ya malaria is fir real. got it a few years ago. i was all over lombok incl. deserts. may have contracted it there. so...how bad do you want to surf it? prevention is good but you're bound to get bit no matter how careful you are. it only takes one. i'll tell you one thing. cerebral malaria may or may not kill ya but you will surely feel like your gonna die by your head exploding off your shoulders.