The 5 Best Surf Camps in Lombok for 2023

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Lombok has boomed onto the surf scene of central Indo in the last 10 years. It’s come to be seen as a fine alternative to an overpacked and highly polluted Bali. We’re inclined to agree but would also add that Lombok should by no means sit second fiddle to the Isle of the Gods…

It’s got a formidable wealth of breaks that range from barreling reefs to mellow beach peelers, with protected inside and exposed outside sections along a coast that gets almost ceaseless swell, from wet season through to dry season. There’s an argument to be made that it trumps Bali, especially if you’re keen to learn in clear water without the same crowds that plague Canggu et al.

We’ll make some more points about why a camp is definitely the way to go below in these parts. For now, know that there’s been a veritable explosion in the number of surf stays here in the last five years. From lux to budget, there’s a real cacophony of surf camps in Lombok vying for your hard-earned dollar. Frankly, some simply don’t deserve it. Others really, really do. Those are the ones we’ve tried to pinpoint.

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There’s no doubt in our mind that booking onto a surf camp is the way to go in Lombok, but especially if you’re going to base yourself in the main surf town of Kuta Lombok (and let’s face it, what surfer wouldn’t?).

There are a few nuances to this surf destination that means it’s cash well spent. Not only will a surf camp ensure you get all the basics (accommodation, some meals, board rental, and professional tuition) but they also help overcome some of the obstacles to surfing that are unique to the island. Here’s a little bit of detail on that…

• Local knowledge (about breaks and swells) – Surf camps know where to take you and when to take you there. The best ones (which we’ll get to a little later on) employ both international and local guides. That latter element ensures that you get insider details about the waves but also years of knowledge of what swell works best in what spot. That’s reason enough in our opinion, but it’s not the only pro of surf camps in Lombok…
• Easy transport to the breaks – This is a BIG one. Whereas in Bali you can book into a hotel overlooking Bingin Beach or Kuta Beach and just paddle out whenever you like, Lombok has a whole south coast that’s got nearly 20 miles of worthy breaks. Getting between them usually means traveling 15-20 minutes from the main surf hub of Kuta Lombok. It’s possible to do that by hiring a scooter but we’ve heard nightmare tales of scooter scams in these parts, plus the roads aren’t the best. Being on a surf camp kills the problem because you’ll be taken straight to the wave every day (sometimes twice per day). On top of that – and here’s the real kicker – transport to the breaks in Kuta isn’t just about driving. Many of the best spots – Air Guling, Ekas, Gerupuk – require a boat transfer. That will cost you 100k at least and stacks of hassle if you went it alone. Surf campers simply get to waltz on board without dealing with any haggling or organization. Nice.
• Surf camp priority – There’s a sort of unwritten rule around southern Lombok that surf camp groups have special status in the line-up. It’s down to the fact that a HUGE chunk of the economy in the region relies on them. Think of that what you want but the point is that you’ll get a lot less aggro if you’re with a camp guide, and – most importantly – you’ll catch more waves.

TL;DR: We honestly can’t stress enough how surf camping is the way to go here.

• Location: Kuta Lombok
• Price: 7 nights/6 surf days starting at $708 (£583) per person

**Sigh** “Ahh, we couldn’t get into Kura Kura” **sigh**. If we had a rupiah for every time we heard that around Kuta Lombok during our last outing (January 2023) then we’d have enough to buy a Bintang. Okay, we’re lying – Bintangs cost 35,000 rupiahs. The point is we heard the refrain A LOT. Everyone and their dog wants to be at Kura Kura and it’s the talk of the moment when it comes to Lombok surf camps.

Smug alert: We were there. And we gotta’ say we can totally see what the buzz is all about. Every box is ticked and then some. You won’t have to worry about not surfing enough – these guys do two sessions EVERY SINGLE DAY. Those sessions can last up to two full hours each and are fully guided. That’s over four hours of surfing daily. Stiff bones and deck rashes are a bigger risk than not fitting in enough waves.

The Kura Kura way of doing things was spot on. They split the group into levels with the aim of merging the two towards the end of the week. Intermediates get out to surf bigger, more exposed reefs. Beginners start down in Selong Balanak but quickly progress to some of the deeper reefs on the south coast. You’ll be going out with both local and international guides. The former know the spots like the back of their hand and are great people; always fun, always smiling.

Then there’s the camp itself. It’s a little oases of calm. You can hang in the chillout area chin wagging away. You can swim in the pool. You can kick back in the lounge, or return to your private cabana for a stint under the air-con. It’s all perfectly planned for post-surf hangs and making new pals, which we did in abundance. Thanks Kura Kura!

Kura Kura offer two surf camp packages. There’s a five-day option with four days of surfing and a seven-day option with six days of surfing.

