Lombok, Where We Can See Beautiful Beaches and Interesting Culture

I visited Lombok in Lebaran Holiday. This year, Lebaran Holiday was too long, total 9 nights. Actually, i had no plan to travel in Lebaran but i cannot imagine how i can enjoy life in 9 nights at home only, then i planned to short trip 4 days 3 nights to Lombok, the place that i had not yet visited before.

Day 1

I was flying by Batik Air to Lombok at noon (Garuda ticket was expensive for my departing day and i only buy Garuda for my returning trip). The flight was good but delayed for a half hour. After arrived at Lombok airport, we picked up by the driver from the travel.
There was not many view people celebrating lebaran because here, lebaran day 1st to 6th only for visiting close family and they will celebrate it in 7th day which call Lebaran Ketupat and this Lebaran, west lombok people will celebrate Lebaran Ketupat in Senggigi Beach.

After 1 hour drove, i arrived at Kila Senggigi Hotel than i had dinner in hotel and i was lucky, the food is very delicious.

Day 2 – Waterfall Day Tour

That day, we joined private tour which thema is Waterfall Tour from www.lombokmirahtravel.com

We visited some spot area in west and north Lombok. We started at 9am from hotel. The first spot was Nipah Hill. Here, we can see 3 famous gili (small island): Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.

After one and a half hour drove, we arrived at Baun Pusuk Monkey Forest. We met our friends...he..he... i mean monkeys. That day, there was a small renovation then not so many monkeys were there. My sister and my guide feed them nuts. Actually, it was funny but i scared he...he...

There is a technique to feeding the monkeys. Give them nut one by one and  hide the nut pack. If they look it, they take it and go away.

After we visited monkeys, we went to Senaru area to see Sindang Gile Waterfall. The way to this waterfall is not difficult. There is stairs, but that day was raining and rather slip in some part and because of holiday, the situation was crowded.

Our next plan spot is Tiu Kelep Waterwall. But the rain became more and more then we decided come back after we reached the bridge with connected with irrigation channels (saluran irigasi yang berbentuk seperti gua) which made by The Nederland long time ago. This irrigation is the way for fresh water from Mount Rinjani to villages. The water is clean, rather cold and the water flows is quite fast.

In foto, we looked like a strange people who had not travel spot to enjoy he..he.. Actually, this irrigation channel is the faster way to come back from waterfall and also avoid the stairs and for us to avoid the raining. Inside the irrigation channel is dark. There is only 1 “window” in each around 20-30 meters. We walked slowly inside this irrigation channel around 15 minutes and i was lucky bringing flashlight.

Traditional Sasak Village in Senaru which can reach by car in 3 minutes, is our next stop. This village is looked so traditional and its citizen still live there.

Their house is very very simple but unique. The living room is separated with the house and the living room's floor is lower than the house’s floor. This is symbol to respect the host. And the tip of the roof is also low. Its high is around our shoulder.

This means that guest should look down when enter the room as symbol to respect the host. One thing that made me surprised that the toilet is far from houses area. How can we go to toilet at midnight?

Then we came back to West Lombok. We enjoyed grilled fish and also the sunset at Nipah Beach.

Day 3 – Looked around Kila Hotel Senggigi

In this day, we stayed at my hotel all day because it is worthed to look around the hotel area which is so big and has many place to visit. This hotel is the first hotel in Lombok and owned by sister company of Garuda Airline. It is already 30 years old but still look very good. They did very good maintenance.

In the morning after we had breakfast, we went to beach area behind Purnama Spa. This is public beach and we only saw for a while then we went to beach near Basilico Restaurant. This beach is nice and quite private. We sat in long chair and took photo with big chess and some small statues.

Then we went to Pool Villa Hotel which have same management with Kila Senggigi Hotel. This hotel is good for people that love swimming and want more private condition. But i prefer Kila Senggigi because i can choose room which back door is in front of the beach.

Time went quickly....then, we took lunch at Rinjani Restaurant.

Because we stayed at hotel along day, we tried “pelecing kangkung” which is so so spicy but very delicious. If i try when i join tour, i worry that i will have stomach problem. Hhmm...actually, yes, after 1 hour,  i ate this, i went to toilet...my stomach was not sick but i needed to go to toilet.

The ala carte menu in Rinjani Restaurant is very delicious, we tried ayam taliwang included pelecing kangkung which so so spicy and seafood soup. But their breakfast menu is only quite ok.

After we went back to our room for a while, we took 1 hour massage in Purnama Spa. And for the first time when i take massage, i was asked to answer some question e.g. Do you have back pain problem? Do you use contact lense?....wow, they use this procedure for safety reason. Most clients are foreigners then it is easier to communicate by using a list of questions.

