February 2026
Ramadan – Feb 18 – March 20, 2026
Ramadan is the annual holy month of fasting and reflection for Muslims around the world, which culminates in the celebration of Eid Mubarak.
While most tourist services in Lombok remain open for business during Ramadan, a number of local businesses do close or limit their hours of trade during this period.
Food businesses especially, are likely to be closed during the day and travellers may need to plan ahead for this.
Local ride sharing apps, Grab and Gojek, both offer food delivery (similar to Uber Eats) and are a very good resource for travellers wishing to find out which food businesses are open during the day.
The daily fasting period is from 5am to 6pm, meaning travellers should have no trouble finding places to eat in the evening and can expect to find themselves surrounded by happy, hungry locals eagerly replenishing their reserves after their day of holy observance.
March 2026
Nyepi and Eid Mubarak – March 19 & March 20, 2026
The Balinese-Hindu celebration of Nyepi, marking the beginning of the Balinese New Year, and the Muslim celebration of Eid Mubarak, marking the end of the Ramadan holy month of fasting, coincide in 2026, bringing a number of changes to regular daily activities.
1. Nyepi
Nyepi is a day of silence and reflection. It is the only day of the year that no flights arrive at or depart from Bali’s International Airport. Ferry services between Bali and neighbouring islands are also shut down.
Lights will be turned off across the city of Mataram for the celebration of Nyepi, from 6pm Thursday, March 19, until 6am Friday, March 20. This will include street lighting and all lighting in public buildings, including hotel reception and common areas.
You may continue to use bedroom lights in your hotel accommodation.
Neighbourhood streets in Mataram will be closed to cars and motorbikes from 6pm on Thursday, March 19 until 6am on Friday, March 20, 2026.
While it will still be possible to move freely around neighbourhood streets on foot, the street closure is particularly important to note if you are renting a scooter or if you wish to order food via local delivery services, Grab and Go-jek.
It will still be possible to order food, but you will need to communicate with your driver and arrange to meet at a designated drop-off point.
Many other businesses also close on the day of Nyepi, so it will be worth calling ahead if you are planning to explore the city, to check that places you wish to visit are open.
2. Eid Mubarak
The celebration of Eid Mubarak is marked by a four-day public holiday, (Friday, March 20 – Monday March 23) and many businesses, including banks and government departments, will be closed during this time. Regular tourist services and activities should not be significantly impacted, however, travellers are advised to plan well ahead if they are intending to travel during this time, as Indonesians move around the country in huge numbers (moreso than at any other time of year) to be close with family and friends. Daytime food options across the city may also be limited.
Most food operations resume regular service from 5pm daily.
Ogoh-Ogoh Festival & Street Parade – Wednesday, March 18 2026 (TBC)
The Ogoh-Ogoh Festival and Street Parade is a lively and colourful event, which typically takes place in Mataram on Pengurupukan night (the evening prior to Nyepi).
Every year, thousands of people flock to the city’s main thoroughfare, Jl Pejanggik to witness over 100 spectacular floats, depicting mythical Balinese demons, or ogoh-ogoh. These incredible and often terrifying-looking creatures, can stand metres tall and have all been built by hand by local Balinese communities, who then carry their creations through the streets (again by hand) on large bamboo frames.
Although the procession doesn’t begin until around 6pm, crowds start to gather on Jl Pejanggik from early in the morning to view the floats at their starting point on the corner of Jl Pejanggik and Bung Hatta.
Visitors travelling to the area should note that the main roads around the procession route are closed for most of the day and it may be neccessary to make some of the trip to the procession site on foot.
April 2026
Resumption of Komodo Island and Mt Rinjani Volcano Tours
Trips to Mt Rinjani, Indonesia’s second highest volcanic peak, and 3-Day/2-Night boat tours to the popular Komodo Island Marine National Park, resume in April signalling the end of the annual wet season and commencement of the peak tourist period.
A number of reputable operators offer fixed-price tours to each of these destinations and as a rule of thumb, it’s best not to haggle too hard for the cheapest price as you will generally get what you pay for.
You will appreciate the value of this when you have the thickest matresses, warmest blankets and a belly full of food at the end of a long day’s trek, and the safest boats, accredited staff and enough life vests to go round as you sail the open seas.
TripAdvisor is a very good resource for this purpose, with an up-to-the-minute list of top operators, ranked by customer review.
We recommend that travellers avoid booking tours on Facebook, as there are a countless number of fake sites and regular reports of travellers paying for tours then never seeing or hearing from the supposed operator again.
Other things to note
Komodo Island Tour
The Komodo Island tours are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels, however older travellers should note that sleeper cabins are in short supply and often in high demand. The bulk of passengers make the trip sleeping on the boat deck, making the trip more geared towards groups of younger travellers.
The end point for the Komodo tour is the port town of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores, where passengers are left to to organise their onward travel.
This can be by way of return boat trip to Lombok or by plane trip back to Lombok, Bali or Java, or further east to more remote destinations such as Timor and West Papua.
The island of Flores is most certainly a travel destination worth exploring in its own right, with pristine beaches, volcanoes and other natural attractions, yet to be impacted by the threat of over-tourism.
As the small island’s capital, Labuan Bajo is currently undergoing rapid development, and is already well-serviced with accommodation, cafes and western tourism facilities. However, the pace of life is still pretty relaxed here, similar to the way Bali might have been in years gone by.
Mt Rinjani
Standing at a little under 4000 metres, Mt Rinjani requires not only a reasonable level of fitness but a fair deal of nerve and determination to make the trek to the summit.
Local laws prevent visitors from attempting the climb alone – all travellers must be accompanied by a registered guide, which can be organised through a tour operator or directly via the information centre at the entrance to the Mt Rinjani National Park.
All tours typically include guides and porters as part of the package, with porters carrying all the food and camping equipment required for the trip.
Hikers need only supply and carry their own backpack and drinking water.
Most treks depart from Sembalun, on the mountain’s south-eastern flank, stopping at the crater lake, Anak Segara, on the first night before journeying on to the summit. Treks from Sembalun typically take 2 -3 days to complete, with an option to walk into the crater rim and down to the water’s edge. Either way, the trip is renowned for it’s natural beauty, including spectacular sunrise and sunset views.
An alternative route departs from Senaru on the north western side of the mountain. This route is shorter yet steeper than the Sembalun trail and has no access to the crater lake. Because it is a more challenging climb, it is generally only recommended for more experienced hikers.
The most important thing to remember on either trail is that, due to the altitude, it gets very cold at night. Hikers are advised to pack warm clothing, including several pairs of socks, and to “layer up” in the evenings.