From a base in Sekotong you can make day trips to Mataram, about 1 hour 30 minutes by car, Senggigi and Kuta Lombok, about 2 hours each, and Desert Point at Sekotong’s southwest tip. You spend 3 to 4 hours in the car there and back, so keeping day trips to one day per stay and spending the other days on the South Gilis and the beaches keeps travel fatigue down.
For this guide we read a travel blog giving distances and times from Sekotong (We Seek Travel), Indonesian news sites (Good News From Indonesia, detikBali) and the Indonesian government tourism site in October 2026, and arranged them by destination and how to plan the day. Entry fees carry the date of the article they come from.
This guide is for anyone staying three nights or more in Sekotong who wants to spend one day off the coast.
Information as of October 2026
What this article covers
- ✓Driving times from Sekotong to each destination
- ✓Half-day trips: the pottery village, Mataram and Lembar
- ✓Full-day trips: Senggigi and Kuta Lombok
- ✓Desert Point and the southern coast road
- ✓How to choose your day trip and what to watch for
In short
Mataram is about 1 hour 30 minutes away; Senggigi and Kuta Lombok about 2 hours. Spend half a day around Mataram, or a full day at either Senggigi or Kuta. Keep day trips to one day per stay and spend the rest on the islands and beaches.
How long does it take from Sekotong? Times by destination
The travel blog We Seek Travel (updated July 2025) puts Sekotong at about 50 km and about 1 hour 30 minutes by car from central Mataram, about 70 km and 2 hours from Senggigi, and about 80 km and 2 hours from Kuta Lombok. The airport is about 1 hour 10 minutes away and Lembar port about 40 minutes, by the site standard.
Figure: One-way driving time from Sekotong
The same blog says Sekotong still has little tourism infrastructure and you need to arrange transport yourself. On day-trip days, most people hire a car with driver for the day or book a taxi or ride-hailing car each way. Rates and rules for a day’s hire are covered in our guide to hiring a car with driver on Lombok.
Half a day: the pottery village and Mataram
The nearest city to Sekotong is Mataram, and on the way is Banyumulek, a village known for Lombok pottery. According to the news site Good News From Indonesia (October 2024), Banyumulek is in Kediri district, West Lombok, about 20 minutes by car from Mataram. Entry is free, and you can watch potters shaping pieces by hand or have a go yourself with their guidance. The article suggests visiting around 10:00, as firing usually starts around 11:00.
In Mataram, the Indonesian government tourism site features Mayura Park, built in the 18th century during the era of the Karangasem kingdom, with Pura Mayura standing in the middle of a large pool. We could not confirm current opening hours or entry fees, so check before you go.
Between Sekotong and Mataram is Lembar, Lombok’s main ferry port. detikBali (March 2024) gives 30 to 45 minutes from Mataram to Lembar. A half day visiting the pottery village and Mataram, back in Sekotong by early afternoon, still leaves the afternoon for the beach.
A full day: Senggigi beach and Batu Bolong Temple
Senggigi is a seaside town on Lombok’s west coast, about 2 hours by car from Sekotong. According to Good News From Indonesia (January 2025), Senggigi beach is about 17 km and 30 minutes from Mataram, costs Rp15,000 to enter and is open 24 hours.
Batu Bolong Temple is a 5 to 10-minute walk from the beach, with entry at Rp20,000 per person and parking at Rp5,000 for motorbikes and Rp10,000 for cars (same article). The town and its sights are covered in our Senggigi and Mataram guide.
If you stay for sunset in Senggigi, the 2-hour drive back to Sekotong is after dark. On days you want a sunset, either hire a car with driver and fix the return time in advance, or watch the sunset from a beach in Sekotong instead.
A full day: Kuta Lombok and the southern beaches
Kuta Lombok is a seaside town on Lombok’s south coast, about 80 km and 2 hours from Sekotong (We Seek Travel). It is about 30 minutes from the airport by ride-hailing (Gecko Routes, updated June 2026). It also works as a day to buy things that are hard to find in Sekotong. The town and nearby beaches are covered in our Kuta Lombok and Mandalika guide.
We Seek Travel mentions a newer mountain road along Sekotong’s southern coast in very good condition. It does not give a time to Kuta by that road, so check road conditions and timing with your driver on the day.
Desert Point and the southern coast road
Desert Point (Bangko-Bangko) at Sekotong’s southwest tip is a surf spot known for long left-hand barrels. According to We Seek Travel, the best time is the dry season from May to October, when wind and swell line up. The same blog says the access road is badly damaged and hard going on a motorbike.
If you do not surf, plan it as a half day to watch the waves on a big-swell day. Where to stay and when the waves work are covered in Desert Point: where to stay.
Figure: Day trips from Sekotong
How to choose your day trip: balancing it with island days
The main reason to stay in Sekotong is time on the South Gilis and the beaches. Keep day trips to at most one day on a three-night stay, or one or two on five nights, and keep them flexible so island hopping can move to the best-weather day. Swapping a day when boats cannot go out for a day trip is another option.
