Authentic Lombok @ Tripadvisor.com
Look, I don’t usually write reviews; however, I felt compelled to after the amazing experience my girlfriend and I had with Authentic Lombok. It will be quite long, but bare with me as there are a lot of ‘cowboy’ companies out there that don’t give a sh@t about your welfare and safety, whereas Chris and his staff were unbelievable and ensured we had one of the most amazing experiences: climbing Mt. Rinjani.
Firstly, Chris, the owner, was great. Despite our travel plans turning into chaos (don’t ever fly with Lion or Wing Air) he stayed up until 3am to make sure we got to his hotel safely.
As for our trip to Rinjani, we had the honour of having Naswun (Mr. Nice One) as our guide. It’s without any doubt that he is, genuinely, the nicest guy we’ve ever met. If it weren’t for him there is no way we both would have made it to the summit (he literally pushed my girlfriend up the final part). Not only that, but we noticed that a lot of people had been ‘abandoned’ or ‘lost’ by their guide and he even helped them.
So there it is, yes you may pay a little bit more than other tour operators but it’s going to the right people who are doing the right job.
Finally, remember to tip your guide; they fully deserve it – nice one!
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Absolut empfehlenswert – wir hatten die private Tour zu den Gilis im Süden von Lombok (Tour 6) gebucht. Nicht ganz günstig aber das Geld definitiv wert. Chris und seine Jungs haben sich viel Mühe gegeben und uns Schildkröten, blaue Korallen, Seepferdchen und jede Menge bunte Fische zu zeigen. Wir waren in der Regenzeit hier, daher hatten wir nur Vormittags Sonne und das Wasser war etwas drüb. Aber die Tour würden wir trotzdem zu jeder Jahreszeit empfehlen. Hoffentlich bleiben diese Gilis noch eine kleine Weile vom Massentourismus verschont, wirklich schade wenn auch diese Korallenriffe zerstört werden würden.
Chris hat uns außerdem noch ein paar gute Tipps gegeben, wo man Essen gehen kann und was man lieber weglassen sollte.
מדריך מדהים שאוהב אנשים ואוהב את העבודה שלו, טיול נדיר למקומות קסומים, לא טיול לגילי המתויירים שכולם הלכו אליהם. הזדמנות פז לחוות איים בודדים, שוניות אלמוגים טבעיות שלא נהרסו, צבי ים עצומים ואפילו לשחק עם סוסי ים! שווה כל אגורה!!!!! אל תתפשרו על הטוב ביותר ופשוט לכו על זה!!! מומלץ בחום!
I’ll begin from the end of the trip: we hugged for goodbye our new local friend, Chris! The absolutely #1 tour guide in Authentic Lombok , possibly in all of this magical island. Beyond the magical untouched pearls of islands that he showed us (disclaimer: NOT GILLI AIR, TRAWANGAN ETC!!!!!!! This you won’t see in this trip) the car drive was just really fun with him. In a nutshell: if you missed this trip (we took #6) you missed a chance to see things that only selected few have seen before you, and you missed virgin islands with perfectly-not-ruined-by-man corals.
We saw corals, sword fish, and many beautiful things, but the main highlight were the sea horses that we played with and the gigantic turtle!!!!!
Chris didn’t take any shortcuts: we wouldn’t leave until we see everything he promised us to see! He took the time and the effort, no cutting corners! Took care of breakfast, lunch, and even snacks on the way (local food/snacks that were not dangerous for the western stomach). He really showed us the authentic Lombok! This guy has a giant heart and lots of knowledge, many insights and his tips are golden! My recommendation: if he has time for you on his busy schedule, don’t settle for a cheaper guide, go for him! There’s a reason why HE IS NUMBER 1!!!
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Chris and his team was a pleasure. He was super accommodating and made the trip extremely enjoyable. He takes you to Gilis where there is almost nobody except you, and the corals and in much better shape. We saw turtles, sea horses and tons of other interesting marine life. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone in Lombok.
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Incredible personal service! We booked very last minute via email from Gili Air and the staff at Authentic were very prompt and clear. They were able to fit us in on the tour to the waterfall near Senaru. Nice and refreshing cool water swim at the falls! We were lucky enough to have Chris as our guide. We stopped to get exceptional local snacks for the road trip up to the falls. All car trips need snacks and Chris delivered on this. Great conversation, great local knowledge, great sense of humor. I’ve been a river guide myself for over 2 decades and Chris has the guide gift! Authentic Lombok Tours put their hearts into what they do and pay respect to the local Indonesians and their way of life. Start your visit to Lombok with these folks and you will not regret one minute of your time.
We will no doubt return and continue the good times and laughter with Authentic Lombok Tours. Thank you Chris for giving us a little dose of the real Lombok.
(For all you Americans traveling from the states, bring a can of Planters peanuts for Chris. I’m sure he’ll have some cool Indo snacks to trade for it) :):).
