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BUKIT MERESE LOMBOK SUNSET VIEWPOINT – The Complete Guide

Bukit Merese is one of the best spots in Kuta Lombok to watch the sunset from. This hill overlooking Tanjung Aan Bay and Elizabeth beach is only a 15 minute drive away from the centre of Kuta Lombok. The total length of the cliffs is about 1 kilometre, so there is plenty of room for everybody to find a peaceful place to admire the setting sun. Exploring Bukit Merese is one of the awesome things to do in South Lombok, in this complete guide you’ll find everything you need to know before visiting Bukit Merese Lombok.

Best Lombok tours

Some of the best ways to explore the island is with a guided tour. In this way your transport and itinerary is arranged, so you don’t have to think about anything else! All of these tours include air conditioned transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and sometimes also lunch and the entrance fees. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.

  • North Lombok tour. Discover north Lombok island on this full-day guided tour. Visit the traditional Senaru Sasak tribal village and cool off at the Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls.
  • Mount Rinjani summit trekking. Explore the highest peak of Lombok during this 3 day volcano hike up to the summit of Mount Rinjani. The porters will carry the luggage, 3 meals a day and all camping equipment are included.
  • Lombok Southeast tour. Explore Lombok’s southeast coast during this private tour. Relax on the pinkish shores of Pink Beach 1 and Pink Beach 2 and marvel at the panoramic views of the coastline at several viewpoints.
  • Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile waterfall trekking tour. Visit the 2 majestic Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls near the foot of Mount Rinjani during this guided hike.
  • Snorkel day tour to the Secret Gili islands. Explore the small islands off the coast of Lombok on a full-day snorkeling tour. Hope on a boat and visit Gili Nanggu for snorkeling and Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis for relaxing and a lunch stop.
  • Benang Stokel and Kelambu waterfalls trek. Explore these beautiful four waterfalls in Mount Rinjani National Park during this guided tour and see the beauty of Lombok’s nature.
  • Private Gili Islands snorkeling trip. Visit the three famous Gili Islands with a glass-bottom boat and explore the underwater world. Visit the Turtle Sanctuary in Gili Meno and get a 360° view of the Gili islands and Mt. Agung from Malaka Hill.

How to get to Bukit Merese

Bukit Merese is a short 15 minute drive away from the centre of Kuta Lombok. Follow the dirt road and your navigation until you see the signs along the road pointing to the parking lot of Bukit Merese. Located right next to Tanjung Aan beach Lombok, these two are the perfect combination for an afternoon of exploring.

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An aerial view of Bukit Merese and Tanjung Aan Bay

From the carpark, follow the path up the hill until you reach the top of the cliffs. From here, you have the option to follow the hill up to the higher viewpoints on the left side, or stay at the lower hills on the right side.

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Entrance fee Bukit Merese

There is not an ‘official’ entrance fee but you can see it more as a parking fee of 10,000 IDR per scooter.

What to expect at Bukit Merese

The hike up to the edge of the hill is about 5 minutes, but there’s a lot of coastline to explore if you walk further on the hill. It can get crowded sometimes so it’s nice to get a little further from the entrance. The furthest point you can hike to from the parking lot takes about 20 minutes. Both sides of this Lombok sunset viewpoint offer some spectacular views. However on the left side where the hills are higher, you will also have a beautiful view of Tanjung Aan Bay.

From Bukit Merese, the sun sets almost directly adjacent to the scattered cliffs in the distance to the east. You can watch the waves smashing onto the cliffs and rolling towards the coast while the sun slowly slips into the ocean.

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A huge wave splashing up against some rocks

After the sun has set, the sky puts on its nightly fire show and you will soon realize why this is the perfect place to end the day.
But, a visit during the day or with sunrise is also a great choice to explore Bukit Merese. You probably won’t see anyone around at this time as most people get here before sunset. 

On the left hills, you’ll often find several groups of monkeys chilling. Be aware that they can steal your stuff if you don’t pay attention. But they are very used to people so son’t be scared.

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The golden light during sunset creates the most magical ambiance

Photography tips for Bukit Merese

To take your best photos during sunset, here some tips. 

