With divine beaches, the majestic Mt Rinjani and spectacular marine life to discover, the island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara has no shortage of attractions both in and out of the water. It’s no wonder that Lombok become one of the most popular destination in West Nusa Tenggara.
The Adventurous Trek To Mount Rinjani Lombok
Challenge yourself with a trek up steep volcanic peaks. Hire a bike and cycle through lush evergreen rice paddies. Whichever way you choose to spend your time you won’t be disappointed with the spectacular natural beauty on offer here.
Lombok Island is separated by the Lombok strait from Bali Island in the west and by Alas strait in the east from Sumbawa Island.
The Sasak people are the dominant ethnic group living in this island, which also consist of 5 regions: North Lombok, Central Lombok, East Lombok, West Lombok and Mataram city, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara.
North Lombok is where you can embark on the great hike to Mount Rinjani and linger until the sunset at Gili’s beautiful beaches.
Mount Rinjani is one of the highest volcano in Indonesia, with its summit rising to 3,726 meters above sea level. The Segara Anak Crater Lake located on top of the volcano, is one of the scenic view you should stop by and marvel at!
Explore the Waters Among more than 20 gilis – local name that means ”small island” in Sasak language – three stood out to be the hot spot destination : Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.
Gili Trawangan or Gili T, is where travelers flock to enjoy a laid back atmosphere during day light and still are up to enjoy moonlit parties all night by the beach. You can also enjoy a great scuba dive and circle the island on bicycle to catch the most incredible sunset!
Gili Meno is defined by long stretch of pearly white beaches that will give you a secluded feel. Famous for honeymooners destination, the island provide accommodation ranging from unique bungalows to luxurious resorts overlooking amazing panorama.
Gili Air is a cheerful mix of the two vibes, where you can still enjoy parties in hip hang outs or succumb at a peaceful nook and just enjoy the ocean breeze. Families love to travel to Gili Air to explore the island on the horse drawn cart or just swimming in the low tides before sun down.
Central Lombok is where the lovely beaches are situated. Kuta Beach, Tanjung A’an, and Mawun Beach are just a few on the list. Don’t miss out to brush up your wave riding skills in the splendi Selong Belanak Beach or make way to Merese Hill and enjoy the view.
Blend in with the Locals
Here you can also visit the traditional villages and join the locals of Sasak tribe to experience their daily life in the weaving village of Rambitan. You may learn a thing or two from the wonderful women with meticulous weaving skills that produces fine quality textiles.
You can get across the sea to Sumbawa Island from the harbors in East Lombok. If you love exploring something new, you may find the black sand beach of Obel-Obel to be captivating!
In West Lombok, you can linger in Senggigi beach and discover the wild life at the Monkey Forest in Pusuk Village, right at the border between North and West Lombok. Just be careful with your belongings and keep them out of the monkey’s reach.
Mataram is the center for government and industry. It consist of the old town district of Ampenan, Cakranegara as the commercial district and Mataram city as office district.
destinations/bali-nusa-tenggara/west-nusa-tenggara/lombok/lombok3.jpg” alt=”Beautiful Lombok Island
Make time to visit the West Nusa Tenggara Museum, Mayura Garden and Narmada Park to find more stories about the island.
For the adventurous spirit, you can explore more of its south coast like the famous Tangsi Lombok in further south east, with pretty corals making the shore looked blushed. Trek the path to find the amazing Senaru Waterfalls Benang Kelambu Waterfalls for a soothing sight.
Get To Lombok Island By Air
There are daily flights between DenpasarBali and the c apital of Lombok and Mataram Lombok International Airport (LOP) in Tanah Awu, Central Lombok District is located about 30 km or an hour drive south east of Mataram.ans;Airlines which fly to Lombok are Garuda, Lion Air, Silk Air and Trans Nusa.
By Slow Ferry
The public ferry travels between Padangbai (Bali) and Lembar (Lombok) multiple times a day. The trip takes around 4-5 hours. Motorbikes and cars can be taken on the ferry. If you are prone to sea-sickness be warned that the trip can be rough. Ferries travel between Labuhan Lombok and Poto Tano on Sumbawa multiple times a day. The trip takes one and a half hours.