• Location: Kuta Lombok
• Price: A week’s surf camp starting at $528 (£436) per person

The LMBK Surf House does plenty to warrant being second in your priorities list when it comes to surf camps in Lombok. They have a gorgeous property that’s smack dab in the heart of the town, just a short walk from the Bintang bars, Tex-Mex eateries, and Chinese dim sum houses alike (yep, Kuta Lombok is a pretty cool place these days).

They do daily surf trips, also with a mix of international and local guides. The packages put a lot of focus on improvement and technique development, hence the promise that there’s never more than two learners to a teacher. And there’s a good focus on non-surf fun to boot, what with recovery yoga planned for Wednesday afternoons and a family dinner Lombok style on the schedule for Thursdays. (LMBK also bucks the usual camp trend to offer surf outings on Saturdays, plus double sessions on Fridays, Mondays, and Sundays).

Where the LMBK offering shines is in the varied accommodation options. These guys have three- or four-person private villas, but also shared dorm rooms. That means there’s usually a camp option to suit your budget, no matter if you’re splashing the cash or trying to save. Whatever you pick, every guest gets access to the private pool and chillout spaces. And there are loads of bonding activities thrown in for good measure – think sunset beers and surf-skate sessions.

• Location: Kuta Lombok
• Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $1,531 (£1,258) per couple

If what you’re after is a schedule that balances yoga with surfing almost half and half, then you could do a whole load worse than the packages offered at Xanadu Surf and Yoga Village. The camp includes daily stretching practice with pro yoga instructors plus at least one long session out on the waves with local guides.

Now, yoga is hardly our area of expertise but we’ve heard that this is something of a mecca for folks looking to pull downward dogs in between scoring sets. These guys run daily yoga at their on-site Shala, complemented by a pranayama meditation session to the sunset midway through the trip, along with a restorative yoga session to help rejuvenate those tired arms on a Thursday evening.

And don’t let any of that take away from the surfing. A typical week-long package at Xanadu includes six surf sessions and one day-long outing. They’ve got a great team of really dedicated local guides and an international course leader, who will be just as good as the folk at the next camp at choosing the right spot for the right swell. Sundays are changeover days. All arivees will bond over a welcome dinner and a communal surf briefing.

Finally, let’s say something about the accommodation. It’s pretty slick. A cluster of small cottage-style stays that you can rent privately or to share (depending on how much you want to spend) surround a lovely splash pool that’s the perfect hangout spot. The on-site restaurant offers up healthy international dishes. And the spot is among the closest of all the recommendations here to the center of Kuta (apart from LMBK Surf House, which is closer).

• Location: Kuta Lombok
• Price: 6 days/5 nights starting at $553 (£454) per person

DHM Surf & Stay, also known as the DHM Surf Villa, is one of the original surf camps of Kuta Lombok. It’s got a down-to-earth feel that’s a bit different to the boutique camps listed here. Rooms are more like the classic banana-pancake bungalows you used to get back when Southeast Asia was a backpacker travel frontier. There’s also less of an organized surf-camp vibe here, meaning the spot attracts just as many DIY surfers as it does first timers, which is why we think it’s a good choice for intermediates who want extra flexibility in their weekly schedule.

The main package offered by DHM Surf & Stay is a six-day romp that includes five guided surf sessions that last two hours each. Daily breakfasts and one BBQ meal in the evening during the week are part of the deal, as is one yoga session at a local studio in Kuta Lombok and all your gear rentals. That’s good but it’s very much the bare bones of a surf camp, and that’s why the price is a welcome couple of hundred dollars less than other places here.

Overall, our hunch is that DHM Surf & Stay is a good choice for surfers sold on the benefits of joining a camp in Kuta Lombok (we give plenty of reasons above) but not sold on the organized fun aspect of it all. With DHM you’ll get transport to the breaks and the board of your choice. You’re free to surf ad infinitum in your own way from then on.

• Location: Kuta Lombok
• Price: A week’s surf stays starting at $525 (£431) per couple

Set up on a hillside on the north side of Kuta Lombok, the Porter Jungle Hotel emerges from the clusters of coconut palms and forests of bamboo hedge to flaunt it boutique credentials for all to see. It’s certainly among the best new hotels in the town for 2023 (we’re not sure exactly when it opened but everything looks PRISTINE so it can’t be all that long ago), with stylish rooms that fuse 1950s retro with Latin bohemianism and a pool that you’ll love returning to after hitting the waves.

As the name implies, Porter Jungle Hotel is very much a hotel. The plan of action should be to book your accommodation and then organize surf packages when you arrive. They’ve recently started doing planned trips aimed at beginner surfers that include gear and guiding. And there’s talk of fully-paid surf camp packages in the pipeline. Watch this space. We wanted to fling this up there on our list of the best surf camps in Lombok to offer a slightly different option to the others. This is great for casual surfers who might want to fit in a session here or there throughout their week, or for surfers who want excellent accommodation and a great hotel experience while engaging one of the locally owned surf schools to do their wave chasing.

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We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!