  • Expose on the sky to make sure you have all the colors in it.
  • If you have a drone you will love to fly it here! There are so many amazing angles to capture the coastline from an aerial view.
  • If you have a zoom lens, take it with you! You can capture some amazing close ups of the waves and other interesting subjects.
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Bukit Seger; the other sunset viewpoint in Kuta Lombok

On the opposite of Bukit Merese is Bukit Seger which is also a great spot to watch the sunset. It’s pretty much the same kind of view, but the hill itself is a bit smaller than Bukit Merese. So if you want to do something different than going to Bukit Merese, then Bukit Seger is a great alternative. From here you will have a view on Kuta beach Lombok and Elizabeth beach on the other side. Because the hill itself is smaller than Bukit Merese you don’t have to walk that far to get to the viewpoint. This also means that when there are more people at Bukit Seger, it gets quickly over crowded. See for yourself which viewpoint in Kuta Lombok you like the most!

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Sunset view from Bukit Seger overlooking Kuta beach Bay

Other things to do in Kuta Lombok

Kuta in Lombok is where surfers and travelers find their base to explore South Lombok. Besides exploring all the amazing Lombok beaches along the south coast, there are many more things to do around. For example exploring the bat caves with their magical lightrays, or Pink beach South-East of Kuta. 

If you are a real adventurer, trekking Mount Rinjani can’t be missed on your Lombok itinerary! There are many tours offered in Kuta as well as in Senaru to trek the famous volcano in North Lombok. Make sure to have a complete packing list for your trek up to the volcano and travel insurance in case something happens.

Another thing many people combine with a visit to Lombok, is a stay on one of the Gili islands in North-West Lombok.

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Be aware for typical scams in Lombok

During our time in Lombok we had a few encounters with potential scammers, and we heard stories about tourists being scammed. I absolutely don’t want to discourage you to travel to Lombok, because the island is beautiful and has lots of things to offer. But I do want to warn you for a few potential scams to make your trip to Lombok a beautiful memory!

Motorbike rental

Please be alert when renting a motorbike. There are a few potential scams possible with renting motorbikes.
1. Paying for damage you didn’t make. How to avoid?
Always check AND photograph scratches or other damage to the motorbike you rent together with the person you rent from. In this way you have prove that certain scratches were already on the motorbike. Otherwise you have the chance that these people want to scam you by paying for the damage on the motorbike you didn’t make.
2. Your motorbike got stolen but surprisingly found back by other locals (or not!) who insist and sometimes even threaten you to pay. How to avoid?
Make sure to check reviews of the party you want to rent from or rent from the hotel or hostel you’re staying. Mostly these people work together with a group, and they share their proceeds with each other. If you want more information about this, read this article on Lonely Planet about someones experience being scammed in Lombok with a stolen motorbike.  

Surfboard damage

Same as what happens with motorbike rental. When you bring the surfboard back to the surf school, they tell you you made a scratch and insist you to pay for the damage. How to avoid? Same as with the motorbike rental. Always check AND photograph scratches or other damage to the surfboard together with the person you’re renting from. 

“You need a guide” waterfalls scam

How to avoid? Either go very, very early (before the ticket office opens), or make sure you’re very steadfast in negotiating. The locals want to earn some extra money by walking with you to the waterfalls “as your guide”, because “you need a guide to go to the waterfalls”. That’s just nonsense, because the paths to the waterfalls are very straight forward. You can’t get lost, it’s not a tricky hike or whatsoever. 

Mount Rinjani trekking scam

How to avoid? Go to either Senaru or Sembalun directly and talk to the companies there. Always read reviews before booking a tour with a company! Trekking Mount Rinjani is a serious thing and requires a serious company to guide you! Don’t book in Kuta because they add up a lot of costs.

More Lombok travel guides

We hope you enjoyed this blog post about Bukit Merese in Kuta Lombok. If you have any questions, let us know! For more inspiration about Lombok, read these guides:

Best things to do in Lombok – The Ultimate Guide

Tiu Kelep waterfall Lombok – The Complete Guide

12 best waterfalls in Lombok

Pink beach Lombok – The Ultimate Guide

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One Comment

  1. Hello Ilse, thank you for sharing your info about Bukit Merese in Kuta Lombok. Must be beautiful to watch the sunset here. And your info about the scams is also very helpful for a visit. It’s always good to be prepared and know more about the area.

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