Selong Belanak Beach is a gorgeous crescent beach in south Lombok known for its laidback vibe, surfing culture, and various restaurants. The best area for surfing in Selong Belanak is the beach's central side to the north side, away from the fishing villages and boats. Sunbed and umbrella rentals are available on the beach.
Acclaimed as one of Lombok’s cleanest beaches, it is also known as Pantai Selong Belanak. Located west of the village of Kuta, this 1-kilometer-long white sand beach is encircled by rainforested mountains and tropics. Apart from swimming and surfing, one can visit the fishing village, join local fishermen on paid fishing tours, and enjoy delicious seafood. Facing the Indian Ocean, Selong Belanak Beach has a total coastline of around one kilometre. But, as one of Lombok’s best-kept secrets, it doesn’t see too much crowd, and you’ll find that you have much of the charming beach to yourself. Due to its slow waves and crescent shape that protects it from the open ocean, Selong Belanak Beach has become the go-to location for first-time surfers to try their hand at the water sport. Dozens of surf shops line the beach, meaning you can take your pick.
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Surfing at Selong Belanak Beach
The best area for surfing in Selong Belanak is the central side to the north side of the beach, away from the fishing villages and boats. The crescent shape of the beach creates a little inward bay with medium height waves and clean water. Moreover, this area has a distinctive landscape of ‘wrinkled’ hills that differ from the usual palm tree landscape of Lombok.
There are lots of highly-rated surf schools along the beach to choose from. Some of the most popular ones are Papa Surf, Ola Ola Lombok Surf School, and Mul’s Surf School. Prices begin at around IDR 300,000 for two hours (including the cost of renting equipment) and can go up to IDR 900,000 for five hours. These prices vary between surf schools. For surfers looking to only rent equipment, you can rent a board for approximately IDR 90,000 for three hours. Most surf schools have daily rental packages of around IDR 500,000 to rent a board for three days.
You’ll also find plenty of locals lined up on the beach offering to teach individual lessons. As you can’t be sure about their training or expertise, it’s best to go to a surf school directly. If they offer to take you snorkelling, that should be a red flag as Selong beach’s soft sand actually makes the water quite turbid to see clearly.
Source Insider Tips: 1. The surfing schools rent all the equipment like wetsuits and surfboards and help you stand up on the board in no time. 2. Look for surf shops furthest from the beach entry as these parts will have fewer people on the water for you to practice. 3. Due to the large number of surf school options, feel free to negotiate a reasonable price for you.
Restaurants at Selong Belanak Beach
After a long day of surfing, you’re bound to build an appetite and Selong’s restaurants and warungs are ready for it! There’s a small cafeteria that is open on the beach from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, serving quick snacks.
Kampung Café is a quiet beach-side restaurant with a variety of options like quinoa salad and fish cakes at great prices. Of course, the dozens of local warungs are a trusted source of great food for their grilled chili corn, nasi campur, grilled seafood with a spicy sambal, and coconut-based drinks.
How to Reach Selong Belanak Beach
Selong Belanak Beach is located in West Praya, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara in the southern edge of Lombok island. It is 22 kilometres (40 minutes) from Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport (formerly Lombok International Airport), 18 kilometres (30 minutes) from Kuta Beach and 49 kilometres (1 hour 15 minutes) from Mataram City.
From Lombok: It is easily accessible by road. If you are coming from north Lombok, you will need to follow Jl Selong Balanak south until you reach a crossroads. Turn right to Jl Datuk Lopan and you will reach the beach. There aren’t many road signs till this crossroad so it’s best to follow Google Maps or ask locals for directions to make sure you’re on the right track. The last 15 kilometres to the beach is a slope, but you’ll get a beautiful view of the beach from above as you descend. There is a well-maintained parking lot open to the public and just a 50 metre walk ahead, you’ll find yourself on the beach. There is a fee of IDR 10,000 to use the parking.
From Bali: If you are coming from Bali, you can take a plane to Lombok International Airport. This will be less than half an hour’s flight. Alternatively, you can take a speedboat or ferry from south Bali to Selong Belanak Beach. The local ferry plies multiple times a day and charges around IDR 42,000 for the 2-hour journey. There are also flights from Jakarta to Lombok that are around 90 minutes long. There are taxis that operate till Selong Belanak Beach. From the airport, it will charge around IDR 75,000 and this will increase to around IDR 170,000 from Mataram. If you’d like to bring your own vehicle, you can rent scooters for around IDR 50,000 for the day.
Tips
1. On the drive to the beach, you won’t find too many gas stations along the road. It’s a good idea to buy gasoline if you find any local stalls and keep it on hand. 2. As these parts can get particularly hot, don’t forget to carry hats and plenty of water. The sun can get harsh for some people with sensitive skin so carry plenty of sunscreen too! 3. If you visit right after the wet season, be prepared to find a little litter on the beach. The storms wash up a lot of Lombok’s rubbish, especially plastic. Moreover, the water becomes quite murky for some time before it clears. 4. Unlike other beaches where sunbeds are free, there is a price of around IDR 50,000 to rent a sunbed for the day, even if you are eating at a restaurant or beach shack. If you’d like to avoid paying this, be sure to carry a towel or a sarong that you can lay down on. 5. There are plenty of shacks that rent out all kinds of equipment from umbrellas and surfboards to bean bags and loungers, so you don’t need to carry all of this down to Selong.
