Senggigi, lombok island, indonesia. Indonesia, the island of Lombok: in search of “white beaches” Which country does Lombok belong to

Lombok Island is a neighboring island of Bali, where people usually go for two reasons: surfing in Gerupuk Bay and a three-day climb to Rinjani volcano. And the southern coast of Lombok is very beautiful (IMHO much more beautiful than Bali) and people go there for semi-wild tourism and picturesque tropical beaches. I even had a blog a few years ago, so much I myself was a fan of this place and drove there to surf with friends almost every month.

In recent years, my personal opinion about Lombok has changed a lot and I stopped going there. I can't even remember how many years ago I was last in Lombok. (The only exceptions are two trips to Sumbawa, when we crossed Lombok to get to the ferry to Sumbawa, but we did not stop at Lombok itself).

I never blog about my personal adventures in Lombok and my reasons to stop going there: I didn't want to stir up panic and spread horror stories. (One was enough for the whole world to start thinking that Bali will soon be washed off the face of the earth :)))

But recently I got a letter from blog readers who told about their terrible incident in Lombok. And since this is not the only story, I decided to raise this topic. So that every person who goes to Lombok knows what, hypothetically, awaits him in this place in an unfortunate combination of circumstances. And ideally, that people, in principle, stop going to this place, so that the Lombok government would finally sort out this situation.

I also have my own horror story about Lombok, and I will also tell it today. My story took place in 2012, but since then the situation in Lombok has not improved, although there are an order of magnitude more tourists. And yes, I understand that it is everyone's personal choice whether or not to go to Lombok, but I want to take the time and urge everyone who reads these pages to “ban” Lombok for visiting. Because only when tourists start to avoid Lombok en masse will the local government begin to do something about the attacks and crimes that are taking place on this beautiful but very violent island. I do not want to support the economy of the island, where the government for so many years has not found a way to deal with the bandits, and simply turns a blind eye to everything that happens for years. Lawlessness to one degree or another, of course, is everywhere, even in Bali, but the way it flourishes in Lombok is a real tough. And although I miss this island terribly, and I constantly rush to go there again, I still knowingly did not go there for many years. And I won't go. Not because I'm afraid, but because it is my deliberate choice to boycott Lombok. Now let's move on to the scary stories from Lombok.

First story.

From a letter sent to me recently about the attack on Lombok.

"Good day!

I do not know where to turn, we had a problem on vacation. Today my boyfriend and I were attacked by two local guys right on the road. We stopped in Kuta [in Lombok there is also Kuta, approx. from me], rented two scooters, drove around the neighborhood for the second day. After lunch at a local cafe in a small fishing village on the shore of the bay (Pelabuhan Ikan, Teluk Awang, Lombok Tengah) we drove back to Kuta.

A few minutes after leaving the village, a steep ascent began, at the end of which there were two guys. I rode in front, my boyfriend followed me. The speed on the rise was small 10-15 km / h. As soon as I caught up with the guys, one of them started swinging a big stick at me, the other was holding a machete. I did not immediately understand the intention, and when I did, I started screaming. The guy at that moment with a swing hit me on the back with a stick, I fell and started screaming.

At that moment my boyfriend was just driving up the hill where everything was happening. He heard my cry, but he saw everything when I was already lying on the ground. When I fell, I immediately jumped up and tried to run away from the attackers. My boyfriend rushed to save me and dropped his bike. At that moment, the first attacker had already grabbed my scooter, and the second ran to meet my friend with a stick and waving a machete. We ran back, the attacker got on my boyfriend's bike and both left on our bikes. We ran after them, shouted, called us for help, but this did not lead to anything. Everything happened in 10 seconds. The road was empty, people appeared only after 30-60 seconds.

We had phones in our bikes in our pockets, documents and money were in my boyfriend's backpack, the robbers didn't take him away. Everything was on a busy highway, we just were not lucky, and at that moment we were there completely alone. After that, the locals took us to the nearest police station, and we spent another five hours with the police. First, we went to the scene of the crime, where there were pieces of the broken headlight of my bike and the stick with which I was hit. The police also took us to the local hospital, where they recorded wounds and bruises, which were many after the fall.

