Vibe. It’s waking up on the river to the jungle morning mist feeling incredibly grateful for life—right before you remember you’re living on a wooden boat where the shower completely soaks the entire toilet room every single time you use it.

Stay. You’ll be living onboard a traditional three-level klotok riverboat; it’s surprisingly spacious and the crew treats you like royalty with incredible meals, but it is true, unvarnished #RusticGlam.

Play. Cruising down the river past wild crocodiles to take short, completely flat nature walks where you watch massive orangutans like "Roger" greedily peel bananas—all made completely seamless by booking with Local Guides, whose incredible team keeps you well-fed and effortlessly keeps the kids entertained between stops.

Vibe. Kuta is the buzzing capital of southern Lombok. Heavily surf-centric, vibrant café culture, and the gateway to rugged, pristine white-sand bays of the Secret Gilis.

Stay. Villa MAS is a a wonderful, perfect mix of a private Airbnb and a hotel. You get the space and privacy of a villa, but with the massive perks of daily cleaning and an incredibly helpful staff who can organise a quick laundry service for you. Highly recommended for large families or groups.

Eat. Head out to Milk cafe for a spectacular brunch of pies, burgers, and salads, and El Bazaar for dinner to chow down some share plates of beef yakitori, olives, and mediterranean cauliflower.

Play. Take a day trip out to the Secret Gilis with Andy. They have pristine, crystal-clear water, vibrant coral fields, and almost zero tourist crowds. Pack your own snacks, sunscreen, and plenty of water—there is zero resort infrastructure on these islands. It’s a full, exhausting, brilliant day out.

Vibe: Chill, off-grid seclusion. Located in the Southwest Gili archipelago, Gili Asahan is a quiet eco-paradise with no cars, no scooters, and empty beaches.

Go. From Kuta, ride with Andy down to the remote Tembowong Harbor on the southwest peninsula. From the beach/jetty, your resort will arrange a short, 15-minute local speed boat or outrigger directly across to the island.

Stay. If you want a location where every single detail is anticipated, Pearl Beach Resort is where it’s at. The staff here are truly amazing—the moment you arrive, they seamlessly manage all of your luggage, and that level of care carries straight through to the restaurant. Every single need is looked after with incredible tableside service at meal times, leaving you to completely switch off.

Play. The absolute highlight for families is the effortless access to the water. The snorkeling right off the beach is spectacular and completely safe for kids. You step off the sand and immediately find coral in colors that look entirely unreal, surrounded by a variety of tropical fish that is completely unrivalled. There is no need for a boat charter here; the natural aquarium sits right at your doorstep.

Getting into Indonesia has become a digital obstacle course. It is notoriously glitchy and multi-layered. To avoid getting stuck in massive airport queues with impatient kids, you need to clear these three hurdles before you board your flight.

1. The Visa (e-VOA vs. VOA)

You need a B1 Tourist Visa, which gives you 30 days.

• The Smart Move: Apply for the Electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) via the official government portal (evisa.imigrasi.go.id) at least 48 hours before flying. It costs IDR 500,000 (~$35 USD).

• The Warning: The site is clunky. It requires specific passport photo crops and exact passport biodata page uploads (JPG format only). If the site loops or rejects your card, keep trying or clear your cache. Getting the approved QR code allows you to bypass the payment queues on arrival and use the automated fast-track gates.

• The Backup: If the site completely locks you out, you can still buy the physical Visa on Arrival sticker at the airport counter before entering the immigration line. Bring crisp USD or local currency.

2. The All Indonesia Declaration Card

• What it is: A mandatory digital form combining your Arrival Card, Customs Declaration, and Health Declaration into one single process.

• The Timeline: This can only be completed within 3 days (72 hours) of your arrival in Indonesia. It is completely free.

• The Payoff: Once completed online, you will receive a QR code. Screenshot this immediately. Airlines may check for it at boarding, and customs officers will scan it before letting you exit the terminal.

3. The Bali Tourist Levy (If entering Bali)

• If your itinerary includes flying directly into or entering Bali from another island, you must pay the local Provincial Tourist Levy of IDR 150,000 per person (~$10 USD). You can pay this online via the official Love Bali portal before you arrive to get your QR code scanned at the checkpoint.

If you are traveling with a larger family or a group, transport can instantly become a headache. Trying to squeeze eight people, bags, and gear into multiple taxis or small cars ruins the pacing of a trip.

We solved this completely by booking Andy. He has a massive, immaculate van that easily fit all eight of us plus our mountains of luggage, and he essentially became our logistics manager for the Lombok leg of the trip.

Beyond just standard airport pickups and seamless transfers between our hotels, Andy coordinated two of our absolute favorite custom day trips:

• The Secret Day Trip: Snorkeling the Eastern Gilis

  • Do not confuse these with the famous northern islands (Air, Meno, Trawangan). The Eastern Gilis (Gili Kondo, Gili Kapal, Gili Lampu) are completely untouched sand spits off the remote east coast.

  • Andy drove us 2 to 2.5 hours across the island from Kuta to the small port of Padak Guar, where he had our private local wooden outrigger boat waiting. It’s pristine, crystal-clear water, vibrant coral fields, and almost zero tourist crowds.

• The Northern Day Trip: The Waterfalls Near Senggigi

  • Andy also arranged our trek deep into the northern foothills near Senaru to see Sendang Gile and the legendary Tiu Kelep waterfalls.

  • It’s a magnificent day out involving short jungle walks, suspension bridges, and a few shallow river crossings. Seeing a massive wall of water rushing through lush jungle vines is spectacular, and having Andy handle the mountain roads and the timing meant we just got to enjoy the scenery.

The Takeaway: Instead of bargaining at the docks or guessing the winding island routes on Google Maps, having one trusted contact who handles the vehicle, the road safety, and the private boat charters transforms the entire holiday.