Hello, I am 29 and a friend and I are thinking of heading to Bali (2 single girls) the beginning of October for a week and then Lombok or Giles Islands for 5 nights. I know that this is going to be during Ramadan so is it an alright time to go? We will hope to meet other travellers along the way but we know that it is the off season. I am also concerned with Lombok that a lot of places will be closed because of Ramadan. Any info would be great!! Thanks!

Bali will be fine during Ramadan as the population is Hindu, not Muslim.

Bali is Hindu, so Ramadan will have little impact on Bali. Lombok is mostly Muslim, so more places will be closed. Nonetheless, Lombok is a tourist destination, and enough things will be open to cater to travelers.

The time right after the end of Ramadan is Hari Raya. That's the traditional time for Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia to return to their home villages. Lots of things will be closed then, and transport will be sold out or nearly so.

topping for Canadagirl

Canada, Bali won't be affected by Ramadhan but a lot of Indonesians will travel to Bali during the holidays immediately following Ramadhan, which are called Lebaran or Idul Fitri in Indonesia. This year that means the week of October 22. The major resorts will be busy during that time.

I've never been to Lombok during Ramadhan, but I wouldn't think that the beach areas would be impacted. People may be a little sleepy but tourism will go on. In the non-resort towns, shops will stay open, but many restaurants will close until around 6:00 p.m.

I'm sure the resorts will keep operating during Lebaran too. Oddly enough, many of the management staff at Lombok resorts are Balinese and therefore not Muslim.