In the process, it became clear that they had not previously recorded such cases [which is not true, since attacks on Lombok happen regularly - another note from me], but in the same village three days ago bikes were stolen from other tourists. They were hijacked from the berth, the bikes have not yet been found. It is not known whether these are the same robbers or others, but the crime scene is the same. I would like to warn vacationers that a gang or even more than one criminals is operating close to the tourist area of \u200b\u200bKuta. It is not known how their attack will end next time, but they are unlikely to stop there. Our phones are clearly more expensive than bikes, but lives are priceless. Please warn people about this danger in Lombok! Such a life-threatening lawlessness should not go unnoticed.

Ekaterina K. "

Even me, a person who has lived in Indonesia for a long time and who has seen everything, is horrified by this story. And as I wrote above in the notes in square brackets, this is not the first attack in Lombok and in the area of \u200b\u200bLombok Kuta there were regular attacks on tourists. It's hard for me to say how often, because most of them simply do not come to the surface, and only news of the most severe cases reaches the hospital after the attack, in a very serious condition.

By the way, the story described above did not end there, I learned its continuation from the second letter, which I also quote below.

“Stella, hello!

Continuation and end of the story

The manager of our villa, Amin, was very worried about the scooters, because they are not his. The next morning there was a conversation that it was necessary to return the money for the scooters. We replied that the police should be in charge of this business, let them look for scooters, we did not lose them, but we were actually attacked, our losses are also not compensated by anyone in his beautiful country. We did not sign any lease documents as well. He only replied that all tourists in our place would pay. And he went like the owner of the bikes.

The owner of the bikes, who looks like a bouncer, announced that he needed 15 million rupees per bike, which corresponds to $ 1,150. Naturally, we didn't have that kind of money, and it's just a robbery. We, of course, refused, and the owner of the bikes just smiled. He said that until we pay, we will not leave here. At about the same time, we read that in Lombok, among the incidents with tourists, robbery is a common occurrence, after which there is extortion from the owners of stolen scooters. It turns out that the police deceived us when they said that this does not happen, only theft of parked scooters.

At that moment we were really afraid for our lives, because not one person came to deal with us, but two or three, and also some other people were sitting at the exit from the villa, in general we were surrounded. We didn't want to talk to the owner of the scooters, because he didn't care about our problems, he was going to fully compensate for his losses at our expense. We called the manager of the villa, Amin, for negotiations, we were ready to pay everything that we have, if only we were released from this hell. Amin said that his owner, although we thought he was the owner, is ready to compensate 10 million, and we will need to give only 15 million. But the owner of the bikes said that he did not agree to 25 million, and he needed all 30. At the same time, the owner of the bikes called some kind of boss to agree on a price reduction, but he refused.

Thus, we had to give 20 million, and we had only 15. We said that we did not have so much money, and we could not give it all, otherwise we would be left completely without money, but they did not want to listen to us. They said the last price is 15 million for two scooters. We changed the money, gave it to Amin (and not like the owner of the scooters), at that time there were already seven people at the entrance to the villa. We were happy to get our feet out of there. We believe that they are all just crooks and deceivers.

Naturally, the owner of the villa (I think that the owner was invented) Amin will not compensate anything, this performance was only for us, we were deceived, intimidated and taken away the last money. This did not bother these people at all, they did not care that we were left in their beautiful country without money.

Later, we learned from local residents that the market value of such old scooters is less than 7 million, and the new ones really cost 15 million each. The speedometer did not work on one of the stolen scooters, which generally prohibits the operation of this scooter, but it was rented out, and even earned. I don’t know if it was possible to get out of this situation with less losses.

We had thoughts to contact the police to help us there, to reason somehow, and 30 million is generally some kind of space. But then we changed our minds, the local police are at the same time with them, we would only waste time, and the ending would be the same. Now I understood Amin's words that everyone in our place would pay. There is no other way here ...

Ekaterina"

The second story.

My personal, although a bit old, but very indicative, is also about an unpleasant adventure in Lombok.

Horror stories about Lombok have been around for a long time. And if someone, after reading the story above, suddenly thought that well, he would definitely “not have allowed himself to be divorced like that” or “would have defended himself in front of the bandits,” then I will tell you my story. How we defended ourselves.

Our story happened already in 2012. My friends and I went by car to travel around Sumbawa and Lombok. In Lombok we ended up in the late afternoon, it was August and the high season, so we could not find accommodation for a long time, in Kuta (in Lombok) there were still very few guesthouses and everything was booked everywhere. We drove around the evening Kuta and got into a small accident with a scooter.

