Pink Beach Lombok

Pantai Tangsi in south-east Lombok is one of a small number of beaches worldwide with a genuine pink tint, and the mechanism is specific: fragments of red organ pipe coral, Tubipora musica, broken up on the reef offshore and washed ashore, mix with white sand and shell to give the beach its colour - which is a soft blush rather than the saturated pink of photographs, and it reads strongest when the sand is wet and the light is low. Snorkelling is off the beach and boats run to the small islands and to a hill viewpoint above the cove. The road in from Jerowaru has been improved but remains rough in places, which is one reason it stays quieter than the southern beaches; boats from Tanjung Luar are the alternative.

What you actually see

• A genuine pink tint - from red organ pipe coral fragments in the sand.
• A soft blush, not saturation - the colour strongest when wet and in low light.
• Snorkelling off the sand - the reef that supplies the coral fragments.
• A hill viewpoint - the outlook over the cove from above.

When to go

April to October; low sun for the colour. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The pink is subtle and heavily exaggerated in edited photographs - visitors expecting the internet version are routinely disappointed. The road is rough. Facilities are a few warung.

Nearby

Tanjung Luar market is west; the secret Gilis are offshore.