What to do and see in Lombok Island
SENGGIGI BEACH - WEST LOMBOK
Senggigi Beach is to Lombok what the Kuta Beach area is to Bali in that is the most popular tourist centre of the island. However, that is the similarity ends. Senggigi Beach is an idyllic, peaceful beach, offering safe swimming and snorkeling, and has a reef area perfect for surfing. Along the beach, you will find a variety of accommodation from 5 stars hotel to local losmans, up-market restaurant and local warungs. Senggigi Beach is surrounded by tropical plants and palm trees with a backdrop of green hills and mountains. With the mountain and hill behind you, you face out to wide ocean where on the horizon Mount Agung in Bali watches her big sister mountain Rinjani, here in Lombok. In the town centre of Senggigi you will find all you needs created for from top restaurant to existing nightlife and bars, as well as day to day necessary bank machines, internet services, supermarkets and health clinics, tours and guides, souvenir shopping and happy, friendly, smiley people.
BANYUMULEK - POTTERY VILLAGE
Vast rice field surround the village of Banyumulek, which is about 10 kilometers to the South of Lombok’s capital city of Mataram. Here, the potter’s produce an incredible variety of earthenware traditionally used fro many purposes, including the preparation and serving of food and ceremonies connected with village life. In this village, some material such as coins, grass, and rattan can be used to decorate the pots as requested. The same applies to Masbagik, Banyumulek pots are embellished by burnished decoration, in which the contrast between burnished and un-burnished area can be exploited to create patterns. Lombok is famous for is primitive style of pots and accessories.
SUKARARE - LOMBOK WEAVING VILLAGE CENTER
Some might wonder at the fact that Indonesia’s weaving art form is so varied and distinctive from island to island, and event from village to village. The Lombok traditional weaving at Sukarara Village will impress you with its beautiful motifs and design. You will be privy to young women cleverly playing the threads and wooden looms, creating patterns using figures of the moon, flowers, dragons, and more. The tradition amongst the local Sasak is that weaving is considered an essential talent that a woman should possess as much as the ability to grow and process rice, however, the local Sasak men are as much weavers as the women.
GUNUNG PENGSONG - PENGSOL HILL
Approximately 6 kilometers to the South of Mataram lies Mt. Pengsong offering visitors scenic landscapes. Climbing to the top takes around 10-15 minutes for the best views of rice paddy fields, surrounding village and towns of Ampenan,Mataram and Cakranegara. On a clear day, if you look west across the Lombok strait, you can see Mt. Agung of Bali. Photographers frequently choose this spot for the best Lombok Sunset. This place is regarded as sacred for Hindus, therefore, on the very top of this hill there is a holy temple with a number of shrines. You will also note that the monkeys that live in this area are said to be the protector of this holy place.
SADE AND RAMBITAN VILLAGE
Rambitan and Sade village are the most interesting Sasak traditional Village where most of the inhabitants practice and maintain their traditional and cultural values. The Sasak village exist mostly on sloping hills, with the people living on farm produce and rising cattle. Rice and Corn, their annual crops, can be cultivated only during the rainy season, with most families keeping animals such as chicken, goats, cows, and buffaloes as food during the summer season. Sasak villages are distinctively marked by grass-roofed-houses symmetrically constructed on wooden frames and most with bamboo-walls. Bale is the construction for a living house, built with a single room functioning both as sleeping room and kitchen. Lumbung is curve-like construction functioning as a rice store. Most Sasak houses are built with a lumbung, with some also incorporating Sekepat or Sekenem, a construction which function as guest reception or meeting place. Pujut, Rambitan and Sade village are located in the southern part of Lombok, some sixty kilometers from Mataram.
PURA MERU TEMPLE
Pura Meru is the largest Hindu temple in Lombok which is dedicated to the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Wisnu. The Pura symbolizes the universe and has three courts. the firs one is the hall with ‘Bale Kul-Kul’ a wooden bell beaten to call the Hindu people from the surrounding areas to ceremony. The second courts is provided with two buildings where people may arrange their offerings such as fruits and flowers. The innermost is the centre courts where the Merus and thirty-three smellers shrines are available. It is located in Cakranegara, and it was built in 1720.
