Indonesia
Lost a ring or watch in Indonesia?
From the black sand of north and east Bali to the harbour at Labuan Bajo, on the western tip of Flores.
A ring or watch that went on the sand, in shallow water or along a garden path in Indonesia can often still be looked for. Your chances rest on two things: the island and beach you were on, and the last moment you are sure it was still with you.
Ring Seekers is a lost ring and jewellery recovery service that works with experienced local metal detectorists to search for a ring, wedding band, watch, keys or phone lost in Indonesia. Tell us what happened and where. We choose an experienced detectorist who knows the beach, brief them with your map and photos, and tell you honestly if the odds are poor.
Black sand facing the Bali Sea, pink sand and granite farther out
Lovina, on the north coast of Bali, faces the Bali Sea: grey and black volcanic sand, calm water, snorkelling straight from the shore. Keramas, in the east of the island, is black sand as well, but there the waves are big and challenging and suit experienced surfers.
Away from Bali, Pink Beach on Komodo gets its colour from red coral mixed into white sand. On Belitung, Tanjung Kelayang pairs fine white sand with giant granite rocks, while Pangandaran in West Java has black and white sand.
How we handle an Indonesian case
Your case, one contact
Your case lives in a single WhatsApp chat with one person at Ring Seekers, and it stays there until the end.
Pin, photos and the order of your day
The detectorist gets your map pin, your pictures of the spot and of the item, and the order in which your day went, so they know where the story begins.
When a boat crossing is in the story
If it slipped off during a crossing between islands, far from any beach, the odds are poor, and we tell you that in plain terms before anything else is arranged.
Two places called Kuta
Some beach names turn up on more than one island, Kuta on Bali and Kuta on Lombok for one. Open with the island, then the beach, then the town you stayed in.
Costs set out ahead
We explain the costs before any search is booked, so you can weigh them up with the odds in front of you.
Our Ring Finder Service Locations in Indonesia
Bali, Lombok and the islands beyond
The three area pages above go through south Bali, west Bali and Lombok with the Gilis beach by beach, so their cards below are brief. Everywhere else, from Menjangan off northwest Bali to Pangandaran in West Java, is written up here alone.
Bali first, then the islands and coasts beyond it
Bali south
Pantai Karang at Sanur has soft white sand, calm water and a row of moored fishing boats, and people come at sunrise to walk or sit by the water. Bali south picks up from there with Uluwatu, Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, the rest of Sanur, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan.
Bali west
Batu Belig is golden sand with soothing waves and restaurants and beach clubs around it. Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Canggu are taken one at a time on Bali west.
Lombok and the Gili Islands
Nipah Beach in North Lombok is soft white sand and clear water with a view of green hills, and a few warungs serving fresh seafood. Senggigi, the three Gilis with the snorkelling water round them, and Kuta on the south coast all have their place on Lombok and the Gili Islands.
Lovina, Pemuteran and Menjangan
Lovina is a string of coastal villages going by the one name, so the village you stayed in narrows things down. Jukung boats set off from the shore early in the morning to see the dolphins. Further west, Pemuteran is black volcanic sand under green hills, with calm water off the beach, and boats leave Labuan Lalang for Menjangan Island, ringed by white sand and coral, where Coral Garden and Eel Garden are favourite snorkelling spots.
Ubud
Ubud is in the central part of Bali among rice field terraces, with places to stay in the town centre or out among the greenery. Away from the sea, say whether it went in town, where you stayed or on a paddy walk at Tegalalang.
Nusa Lembongan
Nusa Lembongan is a small island southeast of Bali, reached by motor boat, with coconut palms along the edge of the beach. Put a pin on the stretch of sand where you spent the day, or the snorkelling stop, such as Mangrove Point in the north.
Labuan Bajo, Flores
Labuan Bajo sits at the western tip of Flores, and its harbour is a working one, with fishing boats and ferries coming and going. Waecicu Beach, close to the centre, is reached by road or by boat from the harbour. Boats also go out to Kanawa, a small island of fine white sand, to Padar, with its hike to the top and beaches of white, pinkish and black sand, and to Pink Beach on Komodo, where even the shallows are good for snorkelling.
Bintan and Belitung
Trikora Beach, on the east of Bintan, is a long white beach with huge boulders. Boardwalks run out from the sand with kelongs, or fish traps, on either side, where anglers fish. Tanjung Kelayang on Belitung is fine white sand and giant granite, where people swim, snorkel and paddle canoes.
Pangandaran, West Java
Pangandaran sits on a peninsula on the south coast of West Java, with calm Pananjung beach at the western end and a row of seafood restaurants and stalls along the eastern coast. The forested hill beside Pananjung is the Pangandaran Nature Reserve, with grassy trekking paths, and boats take snorkellers out to the coral of the marine park.