By Fast Boat
Blue Water Safari Express is one of the fast boat companies that will take you from Bali to mainland Lombok. There are 2 convenient departure points from Bali and Serangan(just near the Benoa Harbour) and Padang Bai Harbour and You can also check on Gilibookings.com for more options and information around transport or accommodation in this scenic island.
Get Around
In mainland Lombok, you can get around by renting motorcycle or cars from trusted providers. Public transportations are a natural-air conditioned minibus called Bemo. It will take you to most tourist attractions, but only operates during daytime. When night fell, there will be Ojek, a motorcycle transport with no meter that allows you to practice your bargain skills before you hop on. And the most unique will be the Cidomo, found in Senggigi beach or the Gilis Island It’s a nickname for Cikar-Dokar-Motor, a cart with literal horse power enough to carry around 4 or 6 people.
The History of Lombok Island
Such is the cliché in a brochure advertising Lombok as a tourist destination. That is not without reason. In the western part of the island, Hinduism is heavily present alongside Islam. The island was Javanese prior to the Islamisation of Java, and as such subjected to the powerful influence of the Shiva Buddhist tradition from Java.
In the 17th century, the King of Karangasem invaded Lombok, turning into an important center of Hindu – Baliness power and culture. Such influences inter – wine history of Bali and Lombok.
The Balinese still makes up an important minority in the western part of the island. The city of Cakranegara is a mainly Balinese city. The Pura Meru Temple, built by Anak Agung Karang in 1720, is dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Wisnu, and Shiwa.
Another sign of the effect of Karangasem is the famed Taman Namada, built 1727 by Anak Agung Gde Ngurah Karangasem as both a recreational garden and a place to Shiwa.
But despite the Hindu influence, Lombok is essentially a Muslim island. Islam come first from Java, and then from Sulawesi, whose sea – faring Bugis set up the eastern Kingdom of Selaparang in the 17th century. So the religious mix is remarkably complex.
Most of the Sasak people of Lombok follow a brand of Islamic orthodoxy professed by traditional teacher, which is known as “Tuan Guru”. Other follow the syncretism tradition of ‘ Watu Telu”. Instead of praying five times a day as Moslem usually do, they prey only three times a days, and have a cosmology influenced by Hinduism. There is even a temple in Lingsar where people from Hindu and Islamic traditional meet for common prayer. Besides the Balinese and Sasak, there are also Bugis in Lombok Island.
The Lesser Sunda is lands region, of which Lombok but apart, cover and area as wide as Java. It has great variety of ethnic groups, with an increased Melanesia influence the further one goes east. There is at least 33 main language. Some islands are highly Islamic (like Lombok and Sumbawa), while other mostly catholic (Flores) and still other are Protestant, (Sumba, Rote, and western Timor).
The area is no less varied geographically. The Nusa Tenggara islands are the most varied in Indonesia: their landscape ranges from Lombok’s volcanoes to Sumba’s and Flores’ dry Savannah. There are also colorful atolls in many part of the region.
Lombok is where the transition towards eastern Indonesia begins, both naturally and culturally. The northern part of Lombok is mountainous and verdant with tall trees and shrubs covering the land. One finds none of the large Asian mammals. The western part of the island is the greenest and most humid. As one moves east, the dry season become more pronounced, and in many areas corn and sago instead of rice, are the staple foods.
Lombok Principal Mountain is the 3726-m Rinjani Mountain, third highest in Indonesia. Still active, it lasts erupted in 1901, 1994 and 2004. Mountains play an important role in sasak tradition. Both the Sasak and Balinese people have a yearly pilgrimage to Rinjani’s summit, which has several sulfuric lakes with curative virtues. Mountain Rinjani also offers trekking through the rain forests.
Mataram the capital of west Nusa Tenggara, altogether with Ampenan, the old port, and Cakranegara, the old Balinese capital, make up the largest urban area in the province. Nearby Sweta has the largest tradition market including birds. Very different from the atmosphere of urban Lombok is a traditional village such as Sukarara; famous of the weaving, and Penujak, Banyu Mulek; famous for its pottery.