My version of the accident: two scooters were driving to meet us, one unexpectedly crossed the road diagonally and ended up in an oncoming lane, we could not have dispersed without a collision, the car swerved sideways, so as not to knock down the one who was in the opposite lane, and at this time the second scooter, I didn't look at the road, but looked somewhere to the side, so I couldn't avoid our car. What is important, as a result of an accident, the second scooter passed our bumper tangentially, on which there were scratches and a headlight slightly cracked. Everything. That is, it was not a hellish accident, it was an accident at low speeds (I think about 40 km / h) with mutual damage to the plastic. No harm done. In any other situation in the same Indonesia, everyone would have simply dispersed (this is not CTP insurance) or would have exchanged a small amount of money and went on business.

But we, just like the guys from the story above, ended up at the wrong time in the wrong place. It was Independence Day, which was celebrated by the whole country, there were crowds of drunken local men in the streets. So literally in a minute, our car was surrounded by a crowd and began to threaten us.

Since then I thought that “we are in the subject and we will not be divorced,” I followed the old advice that if something goes wrong, you just lock yourself in the car and never get out of it under any circumstances. And so they did. They beat our car, they showered us with abuse and threats, they tried to open windows, break down doors. I don't even want to go into details right now. The main thing is that there were a lot of them and we understood that we had nowhere to go. And most importantly, the crowd grew and became more violent. And all this was in Kuta. Nobody tried to intercede for us, everyone just joined the crowd.

Of course, I don't even want to remember all the details of that evening and that night, because even now, as I write these lines, fear for my life, hatred of such savagery and an understanding of complete powerlessness in front of this crowd are seething inside me. I'll just say that all of us sitting in the car then (and there were mostly girls) were scared from the fact that 20 angry, angry, screaming men rocked our car and pounded on the windows, demanding that we urgently get out of the car, “so that talk. "

This hell lasted for several hours, I think. At some point outside there was a “helper” who spoke more or less passable English and promised that he would help us resolve the situation. The settlement meant a translation from Bahasa into English, that we just need to pay only five million rupees for the "repair" of the bike (at that time it was $ 500). It was about an old antediluvian moped, not even an automatic machine, which, in principle, cost at that time half the price requested for repairs. Considering that we had a scratched bumper and a cracked headlight, the scale of the repair of that scooter was clearly not worth the money. Therefore, we stood our ground and replied that we were ready to cover the real cost of repairs, discuss everything calmly with the owner of the bike, and not with the crowd, and that extortion and threats would not work with us.

And now to the question of the police. In the story above, Catherine correctly writes that there is no point in contacting the police. This is a waste of time, and in most cases, the police will just get their share, so they will be even more interested in extorting something from you. Welcome to Indonesia.

At some point, we informed the locals who were swinging our car that we would not get out of the car. They began to frighten us with the police, to which we (naive even then), said that they say yes. Let's go to the police, that's what we would like to see now. The police arrived. We were forced to get out of the car, put into a police car, and taken to the police station. At that moment, the girls and I exhaled, anticipating the soonest deliverance from all this hell. Naive.

The same crowd that rocked the car burst into the station with us. Now only between us and them there was no car body. They yelled and yelled at the entire site, they shouted curses at us, something about the fact that we are “don’t respect the country” and that they will deal with us now. And although we demanded order from the police and that all leftists be kicked out of the station, the police were shit. They continued to extort money from us, and we realized that the police were not only not going to “understand” our history, but also it was not clear which side they were on.

This madhouse lasted for several more hours. For which we were rapidly losing nerve cells and the belief that we would get out of this area. But we didn't give up. At the same time, we tried to find out the emergency numbers of our embassy, \u200b\u200bthe phones of the tourist police and reported on the Internet, in case someone else knew about where we were and what was happening to us.

Since in this police station they realized that it was not easy to withdraw money from us, they decided to intimidate us by sending us to the main police station in this region, in the city of Praia. We agreed because we didn't think that anything could be worse than a small police station in the village, chock-full of shouting and threatening locals.