Places we cover in Indonesia
- Sanur, Bali
- Nusa Dua, Bali
- Jimbaran, Bali
- Uluwatu, Bali
- Nusa Penida
- Kuta, Bali
- Legian, Bali
- Seminyak, Bali
- Batu Belig, Bali
- Canggu, Bali
- Lovina, Bali
- Pemuteran, Bali
- Menjangan Island, Bali
- Keramas, Bali
- Ubud, Bali
- Nusa Lembongan
- Senggigi, Lombok
- Nipah Beach, North Lombok
- Gili Trawangan
- Gili Meno
- Gili Air
- Kuta, Lombok
- Labuan Bajo, Flores
- Waecicu Beach, Labuan Bajo
- Kanawa Island
- Padar Island
- Pink Beach, Komodo
- Trikora Beach, Bintan
- Tanjung Kelayang, Belitung
- Pangandaran, West Java
- Pangandaran Nature Reserve
Small metal things that go astray in Indonesia
Bands, anklets and earrings
- Platinum wedding bands
- White gold engagement rings
- Toe rings
- Anklets
- Drop earrings
Wrist, pocket and bag
- An Oura ring
- A surf watch
- A phone in a dry bag
- Villa gate keys
- Titanium glasses frames
Where a day here loses them
- Boarding a jukung early at Lovina
- A paddy walk at Tegalalang
- Seafood stalls on Pangandaran's east coast
- A boardwalk at Trikora Beach
- Canoeing at Tanjung Kelayang
- An evening swim at Waecicu Beach
What a search in Indonesia needs from you
Nothing has to be done in person, so writing after you have flown home is fine.
The island, then the rest
On WhatsApp, tell us the island, the beach, what came off and when you last had it.
A pin and a few pictures
Drop a pin where you think it went, then add photos of the spot and of the item.
Looking for a detectorist
We look for a metal detectorist who can reach the place, whether it is on Bali or a boat ride away, and pass on everything you sent.
A search date only once you agree
Only after you agree is a date fixed, and when the search is over you are told how it went, good news or not.
Questions about Indonesia
We stayed up in Ubud and only went down to the sea for one afternoon. Does the missing wedding band belong to Ubud or to the beach?
To whichever place you last saw it. If it came off in Ubud, think about where you stayed, the town centre and any walk through the paddy fields. If it was still on your finger when you reached the coast, name the beach, and we will point you to the right page or take it from here.
Can a smartwatch lost on the morning boat out of Lovina be searched for?
Part of the morning can. The jukung boats leave from the shore early, and the beach they leave from is grey and black volcanic sand, so the spot where you climbed aboard and the sand when you came back are where a detectorist can look. Tell us which village you set off from, Kalibukbuk, Anturan, Kaliasem or Tukad Mungga, and pin it. If the watch went over the side out at sea, that is a long shot, and you would hear that from us first.
Car keys disappeared during a swim at Waecicu Beach, near Labuan Bajo. Should we say how we got there?
Yes. Waecicu is close to the centre of Labuan Bajo and you reach it by road or by boat from the harbour, so the way you arrived tells us where you came onto the sand. Say whether the keys were in a pocket in the calm water or in a bag on the beach, then pin where your things were and send a photo of the key and fob.
Is a surf break like Keramas too rough a place to look for an engagement ring?
Not if you can say where you went in and where you came out. Pin where you left your things, where you paddled out and where you came back in, and tell us whether the ring was still on when you picked up the board.
My phone disappeared the day we fished from a kelong at Trikora Beach. Could it be on the sand or the boardwalk?
Either, so think back to the last time you checked it. Boardwalks run out from the sand to the kelongs, and huge boulders lie along the beach. Pin the boardwalk you walked out on, and the boulder nearest your towel if you spent time on the sand.
A bracelet came off among the granite at Tanjung Kelayang on Belitung. Can rocks like that be searched?
The sand around them can. People swim, snorkel and take canoes out from it, so say whether you were on the sand, in the water or in a canoe. A holiday picture taken near the rocks shows the detectorist which ones you mean; send it with a picture of the bracelet.
Our son lost a gold chain at Pangandaran. We swam on one side of the peninsula and ate on the other.
Start with the swim. Families swim off Pananjung beach on the west side, and the seafood stalls and the fish market line the east. Pin the spot on each side and say which came first.
Indonesia
Tell us the island and drop the pin
Open WhatsApp, drop a pin where you last had it and say which island you were on. The rest of the story can follow in later messages.