Lombok has large array of beautiful beach. Kuta beach
(also known as Putri nyale beach), it on the south coast of Central Lombok. The answer to Bali’s Kuta, albeit much less developed, kuta in one of the most scenic and unspoiled beaches on the island. From Kuta to Tanjung A’An, five kilometer away, there is an unbroken stretch of clean white sand. The Sea is safe for bathing and swimming.
Further to the west are several surfing and windsurfing beaches. Each year, on the 19th day of the tenth month of the sasak lunar calendar, when the Nyale fish come to the sea surface, Kuta beach host the famous Nyale festivel (Normally on February).
But Lombok’s chief resort is Senggigi beach, offering range of accommodation, with the best Hotel on the island situated here. Coral can be seen in abundance just offshore.
Gili in the Sasak language means island. The three gili island, gili Air gili Meno and gili Trawangan, are idyllic islets just off the northern coast.
A favorite with back packers, the island abounds with coral garden. Gili air the nearest island can be reached in 15 to 20 minute by boat from the main land and 1,5 hours from Senggigi. One of the best way to enjoy the splendor and beauty of the Gili island is to go on cruise by Traditional boat from Senggigi. The blue tinted stag horn corals are one of the attractions here.
On Lombok, nature and you enter new geographical zone, the intermediate zone between Asia and Australia. The staple food is sago, corn, or cassava. There is little paddy, as cattle replace agriculture as the main activities of the local people. The other important economic activity is the making of pottery, which is gaining worldwide fame.
Pottery is produced mainly in the village of Banyumulek, Masbagik Timur and Penujak. Here, women have been involved in this craft since the decline of the Hindu Kingdom of Majapahit in the early 16th century. Technically, there are few differences in processes used in the three villages except that the designs of the pots are different.
Since 1988, the Lombok craft project, jointly run by the Government of the Republic Indonesia and of New Zealand, has been provided technical and marketing assistance to these women potters. It has assisted them to process their clays in way which produce a stronger product.
The earthenware clay used is grayish brown in its natural state but becomes a beautiful rich brown when fired. Finished pots are coated with a slip made from the same clay, sieved to produce a fine surface which is later burnished with stone. The clay used to produce Sasak pottery has been approved for food safety by the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Such pottery items, ranging from food storage containers to cooking utensils and water jars. Totally hand – crafted, Sasak pottery is intrinsically fragile but if handled with care will last many years.
Another island in the Nusa Tenggara chain is Sumbawa, whose 2200-m Mount Tambora, erupted in the 18th century, killing most of the local population (about 30.000 people). The biggest town is Sumbawa Besar. The island is predominantly Moslem, with some Christian communities. The palace belonging to the ancient Bugis Sultan of Sumbawa, Dalam Loka can be visited. As can Bima and Sape two other interesting places.
Flores means “Flower” in Portuguese, and the island which take this name is one of the main island in East Nusa Tenggara. It was a Portuguese colony for long time before the dutch took over. Many of the local people are of Portuguese descent and still retain Portuguese names. Catholicism is the main feature in the many villages of the flores and of same of the small islands nearby. Every year the Paso Easter procession in held in Larantuka, the town house of the black Madonna of Flores.
This westernized island has many untouched beaches and pristine underwater coral garden. There are shark hunter villages in Lamalera and Small Island of Lambata
The mainland is famous for its tricolor Caldera Lake on Mt. Kalimutu, whose combinate of colors change according to the volcanic activity. The women made ikat weaving from flores are well known amongst collectors. It has many styles as there are dialect: about 15 altogether.
Between Sumbawa and Flores is Komodo and Rinca Island, a Jurassic Park of an Island, home to the Giant four meters long Komodo dragon lizard, which cam weigh up to 150 kilogram. June till September is the best months to observe this endangered prehistoric monster up close. When watching this living dinosaurs, visitor offer goats as bait to make the monster demonstrate their “beastliness”. But be careful! ( There are stories of European tourists whose cameras were the only things which returned home. Unusually, the sand on this island’s beach has pink hue.
On each island of Nusa Tenggara, the traditional are particularly beautiful and the traditional markets unique. Apart from the larger islands of Nusa Tenggara, there are many smaller island ready to uncover their beauty and richness. They represent future challenges for the Indonesia tourism industry