Ultimate Guide to Tetebatu, Lombok

We’ve been staying in Lombok for a while, based down on the south coast, and visiting Tetebatu had been on our list for a while.

Often referred to as the Ubud of Lombok, this quaint village has rice paddies that extend to the horizon, volcano views and lush jungles. However, a lot sets this tranquil destination apart as well.

Unlike Ubud, Tetebatu is a quiet, local village. There are no yoga studios, fancy restaurants or coworking cafes. Instead, you’ll find hidden waterfalls, local warungs and local farmers.

This is the perfect place to experience traditional Sasak life and Lombok countryside. Kuta, Sengiggi, and the Gili Islands all experience a lot of tourism, but here is a quieter side of local living.

In this blog post, we’ll share all you need to know to plan your perfect getaway to Tetebatu. Make sure you give yourself at least two days to explore this little gem.

Travel Guide for Tetebatu, Lombok

Explore the Rice Fields

Tetebatu is known for its beautiful rice paddies. It’s where the reference to being the Ubud of Lombok comes from.

We booked a tour from our hotel, Les Rizieres, and it was an absolutely incredible way to learn more about everything growing in the area.

You can also walk around the paddies yourself, but booking a tour ensures you get the most out of the experience.

Swim at the local Waterfalls

Tetebatu is based right at the base of Mount Rinjani so there are many rivers flowing through the area. This means there are also a lot of waterfalls around!

Your host may suggest local ones to where you are staying. We visited Durian Indah, where a local boy showed us the way through the rice paddies to the waterfall.

We also stopped at Sarang Walet during our tour. We were the only people there, and it was absolutely dreamy.

Visit Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu Waterfalls

If you have your own transport, the short drive from Tetebatu to these waterfalls is a wonderful experience. We had kids giving us high fives, we were the only non-Indonesians we saw and we got to see even more of the gorgeous countryside.

You can also visit here from Kuta on a day trip.

You need to pay to enter the national park that is home to these waterfalls, and you will get a guide. We walked to all four from the carpark (you can take a bike to Benang Kelambu), and it’s challenging at times but a reasonably easy hike if you’re fit and healthy.

If you’ve got time, opt to do all four waterfalls. We did, and we spent about two hours. We didn’t spend long at Benang Kelambu; that’s where the rain came down hard, and we decided to head back to shelter.

Tetebatu Monkey Forest

Unlike the monkeys in Bali, those in Lombok are far less aggressive and annoying. They have not been trained to come looking to tourists for food, so they are far less likely to snatch items off you.

Here, you’ll get to see grey macaques and black langurs. These black monkeys will likely be high up in the trees and uninterested in people. But seeing them in their natural habitat is a wonderful experience.

Trek to Mount Rinjani National Park

Mount Rinjani towers over Lombok. It is the second-highest volcano in all of Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. And it’s a challenging climb.

Most treks will depart from either Sembalun or Senaru to reach the summit. Tetebatu can provide the perfect stopover before or after your climb, allowing you to bathe your tired muscles in the crisp waterfalls flowing down off Rinjani.

Explore Local Handicrafts

The villages surrounding Tetebatu are home to a variety of local handicrafts. This is your opportunity to see the cultural side of Lombok and support local craftspeople.

Some of the skills on display are bamboo braiding, sarong weaving, and pottery. We suggest you book a tour to ensure you get the most out of these experiences.

Also, consider purchasing your souvenirs directly from the artisans to help support these local craftspeople.

Taking a Tour in Tetebatu

Although you can explore Tetebatu independently, we recommend getting a tour guide. We learned much about growing various fruits and vegetables on our trek around the rice terraces. They’ll also help you spot the monkey in the monkey forest and know when it’s safe to swim in the waterfalls.

You can book directly with your homestay or contact the team at Les Rizieries. We were so impressed with our guide Yang who was a wealth of local knowledge and even took us to his house. A truely unique experience.

Travel to Tetebatu

Lombok is centrally located within Indonesia and is well connected with several ports and an airport. If you’re flying in, there are some international flights to Lombok airport. Other destinations may require you to transit through Bali, Jakarta or Surabaya.

Tetebatu is easily accessed from most parts of the island.

From Bangsal Harbour, home of the Gili Islands and the fast boats from Bali, the drive is approximately 2hrs 15 minutes.
From Kuta, on the southern coast, the drive is approximately 1hr 45 minutes.
From Lembar Harbour, post of the slow ferry from Bali, the drive is approximately 2hrs.
From Lombok International Airport, the drive is approximately 1hr 30 minutes.

Grab, the Uber of Southeast Asia, operates in some parts of Lombok, but not all of it. There are restrictions on its implementation. Often you will need to arrange a driver ahead of time.

If you’re looking for a driver, we recommend our friend Baron (+62 821-4424-6776). He is a fantastic and safe driver, can offer tour services all over Lombok and will share more about Lombok from a local’s perspective.

Tetebatu Lombok Accommodation

Tetebatu is your chance to escape mass tourism. This small village gives visitors the chance to stay in simple accommodation options.

The most common type of accommodation in Tetebatu is homestays. These are the perfect way to both support local families and engage with them.

Some recommendations we have been given:

Vanilla Cottage Tetebatu

Raturinjani Homestay

We heard wonderful reviews of Les Rizieres and we were not disappointed. This gorgeous homestay is run by a French couple, Thomas and Katie, and staffed with a team of delightful locals from Tetebatu.

Like most homestays, they have an onsite restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner is by reservation only to reduce food waste, with a meat and vegetarian options changed each evening.

Dining in Tetebatu

Unlike restaurant options in Kuta Lombok, you are much more limited here in Tetebatu. There are very few local warungs and basically no Western restaurants.

Most restaurants are part of homestays, so you may find you eat at where you are staying a lot.

This was part of why we enjoyed staying at Les Rizieres so much. They have an excellent team running the kitchen and the daily changing menu for dinner meant that we didn’t get bored.

We also ate at a few other restaurants, Pondok Tetebatu and Warung Monkey Forest (this was included as part of our tour and it was delicious!).

You will find options like gado-gado or vegetarian curry on most menus for vegetarians and vegans. Indonesia is the home of tempeh so they do make meals without meat, but if you are strict, you may wish to ask if the sambal includes shrimp paste.

When to travel to Tetebatu

It is the wet season from December to March in Tetebatu. That said, this lush part of Lombok does experience rainfall all year around.

We visited in late November, and it did rain daily as the weather built up to the wet season. However, we had a beautiful day without rain while exploring the rice fields. The overnight rain meant we got a clear view of Mount Rinjani the following morning.

To ensure Mount Rinjani views, you may wish to visit during the dry season, from June to September. You may need a sweater or extra layer for the evenings, as this is the cooler part of the year.

Budget for a trip to Tetebatu

For us, this trip was a birthday splurge holiday. I will give you our breakdown, but you could spend much less if you choose. We travelled to Tetebatu on Friday morning and back to Kuta on Monday afternoon.

This breakdown is for two people in USD, so just under $60 USD per day for everything, including beautiful accommodation, tours, great food and alcohol.