We landed in Kuta with 8 people and no booked accommodations. We were so lucky to find the Kuta Cove Hotel. First of all...it's a great value for the money...and it's beautiful...just finished a few weeks ago so it still has the smell of teak. The beds are great, the breakfast was superb...very clean and beautiful. There are still some bugs to work out and there is only tempid water in the shower but still well worth it!! Ande is the manager and welcomed us with fresh squeezed OJ. He knows everything about Lombok...the best places to eat...great surf guys...awesome drivers with good english. First he set us up with Tokyo for surfing, who not only did Tokyo do a great job making all 8 of us so happy with 2 great surf days but he also is a master with magic tricks and even bent a spoon...I mean really...like the Matrix ;-) Then I told Ande we wanted to do something non touristy in a village or something...he set us up with Amen (yes...that is his name). He took us to his village, we had a palm leaf reading done with 200 year old scripts that are passed down generation to generation. The reading is sung to you in the ancient language...it was amazing!! Amen also took our group out for an evening you don't want to miss...back to his village to buy homemade rice wine, then off for...We landed in Kuta with 8 people and no booked accommodations. We were so lucky to find the Kuta Cove Hotel. First of all...it's a great value for the money...and it's beautiful...just finished a few weeks ago so it still has the smell of teak. The beds are great, the breakfast was superb...very clean and beautiful. There are still some bugs to work out and there is only tempid water in the shower but still well worth it!! Ande is the manager and welcomed us with fresh squeezed OJ. He knows everything about Lombok...the best places to eat...great surf guys...awesome drivers with good english. First he set us up with Tokyo for surfing, who not only did Tokyo do a great job making all 8 of us so happy with 2 great surf days but he also is a master with magic tricks and even bent a spoon...I mean really...like the Matrix ;-) Then I told Ande we wanted to do something non touristy in a village or something...he set us up with Amen (yes...that is his name). He took us to his village, we had a palm leaf reading done with 200 year old scripts that are passed down generation to generation. The reading is sung to you in the ancient language...it was amazing!! Amen also took our group out for an evening you don't want to miss...back to his village to buy homemade rice wine, then off for traditional palm leaf rice and true satay...then off to a gorgeous park where you sit in the grass with small tables and candlelight to eat and drink. Then off to a shopping area with absolutely no tourists then out for a night dancing in Sengiggi. Too much fun!!! Also try Ketapang Restaurant for the best food...Warung Bule for a little upscale...and Ashtari for some of the best vegetarian food anywhere in the world with a location overlooking the Kuta and the ocean. If you are looking for a safe place to stay that is clean and new with the most amazing staff and an assortment of friends who take you everywhere from surfing to village tours...Kuta Cove is the place to be in Lombok!!More