MAYURA
Mayura is one part of the Royal Court from the formers Balinese Kingdoms in Lombok and was built in 1744. it is situated close to Pura Meru in Cakranegara. The house found in the middle of a large pond is called ‘Bale Kambang’, or the floating house, and was both a court justice and a place of meeting for the Hindu Lords. At the Bale Kambang some hajj-like statues represent to the good co-cooperation amongst the two larger communities, the Sasak-Muslim and the Hindu-Balinese. In attempt to rule Lombok, a Dutch colonial expedition come to Mayura to enforce their authority – General Van Ham the leader was killed here together with all of his men. His grave can still be seen at Karang Jangkong, Cakranegara.
NARMADA
Narmada was a summer place for the Royal Family of King Anak Agung Ngurah, built in 1727. it is a good place to spend some tome after hectic life of town, heaving beautiful gardens and an artificial lake mad for ritual purposes. A sacred spring water called ‘Tirta Amerta Padmawangi’ or more well known as ‘Water of Eternity’, is believed to have the effect of keeping one fresh and young, and can be found at the centre of the place. A holy temple found at the top of the area is dedicated to Shiva and is called Pura Kalasa.
SURANADI
The mountain resort, Suranadi, offer great freshness and is suitable as a recreational area. It has plenty of spring water and has a cold watered pool. The surrounding forest offers an opportunity to wander and enjoy the quite atmosphere of tropical greenery. In the outside yards of the hotel, exist the eels, which have been sanctified and may no be caught. Suranadi lies some six kilometers from Narmada. The Sesaot walking site can be found two kilometers north of Suranadi.The Golong golf Course lies within ten minutes drive to the south. Suranadi also produces various kind of freshfruits some fruit stalls are available just near to the entrance of Suranadi Hotel.
LINGSAR TEMPLE
Lingsar temple is the most unique and holy temple found on the fertile land of Lombok. It belongs to boat the Hindu and the Moslem Waktu Telu. Some may consider this odd, but here it is natural and is regarded to represent the harmony amongst these faithful people. There are two main places of prayer, one named Pura Gaduh erected for Hindus, and Kemalik for the ones following the faith of Moslem Waktu Telu. An artificial war called (war) Ketupat is held once a year between October to December. Ketupat is boiled rice wrapped with palm leaves that is used as the weapon instead of arrows , Kris daggers or spears.
Trace-The-Past
(Japanese Memorial Objects)
The island of Lombok has many ruins from the second world war. There are a number of places where you can find this ruins, such as Gili Trawangan, Bangko-bangko, Tanjung Ringgit, Lembah Sempaga, Gunung Sari and many others. It can take around three days to visit all of this sites.
SEGENTER TRADITIONAL VILLAGE
The traditional village of Segenter can be hard to find, but it worth a visit. It is located about 2 kilometers south of the main road, bad track turns off 1 kilometers west of Sukadana at the northernmost point of the island. The Bayan village is probably the place of origin for the local Wektu Telu religion, but also home to the orthodox Muslims. The Mosque here is the oldest on Lombo, more than 300 years old, and ordinary Muslims are not happy about their holiest mosque being located in an area dominated by wektu Telu followers.
BATU BOLONG TEMPLE
Pura Batu Bolong, is 2 kilometers south of Senggigi. A small Hindu temple located in scenic spot at a cave overlooking Senggigi Beach, named after a rock (batu) with a hole (bolong). At the tip is an any empty chairs representing Brahma, the god of creation. Free entry, but you’ll have to borrow a sash (Rp. 500) from one of the sellers, if you don’t have one already. Sunset seen from here can be very impressive.
PUSUK PASS
A protected rain forest some 670 m above sea level, hoses will grey monkeys. Discover spectacular views of Lombok, passing Pusuk Pass finishing at Malimbu. The monkey can be friendly and enjoy being feed with bananas and peanuts. Take care when feeding the monkeys as they can become excited.