It takes about an hour to get to Praia. There we were transferred to another station, where we spent time until late in the morning. Until the damn morning. Because it's a holiday and there was no one to deal with us. During the 12 hours that we spent in this area, no one took any formal evidence from us, no one drew up a protocol and we did not write any explanatory notes, no one went to the scene of the accident to check something. They just talked to us, convincing us that we should respect the country and therefore should pay money, then they would let us go.

Another interesting point: from the moment of the accident, we did not see the moped driver himself until the next morning. And even then, he came only when we asked a reasonable question, but where is the other side of the accident and why she does not participate in conversations. He arrived, but was silent all the time. The policemen and the remnants of that crowd of yesterday who had arrived in the morning to take part in our lynching again spoke for him.

All the time that we were in the police, we were in endless negotiations with the police and with “helpers” from the locals, who smiled sweetly and pronounced “dont vorr ai help yu”. But all their help was expressed in the fact that they simply announced the amount that we need to pay to let us go.

By the way, we were able to eventually contact our Russian embassy in Jakarta. Do you know what they told us? “Oh, well, how many of you are there? Four? Well, don’t worry, throw off a sotochk and you will be released. ” I love the officials of our country!

In general, our "negotiations" with the police lasted for hours, you cannot call it any other way. They extorted money from us, watered us with conversations in the spirit of “wai you don respect may country” and just stupidly kept us in the police. In the end, we paid all the same money, but our "resilience" brought the amount up to 20 or 30 dollars, I don't remember now. True, it cost us 12 hours in the police and several hours of meaningless conversations and defending our rights.

I'm not sure that I was able to convey in paints, all the horror that we experienced all this time, not understanding how long we will be kept in the police. Guys, it was really awful. I don't want my short story to show you that we are so cool and we defended ourselves. Yes, we defended, but at the same time we were shaking like I don't know who, fearing for our lives and for our things. After all, boards, photographic equipment, laptops were traveling with us in the car. It was scary. From lawlessness and lawlessness and from the fact that your life for these people has no value at all. They will do anything but get their $ 500.

I was lucky to have my brave and cheerful girls with me, who cannot be easily taken by threats, so we withstood 12 hours and were able to bargain for the real cost of repairs. (By the way, for our bumper and headlight, we later gave $ 100 to the car rental out of our own money, although I still believe that the fault in the accident was at least mutual. And as a maximum, if the owner of the bike looked in front of him, and not sideways, he would have seen the car and an accident could have been avoided.No one in the police, of course, ever remembered about the second comrade who abruptly changed to the oncoming lane (\u003d our lane) and who initially helped to provoke an accident. when there are foreigners from whom you can withdraw money from scratch.)

Summing up this story, I want to remind you that this was 2012 and in general, the locals in Indonesia have not yet been so greyhounds in relation to tourists. It was rather rare to meet divorce and aggressive attitude. Now this, to put it mildly, is much more common. So if our story happened now, I'm not at all sure that I would be able to defend my money in the same way.

And most importantly, I would definitely not want to be a tourist in the same situation and thus “diversify my vacation”.

Therefore, the choice about Lombok is yours. I made my choice. I will not go there until the local police and government clean up the island. If they treat tourists like that, then, in principle, tourists can stop visiting them, and Lombokians can return to their old life in the form of fishing and agriculture. There are many other places in the world that are no less beautiful than Lombok. As for surfing, I'd rather spend a couple of hours flying and ride somewhere else.

Solitude and Lombok are practically synonymous words. The tourist infrastructure is most developed in the western part of Senggigi Island. There, tourists will be able to do idleness and shopping with full dedication. The island is famous for its pottery, silk and fabrics with gold and silver thread, handcrafted by local craftsmen.

Excellent surfing can be found on the other side of the island, in the resort of Kuta (not to be confused with the resort of the same name in Bali).

Search for flights to Denpasar city (nearest airport to Lombok)

Code of conduct and safety

If you are planning to visit some remote rural areas on your own, it is prudent to take care of finding a local guide. Often, residents of such places do not know not only English, but also Indonesian, so it will be possible to communicate with them only in Sasak.

In addition, here and there in Lombok there are quite strict customs. If you are planning to visit the countryside, religious sites or government offices, it is better to wear something more modest. Women on the road would not hurt to have a pareo with you - you can put it on if you decide to leave the beach for a short time in one swimsuit, besides, it perfectly protects from the sun and wind.

