May is when Tanjung Bloam is at its best — quiet, clear, accessible, and combinable with the major south-east attractions for a perfect day.
May at Tanjung Bloam (-8.9089, 116.5421) opens the surf and swim season at this remote bay east of Kuta Lombok. The 1.2km sand beach stays near-empty with 15-40 daily visitors, first SW swells produce small surf at the eastern reef, post-monsoon water clarity peaks at 12-15m underwater visibility, and Sekaroh-area access roads are dry. The far-east bay alternative for visitors avoiding Kuta-area crowds.
# Tanjung Bloam in May: The Hidden Bay at Its Best
Tanjung Bloam is a 1.2km crescent of sand beach on Lombok's south-east coast, tucked into a bay between two rocky headlands east of Tanjung Ringgit. It's one of the island's most beautiful beaches and one of its least-visited — the remoteness from Kuta Lombok (3-3.5 hours by scooter) and minimal infrastructure (no warungs, no rental gear, no formal services) keep casual day-trippers away.
May is when Tanjung Bloam is at its absolute best. Post-monsoon clarity, dry-season hiking comfort, the first reliable SW swells producing surfable waves at the eastern reef, and visitor counts of just 15-40 daily make May the smart month for any serious south-east Lombok visit.
Three things distinguish Tanjung Bloam from other south-coast beaches:
1. The size and emptiness combination: At 1.2km long, the beach has the scale of major south-coast destinations like Tanjung Aan (1.5km) but with 1-3% of the visitor traffic. You can walk the entire beach in May with maybe 10 other people in sight.
2. The combined surf/swim/snorkel offering: Most south-coast beaches are either surf-focused (Mawi, Are Guling) or swim-focused (Tanjung Aan central, Selong Belanak crescent). Tanjung Bloam offers all three in different sections of the same bay.
3. The triple-feature combination: Combined with Tanjung Ringgit cliffs (15 minutes north) and Pink Beach (10 minutes west), Tanjung Bloam completes a south-east Lombok day-trip that delivers beach, dramatic coast, and pink sand all in one logical loop.
Sea state: bay is calm to lightly rolling. Central and western sections protected from open-ocean swell. Eastern reef section catches first SW pulses of the year at 2-4ft size.
Visibility: 12-15m underwater at the eastern reef. Excellent for snorkeling.
Wind: easterly trade winds settling in. Mornings glassy, light afternoon sea breeze. Comfortable beach conditions throughout the day.
Temperature: 30°C high, 23°C low. May UV strong but early morning visits are most comfortable.
Rainfall: 50mm across 5 rainy days. Mostly afternoon brief showers. Morning visits avoid weather risk.
Tanjung Bloam sits at -8.9089, 116.5421 on Lombok's south-east coast. Access is via the road through Sekaroh village south of Jerowaru, with the bay parking 5km past the Pink Beach turn-off.
Drive times:
The road from Jerowaru is paved through Sekaroh, then degrades to packed dirt for the final 3-4km to the bay. May conditions are dry enough that any scooter or 4WD handles it.
There's no public transport. Day-trip charter from Kuta or the airport runs 800,000-1,500,000 IDR per group of 4-6 people.
Beach walking: the full 1.2km crescent walk takes 25-35 minutes one-way. Best photographs from the western headland looking east, or the eastern headland looking west.
Swimming: central and western sections are calm and clear. Sand bottom, no significant current, comfortable for all swimming abilities. Best swimming spots:
Surfing the eastern reef: small but quality reef break catches first SW swells of the year. May size 2-4ft, intermediate-friendly. Note: this is NOT a beginner spot — the reef is sharp and the takeoff zone has rock sections. Bring reef booties.
Snorkeling: eastern point reef has good coral coverage and 12-15m visibility in May. Best snorkeling 50-100m from the eastern point. Bring your own gear — none for rent on-site.
Sunrise photography: eastern headland faces directly east. May sunrise around 5:50am. The headland is accessible via a 10-minute walk from the parking area.
Combined day-trip: the standard south-east loop is Tanjung Bloam + Pink Beach + Tanjung Ringgit. May is the best month for this combination because all three are at peak quality.
A self-drive May day-trip from Kuta hitting all three sites runs 250,000-450,000 IDR per person all-in including transport, parking, and food brought from Kuta.
Recommended May itinerary for the south-east Lombok loop from Kuta Lombok:
Total day length: 15-16 hours. Long but rewarding. Sekaroh village overnight stay shortens this to a 2-day comfortable trip.
Photography opportunities:
May at Tanjung Bloam sees roughly 15-40 visitors per day, often clustered around 11am-2pm when day-trippers from Kuta arrive. Sunrise visits frequently have under 5 people total at the bay.
This is one of the lowest visitor densities of any reasonably-accessible Lombok beach. The remoteness premium — 3-3.5 hours from Kuta, no facilities, no warungs — keeps casual visitors away.
Bring everything: no warungs at the beach itself. Pack water (3L for a beach day), food, snacks, sunscreen, snorkel gear, surfboard if surfing.
No shade: the sand has no natural shade. Bring a beach umbrella or tarp if you plan to spend the day.
Cell signal: limited at the bay. Don't rely on real-time navigation or emergency calls.
Safety: swimming is mostly very safe. The eastern section near the reef has rip currents on bigger swells — strong swimmers only beyond the 100m mark.
June continues the dry conditions but visitor numbers slowly rise. July-August has full peak south-coast tourism but Tanjung Bloam's remoteness keeps it relatively quiet (40-100/day). October is the closing-act shoulder.
May is the month for first-time south-east Lombok visitors who want the best conditions with the lowest crowds.
May is the smartest month for Tanjung Bloam. Combine it with a Tanjung Ringgit cliff visit (15 minutes north) and Pink Beach (10 minutes west) for the south-east Lombok triple-feature. The bay's central and western sections are perfect for gentle swimming — calm and clear. The eastern reef holds small but quality surf for intermediate surfers in May SW pulses. Bring everything you need — there are no warungs, no rental gear, no facilities at the beach itself. Park at the small dirt area on the western entrance and walk the full beach for the best photo opportunities.