Authentic Lombok @ Facebook.com
Tijdens onze rondreis door Indonesie was ik jarig op Lombok. Mijn vriendin had al in Nederland geregeld dat we op mijn verjaardag een tour door Lombok zouden krijgen van Authentic Lombok Tours. Chris (onze tourguide) kwam ons ophalen van ons hotel. Hij laat je om te beginnen gelijk weten welke restaurantjes wel / niet toegankelijk zijn voor toeristen. Wij hadden een dagtour waarbij we de dorpjes en stranden van Lombok konden zien (tour 3 op de website).Hierna nam hij ons mee naar de markt van Ampenan (vroeger zaten hier de Nederlanders op deze lokale markt). Nu hebben de Indonesiers deze markt omgetoverd tot werkelijk waar een lokale markt met alle levendige kleuren en smaken. Fruit en groente (en dieren) in allerlei vormen en maten. Via Chris (die door de jaren heen) IEDEREEN kent mag je bijna alles proeven. Men wil graag met je op de foto zelfs (als lange Blanda trek je wel bekijks). Ondertussen zie je Chris veel fruit inslaan(achteraf besef je waarom) koop ook wat fruit en groente want dat ga je later nodig hebben. Tussendoor moet je even ‘rujak’ proberen (lombok pepers even proeven). Hierna word je meegenomen naar een Sasak dorp waarbij je bij een ECHT Sasak dorp komt (geen toerististentrap) en krijgen de locals de fruit en groente van eerder. Al met al laat Chris je de authentieke zijde van Lombok zien zoals de tourorganisatie al heet. Chris jarenlange kennis van Lombok gepaard gaande met zijn mediterraanse persoonlijkheid is een geweldige ervaring zo op mijn verjaardag. Als verrassing had hij geregeld dat ik een taart kreeg (al zingend werd mijn verjaardagstaart gebracht) in een restaurant wat hij voor ons had gereserveerd. De dag hierna gingen wij naar Bali. Hij heeft een goede organisatie voor ons uitgezocht waarvan hij wist dat het tot in detail uitgewerkt zou worden zoals hij het had bedacht om onze transfer zo gemakkelijk mogelijk te maken. Kortom wil jij een perfect georganiseerde tour met ruimte voor humor, positivisme, authenticiteit en enthousiasme boek dan je tour bij deze organisatie en laat je meeleiden door de wereld van Lombok met Chris als je gids( vraag naar zijn levensverhaal want het is een film scenario die werkelijkheid is) . Samen met Chris leer je de echte mensen van het eiland kennen op een manier die je niet voor ogen had. Ervaar het zelf want een betere prijs – kwaliteit ervaring ga je niet (nooit meer) treffen denk ik. Vind het een voorrecht om tijdens mijn verjaardag het eiland en Chris ontmoet te hebben.
Suite à des avis positifs sur cette agence, nous avons décidé de leur faire confiance pour nous faire visiter Lombok au travers du tour 1 (les chutes d’eau).
Nous avons principalement eu Monica comme guide. C’est une personne très agréable, attentionnée, sociable et très professionnelle. Elle parle parfaitement l’anglais. Le tour fut un magnifique moment pour nous tant pour la découverte que pour la rencontre.
Je recommande vivement cette agence à taille humaine dont les principales préoccupations sont la sécurité et la satisfaction client.
PS : Leur excellente connaissance de Lombok vous permettra d’obtenir les meilleurs conseilles pour la suite de votre séjour.
“…Chris, who is the owner and only person of Authentic Lombok Tours is the best guide i ever had. He is living in Senggigi on Lombok for many years and everybody there knows him…” (Authentic Lombok @ Facebook.com, Armin Hönlinger)
“…Chris is THE BEST. He knows Lombok extremely well. He offers the best prices. At the Waterfall he told us to only pay 10,000 rupiah and the locals wanted150,000. He saved us lots and you can always count on him to keep his word…” (Authentic Lombok @ Facebook.com, Eshter Risma Siahaan)
“Authentic Lombok – Best experience ever!
I can only recommend anyone to contact Authentic Lombok tours while you are staying on Lombok. The owner of Authentic Lombok is Chris and he has been living on Lombok for 6 years. It is a great experience to meet him because he not only knows a lot about the island, its citizens and the culture but he also speaks the Indonesian language. This is great to get to know the real Lombok!” (Authentic Lombok @ Facebook.com, Laura Pietruschka)
We hired Authentic Lombok for two day tours on March 2015. They are right about not being the typical tour agent. They maintain their reputation to let you enjoy and explore the unspoiled places in Lombok. We went snorkelling at Pink Beach (tour# 6) and enjoyed the company of Yova, Chris and Adi. We had good laugh with Adi when….
