can make journeys take longer.

Do shops close for Friday prayers or during Ramadan?

Yes. In the prayer timetable from Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (published by detik), the midday prayer (Zuhr) in Mataram on 23 September 2026 was at 12:12. On Fridays, congregational prayers are held at the mosques at this time. According to our own summary, on Fridays from roughly 11:30 to 13:30, local eateries, small shops, money changers and bank counters may close for an hour or two or shorten their hours. Supermarkets, convenience stores and shops aimed at travellers are said to usually stay open as normal.

If you go to Mataram on a Friday, you are less likely to make a wasted trip if you deal with money changing and banks early in the morning or after prayers in the afternoon. Some shops change their hours during Ramadan. Check each year’s dates and their effects in our guide to Friday prayers, holidays and Ramadan.

Where to go, by what you need

Putting all this together by purpose, here is where to go.

Figure: Where to go by purpose (Mataram)

Figure notes: a summary of this guide by purpose. Opening hours from the tourism ministry’s page (as of October 2026).

To do it all in one day, an easy order is: money changing and banking in the morning, then food and household shopping at the mall, withdrawing cash at an ATM for the market, and then the market if you have time. Decide how much fresh food to buy based on whether your accommodation has a fridge.

A word from us in Sekotong

The southwest coast around Sekotong has far fewer ATMs and minimarkets than Mataram. Withdrawing the cash you will need during your stay beforehand, at a mall ATM in Mataram for example, saves you hunting for one locally. When you book a transfer from the airport to your accommodation, ask at the booking stage whether it can stop in Mataram on the way and how that changes the price and time; it makes the day itself much easier.

Who shopping in Mataram suits, and who it does not

The downsides of shopping on Lombok first: there are few malls, and the choice of shops is much more limited than on Bali. Of the two we could confirm, a paper notes that one draws few visitors, and the city’s first mall was reported to be heading for closure. If you want designer shopping, or enjoy strolling around big malls as part of your holiday, Lombok is not the place for it.

On the other hand, if you want to get everything you need for your stay in one go and then spend your time by the sea, Lombok is easy to manage: one mall and a market, and you are done in half a day.

Sekotong, about 50km from Mataram, is a fishing village with few shops, but it has beaches that have not been turned into tourist spots and is a base for the Secret Gilis (South Gilis) off Sekotong. If you are thinking of doing your shopping in Mataram and spending your stay on a quiet coast, see also our guide to Sekotong.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Are there shopping malls on Lombok?

Yes. As of October 2026, the two whose existence and location we could confirm are Lombok Epicentrum Mall in the provincial capital Mataram, and Transmart Mataram in Cakranegara district.

Q. Where is Lombok’s town centre?

Mataram, the provincial capital on the west coast. The city’s official website describes Cakranegara as its centre of trade and the economy.

Q. Where are the big supermarkets?

Inside Epicentrum Mall and at Transmart Mataram. Sources differ on whether Epicentrum’s supermarket is Hypermart or Hero Supermarket, and we could not confirm its name as of October 2026.

Q. Do shops close on Fridays?

During midday congregational prayers (roughly 11:30 to 13:30), local eateries, small shops, money changers and bank counters may close for an hour or two. Supermarkets and convenience stores are said to usually stay open. It is safest to do money changing and banking early in the morning or in the afternoon.

Q. Can I go to Mataram Mall?

A July 2023 report (Mojok) said it was due to close. We could not confirm whether it is operating as of October 2026. If you want to go, check on a map app or similar that it is open first.

Summary

Lombok’s main town is the provincial capital Mataram, and its commercial heart is around Cakranegara. As of October 2026, the malls we could confirm are Lombok Epicentrum Mall (daily 10:00 to 22:00) and Transmart Mataram. For fresh food and a look at local life, go to a traditional market, where payment is basically in cash.

Mataram is about 30km from the airport, about 17km from Senggigi and about 50km from Sekotong. Change money at authorised money changers, and buy a SIM card with your passport at the airport or an official shop in town. Around midday on Fridays, money changers and bank counters may close, so do these errands early in the morning or in the afternoon.