South Sekotong, southwest Lombok
★ 4.6(540 reviews)
Ocean's Heaven Resort is a small luxury beachfront property on the south Sekotong coast, opposite the Secret Gili Islands chain, with villas from 2,800,000 to 5,500,000 IDR per night. It exists as a launching point for travellers who want quiet snorkelling around Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak, and Gili Kedis without the Gili Trawangan crowds. The location is genuinely remote — 90 minutes from Senggigi and Kuta both — but the snorkelling payoff is real.
# Ocean's Heaven Resort Sekotong: Secret Gili Beachfront Base
Ocean's Heaven sits on the south Sekotong coastline, in the part of Lombok most travellers never reach. The resort exists for one specific reason: to put you within 10 minutes by boat of the Secret Gilis — the smaller, quieter chain of islands (Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis, and a handful of others) that locals visit when they want snorkelling without crowds.
Italian-Indonesian ownership, opened in 2008 and steadily upgraded since. The property is small (around 16 units) and operates more like a remote private club than a conventional hotel — most stays involve some interaction with the owner-managers, who are genuinely present rather than absentee.
Three categories. Garden Suites (entry, 2,800,000–3,500,000 IDR) are spacious one-bedroom units set back from the beach. Beachfront Suites (3,500,000–4,500,000 IDR) sit directly on the sand with terraces opening to the water. Pool Villas (4,500,000–5,500,000 IDR) add a private plunge pool and slightly larger footprint.
Given how good the resort beach and the two main pools are, the private plunge pool of the top-tier villa adds less value than at city-resort properties. The Beachfront Suites are the sweet spot — you're paying for direct beach access from the room, which is the actual point of being out here.
South Sekotong is the southwest corner of Lombok, accessed by the coastal road that loops south from Lembar harbour. From Ocean's Heaven: 50 minutes to Lembar harbour (where the Bali ferry arrives), 90 minutes to Senggigi, 90 minutes to Kuta Lombok, 120 minutes to Lombok International Airport.
The final 8km of road is rough — sealed but with significant potholes, narrow in places, and slow. A sedan will manage but it's an unpleasant drive; the resort's transfer SUV is significantly more comfortable. Don't try this in a self-drive scooter unless you're an experienced rider.
The snorkelling is the headline. The Secret Gilis (Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis) sit about 10 minutes by boat from the resort jetty and offer genuinely good fringing reef snorkelling without the Trawangan crowd density. You'll see reef fish, occasional turtles, and the water clarity is consistently 15–20 metre visibility. The resort runs daily group boat trips (350,000 IDR per person) and private charters (2,000,000 IDR for up to 6 guests for half a day).
The on-site PADI dive operation runs Open Water through Advanced courses. Diving in south Sekotong is good but not as varied as the main Gili sites — best for course students rather than experienced divers chasing big fish.
The kitchen is properly run. Italian chef, fresh seafood (the resort owns its own boat for daily catch), and a well-considered Indo-Italian menu. Mains 150,000–320,000 IDR. Most guests do a half-board package; full-board makes sense given the lack of nearby alternatives. Breakfast is generous.
The sunset bar built out on a small jetty is the atmospheric peak of the property — you'll spend at least one sundown there with a cocktail, and probably more.
The honest constraints. Remoteness is real: 90 minutes to anywhere else on Lombok means day trips to Kuta or Senggigi consume an entire day on the road. Mobile signal is patchy — Telkomsel works best, the others struggle. Wi-Fi reaches the main building reliably but degrades at the villas. The road in is rough enough that some guests visibly relax only after the first 24 hours, having recovered from the transfer.
Book Ocean's Heaven for travellers who specifically want quiet snorkelling, who value a remote-luxury beachfront with no neighbours, and who'll commit 4+ nights so the transfer-to-stay ratio makes sense. Strong choice for divers doing courses, snorkelling-focused honeymooners, and writers/remote workers who want to fall off the grid.
Skip Ocean's Heaven if you want to combine your stay with regular Senggigi/Kuta nightlife or restaurant variety, if you're nervous about remote locations or rough road access, or if you only have 2 nights — you'll spend half of it in transit.