In Lombok, there is beauty almost everywhere that one cares to look. White sandy beaches, a waterfall in the middle of a forest and green cratered volcanoes, all await the adventurous tourist. A new international airport is after to open on Lombok in early 2011, and this famous pearl producing island hopes to attract more visitors to its shores as a result. Fadil Aziz tells us about this stunning and yet still relatively undiscovered part of the world.
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| The Handsome Coast Of Teluk Serenting |
If you only have two or three days to kill on Lombok, then you should really visit Senggigi Beach, the three Gili Islands and the weaving craft centre in Sukarasa, which is only a few kilometres from the capital, Mataram. If you have more time at your disposal, then don't miss out on a cultural tour of a traditional Sasak village and the majestic southern coast that stretches out from Kuta (in trems of tourist numbers, the complete opposite of its Balinese namesake).
Developed as Lombok's centre of tourism two decades ago, Senggigi remains the most popular destination on this 80 kilometre wide island, both with local and international tourist. There are hotels and restaurants of various classes here, and culinary and shopping tourism are its main attracions. Senggigi is also the best place on the island to rent vehicles from. Be aware that most vehicle rentals require visitors to hire a driver as well, although this is perhaps not such a bad idea since many of Lombok's roads are still without signs.
In an attempt to avoid the main tourist throng, I drove the 3.5 kilometres to Mangsit, an area filled with bungalows which nestle among rows of palm trees. The black sands of the Senggigi area may not be to everyone's tastes though, and in fact the best beaches in the region are to be found on the Gills, the three legendary islands just off the northwest coast of Lombok which are a magnet for beach lovers, divers and party animals alike.
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| Tiu Kelep Waterfall Hidden In The Forest |
Stories about the trio of Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno started to circulate decades ago among Eouropean tourists, who would stay there for months on end. These tourist pioneers enjoyed the many panoramas that the islands offered, as well as the great snorkelling and the mellow beaches that were free of motorised vehicles. The lustre of these three islands currently shines even brighter now that Lonely Planet has featured them as one of its Top 10 Regions in its Best in Travel 2011 guide.
The Gilis, which lie in the Lombok Strait, can be visited on a day trip from Senggigi. The best way of doing this is by renting a boat. If you start early, you can reach Gili Trawangan, try your hand at some snorkelling or diving , enjoy the beach, have lunch at one of island's many eateries, and then visit the two quieter, neighbouring islands. Towards evening, you can sail along the shoreline of West Lombok, stop for a while in Batu Bolong to take pictures, then move on to Malimbu, a hilly area around seven kilometres north of Senggigi. The main attraction here is watching the sun as it sets slowly behind Bali's towering Agung Volcano.
The following day, the best option is to go shopping for the some of the island's famous woven textiles in Sukarara and experience the daily life of the local Sasak communities (the native people of Lombok) whilst you are there. Sasak villages are spread out across many locations around the island, the closest to Senggigi being Segenter and Senaru, about 50 kilometres to the north.
The culture and life of the Sasak community in Segenter is still relatively untouched by the detrimental excesses of modernisation. Their houses are still made of bamboo, as is clearly visible in their walls and frames, while the roofs are made of tall grass. The most curious elements are the floors, which are made from a mixture containing water buffalo or cow dung.
I drove up the slope of the huge Mount Rinjani and stopped at Senaru. The asphalt road ends at the village gate. Unlike Segenter, this village was crowded with tourists. Perhaps this is because it is the starting point for climbs up to Segara Anak lake (2,000 metres above sea level) and beyond to the top of Rinjani (3,200 metres), one of the most handsome volcanoes in Indonesia. A 20 minute trip took me to Sendang Gile, the most famous waterfall in Lombok. The view is gorgeous and the water seems to slice down through leaves and tree trunks.
THE SENSE OF ADVENTURE will be multiplied many times over if you have a longer holiday. Conquering Rinjani is an attraction not to be missed, although not for the faint hearted. If you get short of breath easily though, just climb up to Segara Anak lake, which was once featured on the ten thousand rupiah bill, and also to Tiu Kelep, a lovely waterfall just 50 minutes on foot up from Sendang Gile.
From Rinjani, I descended to the village of Sembalun in North Lombok. This village is reachable by car from Bayan and is one of the hidden treasures of Lombok. Not many people know it and only a few have visited it. The village, which lies just to the east of Rinjani, is a picture perfect combination of mountains and savanna, a rare phenomenon. It's as if the views here have been created straight from a poet's imagination. Unfortunately though, there are no good places in which to spend the night.
After feasting on the magical beauty of Sembalun, my next destination was Kuta, which lies to the south. The journey was fun because it seemed as if I was travelling on the clouds. The road lies 2,000 metres above sea level and twists and turns down the mountain slopes until it reaches the Alas Strait, which separates Lombok from Sumbawa. On clear days, one can easily see the neighbouring island some 17 kilometres away. The best location from which to view the island is a grassy hill on the right side of the road, about one kilometre before the Ferry Port of Kayangan.
On the way to Kuta, there are at least two places that are interesting enough to stop by at Penujak, an earthenware craft centre and Sade, a traditional village which still maintains a typical but now all too rare working Sasak rice granary. At first glance, a granary looks like a bonnet and is an icon of Lombok which is often used as a decorative item of furniture, or as an ornament placed at an intersection. In Sade though you can see an original granary in action.
Many of Sade's inhabitants make make their livings from weaving and it's possible to see the weaving process in action in house which have been converted into small scale production facilities. The women mostly do their weaving in the yard or under the granary, and buying their products means that you are doing your bit to support the preservation of Sasak culture.
This southern part of the island sports Lombok's best beaches, of which Kuta is the most popular. In contrast to Kuta Bali, Kuta Lombok is a blissfully quiet area and features beautifu, yellowish-white sands. Its grains are similar to peppercorns but it feels extremely soft underfoot. Premium hotels such as Novotel Lombok, Kuta Indah Hotel and Tastura Beach Resort can be found down in Kuta alongside cheaper accommodation such as Segara Anak Cottages.
Five kilometres to the east, I came across Tanjung Aan Beach. Although it is in the same are as Kuta. the sand here has a very different texture to it soft and powdery. It's also so white that it can sometimes be blinding to look at. The gradations of colour of the sea here go from light green near the beach to deep blue further out from the shore. My brief stop was made even more enjoyable by the fact that there was noone around except for a few souvenir vendors and water buffalo herdsmen.
Walking westward along the soft sand, I arrived at a hill which offered a captivating view of the beauty of the beachs curves fringing the clear waters. Before returning to the hotel, I stopped at Mandalika Beach on Serenting Bay, which is where the traditional Bau Nyale ritual takes place every year. The nyale is a kind of sea worm which, so the story goes, is the reincarnation of a beautiful and kind princess Lombok's version of Cinderella. The locals believe that these worms are a blessing.
The next day I continued my expedition to the west and headed towards Mawun Beach, which was also deserted. I then continued on to Tampa Beach on Mawun Bay. The views here are stunning, although the waves are ferocious (Lombok's southern beaches are a surfers paradise in fact). Selong Belanak is another beautiful beach on the island's south coast that demands a stop. The white expanses of sand are so wide that the locals play football here, nothing but white as far as the eye can see.
If you still have time to spare, a trip to Bangko Bangko is tiring but well worth it. The Southern Sea has now become the new Lombok Strait and islands such as Gili Asahan, Gili Layar and Gili Gede are scattered in the heaving sea, waiting to be discovered Bangko Bangko itself is a surfers playground and many claim that the waves here are among the best in South-East Asia.
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