After relaxing, we went shopping to Nani Souvenir shop in front of Rinjani Restaurant or beside ATM. Yes, in this hotel there is ATM of BNI and BRI. As usual, my sister bought etnic bag and i bought assesories. Mutiara Lombok is famous because it is see pearl. This shop sold the original see pearl without license and also the not natural one. I bought the original one and hopefully it is true. The main charachter of the original pearl is more heavy. And for more sure i tested it by feeling it cold or not when i put it on my skin and yes, cold than become warmer after a while. This is one of the way to testing. Other way, burn it. If it not become black, that is original. But i do not do this way. About license, the seller said that the license is from the shop then like a nota. The price of pearl is depend on size and shape and also the figure. More bigger, more rounded and is more expensive.

After short shopping, we took a bath then prepared to have sunset time with dinner in Basilico Restaurant.

That day, the sunset is beautiful and we also had a delicious dinner with reasonable price. We ate pizza and frend fries. Actually, there is "all you can eat menu" and i choose ala carte because we did not wanted to eat much at night but the pizza quite big for 2 people he...he...

Day 4 – Sasak Tour

We visited some places in west, midle and south Lombok that is related with Sasak Culture and some beach. We joined private tour www.lombokmirahtravel.com

The first stop was Lingsar Temple.

The most interesting thing here is a Tune Fish but we was unlucky, the fish didn’t appear although their “pawang” tried to call them by push the wall of the poll and gave some eggs.

This temple is reflected the unity of Hindu and Islam. They can pray together here. I saw some people pray here. The local guide said that they prayed for more than 1 days for asking something. They didn’t pray all along day and they brought some foods and simple cooking tools for their food along they stay here. And around Desember or January, there is interesting activity here "Ketupat War" which play by Hindu people vs Islam people to celebrate unity.

Then, we went to Sukarere Village. We went to some houses and met some housewife who made “Kain Tenun” by using traditional tool. If you want to try, they allow you but i don’t try.

After that, i visited the small shop (they call as Koperasi). We tried Sasak Traditional Costume for free, but i bought some “Kain Tenun” here. I bought 3 small type that i can use for syal. I think that kain that they sold is made by machine but good quality, too cheap Rp 650.000 for 3 syal if that is hand made. Actually, i don’t mine because i feel the prise is reasonable for me. If hand made kain, imagine....to make 1 small kain tenun, they need 1 month time to finished it. This kain tenun is tradisional Sasak kain and Sasak girl should study to make kain tenun since 8-9 years old and they can get married if they already can make kain tenun.

After that, we went to south lombok to see some beaches. First, we visited Selong Belanak beach which famous as place to learn surfing for beginners.

Yes, the beach’s waves looks suitable for beginners, not so big waves. I saw many foreigners here.

Then, we went to Kuta Beach but only saw in from cars because there was renovation. South Lombok government has built Circuit and area near Kuta Beach will be one part of the Circuit. Kuta Beach is famous area for foreigner backpaker. I saw them ride motorcars and wow...i saw a foreign woman who rode motorcycle and she only wore bikini outfit ha....ha...

Tanjung Aan was our next stop. We took picture on the beach and also from the small hill. Very good view and beach sands are big, different with sands in Selong Belanak which are very smooth.

The last place we visited is Sade Village in west Lombok that is not far from Lombok International Airport. Local guide explained some house condition. I interested with honeymoon house...actually the house is very very small...cannot imagine how they can enjoy there.

And about the floor, they use buffalo dung and clay for maintenance. About toilet, same with Sasak Village in Senaru. The toilets are far from the houses area. Here there is a unique tree called "love tree", place where their grandpa and grandma met to dating.

There is unique married tradition of Suku Sasak. That is no common to propose a girl when man to marry her. He should kidnap her and bring her to his relative's house for 1 night then his relative contact their parents. After that they do a marriage traditional ceremony.

Long time ago, here only home but a long many touris came, they also sold goods in front of their house. I bought a tenun blouse.

This is the end of my Lombok Trip and i have some opinion after 4 days here. West Lombok is the richest area because many tourism spots and the land is fertile because this area get water from Rinjani Mountain and then, the weather is not so hot than south area. South area land is not fertile as west area because water from Rinjani cannot reach this area. From north to west, the area go down, then from west to south area go up and go down again to beach area.

We still can look many traditional culture in Lombok, beautiful beaches and of course their gili (small islands) that i did not visit in this trip.

By, Kumala Sukasari Budiyanto