Be careful with local alcohol. On the island, things are not particularly favorable with him, so if you think that you are feeling worse, it is better to see a doctor just in case (however, in case of mild illness the next morning, you probably don't need to go to the hospital).

Be sure to bring insect repellent with you. It is unlikely that you will be bitten by anopheles mosquitoes if you rest at one of the popular resorts, but it is still rather sad to scratch until the very end of the trip due to one small mistake.

And, what shakes local traditions - in Lombok it is customary to take off your shoes when entering someone's house (and even to the reception rooms of some companies) and it is not customary to give your left hand or pass something with your left hand to someone with whom you are not too close. Failure to comply with these two rules is considered very rude here.

Holidays on the island of Lombok

Shopping: shops

Pottery, silk and woven products with gold and silver thread, handcrafted by local craftsmen, are the main souvenirs from Lombok.

Beaches

The best beaches on the island are in the Senjiji area: they are wide, clean and with a blessingly low amount of roasting and steaming. A distinctive feature of the Lombok coastline is the beaches with grains of sand the size of a pea of \u200b\u200bblack pepper, gray-beige. A handful of such sand is also an important souvenir that is taken away from Lombok.

Kitchen

The word "lombok" is translated from Indonesian as "chili pepper", but the local cuisine is generally not as spicy as one might think.

One of the most popular dishes on the island is called ayam taliwang. Locals can't agree on exactly which recipe should be considered authentic, but the most common variation is chicken in a rather spicy tomato sauce with many spices. Its taste can be mild or quite pungent, so be sure to check when you order.

One of the things not to miss when visiting Lombok is the local traditional massage.

The main food of the inhabitants of the island and an obligatory item on the menu of any cafe is rice with various additives. In terms of the amount of rice consumed, the islanders are hardly inferior to the Japanese, and the additives are quite diverse. In addition to vegetables (this is an obligatory part of the program), nuts, fish, chicken, meat or tofu can be added to the rice, and as a seasoning you will probably be offered sambal sauce, which is based on ground red pepper.

Prices in restaurants and cafes in Lombok are highly dependent on their location. Lunch at a restaurant in one of the popular resorts will be quite expensive, and the dishes offered there will be adapted to European cuisine. In other places, you can find many small restaurants called warung, which are more focused on locals. If you are interested in traditional cuisine, they are exactly what you need.

Alcoholic drinks can be bought almost everywhere, but since most of the population of Lombok is Muslim, in some areas (in particular, in Praia) there is a ban on the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants. In addition, alcohol is subject to huge taxes throughout Indonesia - it may well turn out that a bottle of wine is the most expensive item in your order.

Popular hotels in Lombok

Lombok entertainment and attractions

Interesting excursions to Rinjani volcano, Sendang-Gila waterfall and Danau-Segara-Anae lake are held here. In the sea, there are three coral islands of Gili (Gili): Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan, with white beaches, bays with clear water and coral reefs. The nearest one can be reached in 15 minutes by ferry - an ideal place for picnics, diving and snorkelling. In addition, the island has several villages-museums of the Lombok aborigines - Sasaks.

One of the things not to miss when visiting Lombok is the local traditional massage. To do this, you don't even need to go anywhere, you can get a massage right on the beach, under the relaxing sound of the waves. In addition to being extremely enjoyable, this massage is believed to have an excellent therapeutic effect. It is still one of the main methods of treatment for many diseases among Sasak healers and is very popular among all segments of the island's population.

Fishing is another traditional entertainment on the island. There are many places where you can rent a boat with all the equipment you need and go fishing in the sea for a day or more. It's relaxing a lot, but be careful - it's worth checking the weather forecast and not swimming too far.

And if you want a more active holiday, there are excellent bike excursions for you on the island, where you can stretch your muscles after lying on the beach while the guide tells about local attractions.

Lombok is known as a virgin island ideal for travel and relaxation, where you will find white sandy, quiet beaches, mountains, unspoiled villages, tropical vegetation and rich culture of Indonesia. The rhythm of life on the island is slower, it is here that you will hear the sound of silence in the mountains, you will feel peace and tranquility.

Lombok is often compared to its famous neighbor, Bali. It is often described as "Bali before the tourists arrived." Lombok can be recommended for honeymooners. Here, such a type of hotel as a boutique hotel and villas, which have a separate exit to the beach, to the pool, and their own servants, are quite common. In general, the level of hotels is very high, quite comparable to Bali, and prices are somewhat lower. The island does not have as many monuments and other attractions as Bali. People come here mainly to enjoy nature.

