Happy glampers
Luxury camping on a beach on Lombok ticks all the boxes, writes Holly McDonald
Remote; beachfront; quiet; romantic: the new Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp on Indonesia's Lombok ticked all the boxes - and even managed some moody weather for my two-night stay.
Its location, 90 minutes from the island's airport, the last 11 kilometres over a bumpy, almost-not-there road built during the second world war, has that first box covered.
Once there, forest gently cuddles a private sandy cove that looks across the Timor Sea towards the neighbouring island of Sumbawa. Tick.
Five bungalows of recycled wood sit just behind a dune from where you'll be lucky if you see a fisherman come ashore once during the day. Tick.
Mosquito nets are draped over the beds, a lounge for two beckons on the spacious veranda and the restaurant glows under dappled candlelight in the evenings. Tick.
Jeeva Beloam is the very definition of "glamping": staying in a stunning location, literally off the grid - the power is supplied by a generator - without leaving any creature comforts behind. I'm impressed even before I see my bungalow. The simple, tasteful rooms are positioned for maximum privacy. Small touches make a big difference, like two kinds of pillows on the bed and reading lamps inside the mosquito nets that cast an excellent, buttery light.