Unforgettable tour We find authentic lombok from TripAdvisor and we don’t regret it. We choose tour number 3 – the South of lombok, we can tell that poterry village and local people was amazing with us. Selong belanak beach was the best beach we have seen, asthari was breathtaking view in the monkey forest the monkeys was super friendly ….
We booked a nice relaxing holiday for the family in Lombok at the end of March. During the 5 days we only went out once for an island trip (pink beach). All transport and trip details were arranged by Monica, and I must say she did a fabulous job.
From the moment she picked us up from the airport we got along very well with her, and during the long drive to Pink beach we had many interesting discussions on a variety of subjects, which made the journey seem much shorter than it really is.
Monica seems especially good with young children, we have a 5 and an 8 year old girl, and they had a blast of a time.
At the last day Monica picked us up again from the hotel to go to the airport, and we got a nice little coffee surprise… thanks so much Monica.
Surely hope to see you again on the next trip to Lombok.
PERSonalised service is always high in a traveller’s agenda whereby one is on holiday, especially for me. Tripadvisor is a common social media app which one normally uses to get reviews for travel matters. We came across Authentic Lombok Tour in the tripadvisor website. I can understand why this tour agency get such excellent reviews as it definitely fits my…
If you read nothing else from this review read this – Chris is incredible, he is an awesome person, his tours are unforgettable, and he will make Lombok your favourite place in the world. 5 stars simply isn’t enough! I cannot stress enough that you must go to Lombok, you must contact Chris, and you MUST trust him to plan an amazing time for you!!! Chris was over and above, above and beyond our expectations (yes that’s two levels above!). We were completely blown away. You will see a lot of reviews here saying travelling with Chris was like travelling with a friend and it’s very true. He is completely trustworthy, honest, and very easy to get along with.
1 helpful voteThank you Chris, thank you Monica!! You have made our 5days/4nights stay at Lombok most enjoyable and memorable. Thank you Chris for your enduring patience in answering all the nitty gritty that my son asked of you prior to booking the tours with Authentic Lombok. My son Jon just wanted to make sure we are well taken care of while in Lombok. After all it was his treat for his mother’s 65th birthday!
Thank you again Chris, you have made our stay in Lombok free from worries and anxieties. Thank you for booking the best Italian and local seafood restaurants and always reserving the best table for us. Thank you for the surprised birthday cake!!! Thank you for taking us out to the market, not forgetting the authentic delicious ayam taliwan and for getting my broken spectacle fixed-(that’s personalised service!) Mary and I have so many things to thank you for, but the best of all,thank you for your friendship! Not forgetting you too Monica, you pleasantly surprised us with your perfect spoken English which made the tours more meaningful and enjoyable! Two thumbs up for you. Will definitely be back again and surely we will have the confidence to recommend our friends to Authentic Lombok Tours ! Cheers! Keep up the good works guys!
We’ve been on many tours on many holidays around the world and these guys are the best we’ve ever experienced.
Everything was personalised, at our own pace and really easy. We were uneasy about whether to book a tour that wasn’t through our hotel as so many taxi drivers and people all over the island were offering tours. But we trusted trip advisor and online recommendations and I’m so glad we did.
We did the waterfall tour, Pink beach tour and island and the south tours visiting traditional villages along the way. These tours were the highlight of our holiday and truly made it a fantastic experience. The guides were always really professional, warm and friendly and we never had to worry about a thing. If you are visiting Lombok, make sure you book them, even if it’s just for one trip. You won’t regret it!!
Thank you so so much Authentic Lombok!
Wenn ich könnte, würde ich sogar 10 Punkte vergeben! Mit seiner familiären und herzlichen Art haben wir Chris in unsere Herzen geschlossen. Ihm verdanken wir einen tollen Aufenthalt auf Lombok voller Highlights und unvergesslichen Momenten. Wir besuchten mit ihm den Pink Beach wo wir im kristallklaren Wasser mit unzähligen Fischen und auch mit kleinen Babyhaien schnorcheln konnten – einfach atemberaubend! Anschließend wurden meine Verlobte und ich zu einem abgelegenen, wunderschönen und romantischen Strand gebracht, während Chris für uns unglaublich leckeren fangfrischen Fisch zubereitete. Er tut wirklich alles, damit sich seine Gäste wohlfühlen und zeigt einem Dinge, die man womöglich niemals allein entdeckt hätte. So sind wir beispielsweise auf extrem köstliche Cassava-Chips aufmerksam geworden – Achtung Suchtgefahr! – und haben einen traditionellen Markt in Mataram besucht. Durch Chris haben wir viel über die Menschen, die Kultur und die Natur auf Lombok erfahren. Zudem organisierte er unseren Transfer von Bali nach Lombok und zurück per Schnellboot und sorgte dafür, dass alles nach Plan verlief. Bei ihm ist man auf jeden Fall in sehr guten Händen! Wenn wir wieder nach Lombok zurück kehren, freuen wir uns schon darauf Chris wiederzuesehen.