The main difference and advantage of Lombok is that there are much fewer tourists there than in Bali. Nature lovers will be delighted with the scenery of the southern coast of the island and the beauty of Mount Rinjani. In the central part of Lombok Island, Mount Rinjani is visible from everywhere, it is a volcanic cone 3800 m high with a crater lake in the middle. In the same part of Lombok Island, there is the 17-meter Otakokok Waterfall, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. In the evening, you can admire a stunning view - the sunset between two famous volcanoes - Balinese Agung and Rinjani.

How to get there

Get to about. Lombok from the island of Bali can be reached on a comfortable catamaran ferry in just 2.5 hours, and there are daily flights from Bali, Jakarta and Singapore. The flight from Bali to Lombok will take only 30 minutes.

Population

Most of the local population (2.5 million people) - Sasaki professes Islam with elements of Hinduism and the local animalistic cult of the Vetu Telu (wetu telu). Balinese (about 100 thousand people) inhabit the areas adjacent to the western coast of the island.

Location

O. Lombok is a small island located near Bali and the island of Sumbawa.

Lombok is located 8 ° (375 km) south of the equator, so the length of day and night is about the same here all year round. Rise is about 6.20. sunset at 18.30. Between about. Lombok and about. Bali passes the border of the ecosystems of equatorial Asia and Australia - the Wallace Line. To the east of it live representatives of the Australian animal world: birds of paradise, a thrush with an orange rim. To the west, Asian, including monkeys and tigers (they met on Bali until the 1930s).

The three main cities of Lombok - Ampenan, Mataram and Chakranegara - are located next to each other, within a six-kilometer strip that stretches from the western coast of the island to the east.

Mataram

The city with wide green streets and parks is built up with buildings in the traditional Saka and Art Deco style, shops of Arab and Chinese merchants. It is located on the west coast of Fr. Lombok.

The metropolis Mataram, formed as a result of the merger of five settlements - Ampenan, Mataram proper, Cakranc-gara, Sweta and Bertais, stretched for 10 km from west to east along the street one-way traffic. Traffic in the opposite direction goes along a parallel (1 block south) street. In Ampenane, the former main port of the island, there are several interesting old houses preserved. City government buildings, most hotels, shops and restaurants are concentrated in Mataram, the administrative center of the West Nusa Tenggara region (Lombok and Sumbawa islands) and Chakranegara, and in Sveta and Bertais, through which the main transport interchanges pass, there are the main bus stations.

In the XVII century. the feudal lords of Bali, Makassar and Bima (Sumbawa Island) fought for Lombok. In 1838, Matarama, the Raja of one of the four principalities created by the Balinese, became the sole ruler of the island. In July 1894, a Dutch expedition landed in Lombok. After overcoming fierce resistance, on September 29 the Dutch took Mataram by storm. and on November 8 - Chakranegaru. Until the mid-1990s. the island remained far from historical events and was little affected by the tourism industry. It was then hard hit by the 1997 Asian crisis and the sectarian clashes that followed.

On January 17, 2000, during the celebration of the Day of Muslim Solidarity in Amperon, a group of aggressive Islamists gathered. Over the next three days, the Catholic Church, the adjoining hospital and several discos were burned to the ground. During the dispersal of the crowd, several Muslims were killed and wounded by the police, but not a single tourist or local Christian was injured. Now the Mataram administration is making tremendous efforts to return foreign tourists frightened by the pogrom to the island and is trying to ensure their safety.

In Mataram you can visit Mayura Water Palace(Mayura). The palace (1744) was built as part of the royal palace of the Karangasem Balinese dynasty. In 1894, the Balinese destroyed the wall of the water palace and killed the Dutch who defended it. Now only a lake is left of the palace ensemble, surrounded by a park with fountains, statues, altars and cannons.