The Semelar Beach Village stay programme runs from 3 nights/4 days to 5 nights/6 days at Rp4,800,000 per person, including airport transfers, local transport, a guide, a welcome dinner and a massage; flights and accommodation are separate. Where you can stay is on our Stay page, what you can do in the village on Things to Do, the beach cafe on SAKURA CAFE, and the route from the airport on Getting Here.
- ✓Day trips kept to one day per stay (two on five nights or more)
- ✓A fixed return time, avoiding long drives after dark
- ✓A car with driver, or cars booked each way
- ✓Small rupiah notes for entry and parking fees
A note from Sekotong
Sekotong still has little tourism infrastructure, and what you can buy at the beach cafes and village shops is limited. On a day trip to Mataram or Kuta Lombok, stock up on things you may run short of later in the stay, such as sunscreen, medicines or children’s supplies, so the remaining days can be spent on the beach and the islands.
Downsides, and who a day trip suits
The downsides first. A day trip from Sekotong to Senggigi or Kuta Lombok means about 4 hours in the car there and back. Sekotong has little tourism infrastructure and you need to arrange transport yourself, so a car is essential on day-trip days. Some details, such as Mayura Park’s current opening hours, could not be confirmed.
If you are staying three nights or more and want a day for towns, temples or shopping, or want something ready for a rainy day, building in one day trip suits you. How many nights to stay is covered in How Many Nights in Sekotong?.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How long is it from Sekotong to Mataram?
About 1 hour 30 minutes by car, about 50 km (We Seek Travel, updated July 2025).
Q. Can I do a day trip from Sekotong to Senggigi or Kuta Lombok?
Yes. Both are about 2 hours by car, so about 4 hours there and back. Visiting one rather than both in a day is more comfortable.
Q. Is there an entry fee for the Banyumulek pottery village?
No. It is about 20 minutes by car from Mataram, and you can watch potters at work or try making something yourself (Good News From Indonesia, October 2024).
Q. When should I go to Desert Point?
The waves are best in the dry season from May to October. A travel blog says the access road is badly damaged and hard going on a motorbike.
Q. What can I do on a rainy day?
Swap a day when boats cannot go out for a day trip to Mataram or the pottery village.
Summary
From Sekotong it is about 1 hour 30 minutes by car to Mataram and about 2 hours to Senggigi or Kuta Lombok. Half a day suits the Banyumulek pottery village and Mataram; a full day suits either Senggigi’s beach and Batu Bolong Temple, or Kuta Lombok.
Keep day trips to one day per stay and spend the rest on the South Gilis and the beaches. Fix your return time in advance and avoid long drives after dark (as of October 2026).
Related reading
- Lombok travel timesHow long by car between Sekotong, Kuta, Senggigi and Mataram
- Sekotong’s mainland beachesMekaki, Elak-Elak and more
- Lombok sightseeing spotsSights by area
For a day when rain keeps the boats in, the museum and mall in Mataram and the pottery and weaving villages are covered in Rainy Day in Lombok.
SEMELAR BEACH VILLAGE
Come and spend some time in the Sekotong village we call home
About 1 hour 10 minutes by car from Lombok International Airport. We offer a stay programme of 3 nights/4 days or more, with island trips by local boat and sunsets at SAKURA CAFE. The villas are due to be completed in stages from 2027.
Sources used for this article
- We Seek Travel, “Best Things to Do in Sekotong, Lombok” (updated 14 July 2025; distances and times from Sekotong to Mataram, Senggigi and Kuta, the southern coast road, Desert Point season and road, arranging transport)https://www.weseektravel.com/best-things-to-do-in-sekotong-lombok/
- Good News From Indonesia, “Menelusuri Jejak Tradisi Gerabah Lombok di Desa Banyumulek” (10 October 2024; location, time from Mataram, entry, pottery experience)https://www.goodnewsfromindonesia.id/2024/10/10/menelusuri-jejak-tradisi-gerabah-lombok-di-desa-banyumulek-awal-mula-dari-karya-rupa-yang-mendunia
- Good News From Indonesia, “Rute dan Biaya Masuk ke 6 Tempat Wisata di Lombok” (21 January 2025; Senggigi beach and Batu Bolong Temple location, entry and hours)https://www.goodnewsfromindonesia.id/2025/01/21/rute-dan-biaya-masuk-ke-6-tempat-wisata-di-lombok-yang-wajib-kawan-tahu-sebelum-liburan
- Indonesia Travel, “Taman Mayura” (history and layout of Mayura Park)https://www.indonesia.travel/au-en/destination/bali-nusa-tenggara/west-nusa-tenggara/taman-mayura
- detikBali, “Gili Nanggu di Lombok: Daya Tarik, Tarif, hingga Rutenya” (22 March 2024; Mataram to Lembar time)https://www.detik.com/bali/wisata/d-7256702/gili-nanggu-di-lombok-daya-tarik-tarif-hingga-rutenya
- Gecko Routes, “Lombok Airport” (updated 3 June 2026; ride-hailing time from the airport to Kuta Lombok)https://www.geckoroutes.com/indonesia/lombok-airport/
