Bumbangku, Sekotong peninsula, southwest Lombok
★ 4.6(274 reviews)
Bumbangku Beach Cottages is a 9-cottage beachfront stay in Bumbangku village on the Sekotong peninsula — Lombok's quiet southwest coast facing the secret Gilis. Cottages run 600,000–1,400,000 IDR per night including breakfast. It is the most distinctive non-luxury option in Sekotong: handcrafted timber-and-thatch cottages on an empty white-sand beach with the best sunsets on Lombok, but the area is sparse, infrastructure is basic, and this works best for travellers who want a deliberate slow-stay.
# Bumbangku Beach Cottages Sekotong: The Quiet Side of Lombok
Bumbangku Beach Cottages opened in 2018 in a Sekotong fishing-village beach that almost no one on Lombok visits. The property is run by Andrea, an Italian who arrived in Sekotong in 2014 to surf the strait and never left, and his Sasak wife Bu Sari. Together they have built one of the most quietly-loved offbeat stays on Lombok.
Nine cottages spread along a 700m stretch of beachfront in Bumbangku village, a small fishing settlement on the Sekotong peninsula's south coast. The property is small, owner-run, and deliberately undeveloped — no pool, no spa, no concierge, no air conditioning. There is one beachfront warung that handles all meals, a small reception hut, and a kayak/snorkel rental shed.
The cottages are handcrafted timber-and-thatch, designed by Andrea with Sasak builders over multiple seasons. Each cottage is slightly different — some single-storey, some with a sleeping loft, all with private verandas facing the water.
Three categories across 9 cottages. Garden Cottages (600,000 IDR) sit just back from the beachfront in a coconut grove, with double bed, en-suite bathroom, and a small veranda with garden view. Beachfront Cottages (950,000 IDR) sit on the sand with full beach views and an outdoor day bed on the veranda. Loft Cottages (1,400,000 IDR) are the largest, with a double bed downstairs, a sleeping loft for 2 children or a third adult, and an upstairs balcony.
For couples, book a Beachfront Cottage — the front-row positioning and outdoor day bed make a real difference, particularly at sunset. The Loft Cottages are the practical pick for small families. The Garden Cottages are fine for budget but lose the actual reason to stay here, which is being on the beach.
Sekotong is the long peninsula running southwest from Mataram. From Lombok International Airport, the drive is 75 minutes via the Lembar harbour road. From Senggigi, allow 90 minutes via Mataram and Lembar. The final 8km from the main Sekotong coast road into Bumbangku village is paved but narrow and twisting — small cars are fine, large SUVs need patience.
The property runs a fixed-rate transfer service from any Lombok pickup point at 600,000 IDR (sedan) or 850,000 IDR (van) one-way. Hire-car drivers familiar with Sekotong handle the route easily; first-time drivers should leave plenty of margin and expect to ask for directions in the village.
The secret Gilis (Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis, Layar) are accessed from boat ports 5–15 minutes' drive from the property. Bumbangku itself does not have a Gili boat dock — you go to the next village over.
The sunsets are the headline. Bumbangku faces directly west across the Lombok Strait, with Bali's Mount Agung visible on the horizon on clear evenings. Sunset between June and September is genuinely spectacular — the silhouette of Agung against an orange sky is one of the best free views in Indonesia. The beachfront warung sets up sundowner tables on the sand 30 minutes before sunset every evening.
Food is the second strength. Bu Sari runs the kitchen with two local cooks. The menu mixes Sasak staples (plecing kangkung, ayam taliwang, ikan bakar) with Andrea's Italian background (handmade pasta on Wednesdays, wood-fired pizza on Fridays). Dinner mains run 75,000–180,000 IDR. Breakfast is included and substantial.
The water activities work straight off the beach. Snorkel gear and kayaks are free for guests. The reef directly in front of the property is mediocre but turtle sightings are common. For better snorkelling, book the half-day boat trip to Gili Nanggu (300,000 IDR per person, minimum 2).
The trade-offs are infrastructure ones. No air conditioning is genuinely fine April–November but uncomfortable in January–February when humidity peaks. Wi-Fi only really works in the warung pavilion — adequate for messaging, useless for video calls. Sekotong as a region has very limited dining options outside the property; you will eat at the warung most nights, which is fine because the food is good but worth knowing.
The property is genuinely quiet at night. Bumbangku village is small and shuts down by 9pm. If you want any nightlife, you are in the wrong area.
Book it if you want a quiet beach stay, you appreciate handcrafted simple design, you specifically want the sunset views, or you are using Sekotong as a secret-Gili day-tripping base. It works particularly well as the "slow" segment of a longer Lombok trip — 3–4 nights here pairs naturally with time in Kuta or the main Gilis.
Skip it if you want air conditioning, reliable Wi-Fi, swimming pools, evening entertainment, or a wide variety of off-property dining. Skip it also if you want to be near Lombok's main attractions — Sekotong is a deliberate detour and the drive back to Kuta or Senggigi takes the better part of a half-day.