Pura Meru Temple opposite the Mayura Palace. It is the largest temple in Lombok with 33 sanctuaries and three tiered pagodas dedicated to the Hindu triad: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. It was built in 1720 under Anak Agung Karang. Admission is free, but the priests immediately pounce on visitors as if they were dear guests, lead to a giant banyan tree, make a belt from a piece of plain cloth, ask to sign the book of honored guests, and after that one cannot do without a donation for the maintenance of the temple. Only then you can go through the gate to the territory of the second and third courtyards. True, there is not much to see there - the outside of the temple is decorated much brighter than from the inside. A very picturesque weaving workshop is located in a small alley adjacent to the temple wall. There you can see the conditions under which the local proletarians work.

Negeri-Nusa-Tengara-Barat Museum. The exposition dedicated to the geology, history and culture of Lombok and Sumbawa contains textiles and ceramics, copper and wood products, archaeological finds, including 1239 manuscripts written on palm leaves.

Narmada water palace. The palace (1727) is built on a hill south of the main road and is surrounded by three pools. They depict the volcano Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani): the central basin represents Lake Segara Anak, the small pools symbolize the thermal springs near the lake, and the top of the mountain is the temple of Riga Kalasa, dedicated to Shiva. In the lower pools, locals bathe and do their laundry. The water in the upper pool provides eternal life. During the full moon of the fifth Balinese lunar month (usually December), a pujavali ritual takes place here.

Near the village of Lingsar is a huge temple complex Puri-Lingsar... The complex was built as a sign of the establishment of friendship between the Balinese and the Sasaks (the indigenous inhabitants of Lombok). In this strange temple, sacred rituals can be performed by Muslims, fans of the Balinese form of Hinduism, and followers of the local animalistic cult. Every year, before the rainy season, the Perang Topat ceremony (Sasaksk. Perang Topat - War Topat) is held here for a week. Muslims and Hindus give thanks for the last season's rains and pray for more rain, and then they start throwing ketupat at each other (ketupat - rice wrapped in coconut leaves). Hard-boiled eggs are sold at the gates of the temple complex. It is believed that if you feed them to eels living in a sacred pond, your wish will certainly come true. To the east of the Lingsar Temple is the Puri Suranadi Temple (donation entry), one of the most revered temples in Lombok.

Pura Batu Bolong Temple rises on a stone ledge with a wonderful view of the ocean. It is said that the most beautiful virgins of Lombok were once sacrificed to the sea from this rock. A small but surprisingly romantic temple, built in the Balinese-Hindu style, is oriented towards the sacred Mount Agung.

Kuta

At the southern tip of about. Lombok stretches the Kuta beach. Pure white sand, rugged coastline, high waves attract surfers here, and unusual stone formations attract nature lovers. The main settlement of the resort is the village of Kuta, built up with wooden fishing houses.

The deserted Mavun beach lies 8 km west of the village of Kuta. and 8 km to the east is the sandy Tanjung-Aan Bay with calm turquoise water.

Mount Rinjani... An extinct volcano - the second highest peak in Indonesia is located in the center of the northern coast of about. Lombok. The cruciform caldera has a small but active baru volcano (a strong eruption took place in 1925, and the last in 1994) and a crater lake Segara-Anak, and at the foot - thermal springs. The Balinese Hindus venerate the active volcano as a holy place. Every year they make a pilgrimage to the top of the lake surrounded by steep walls. Local Muslims believe that on the ninth day after death, the souls of the dead come here. Live goldfish and gold jewelry are sacrificed to them.

You can climb to the top of the volcano from almost any side, but the most popular trail starts from the village of Sembalun-Bumbung at the spurs of the northern slope. The ascent takes at least three days. This can be done independently or as part of an organized group under the guidance of experienced instructors (from 55 thousand Rp / day) and with porters (from 45 thousand Rp / day). Sleeping bag, tent and other camping equipment can be rented in Senaru Village or Sembalun Bumbung.

The best time for climbing is June-August, during the height of the rainy season (November-April) the trail becomes too slippery and dangerous, and the view is obscured by clouds and fog. Since 2000, several cases have been recorded when tourists were attacked by armed bandits, so you should not neglect the precautions.

There are waterfalls near Senaru Air-Terjung-Gila.

Climate

The climate in Lombok is drier and hotter than Bali. Between these nearby islands (2.5 hours by catamaran) lies the deep ocean trench separating Asia and Australinesia. The best time to travel is all year round. The rainy season on different islands does not coincide. The average annual temperature is between 26 ° C and 28 ° C. This is where the transition from western to eastern Indonesia, its flora and fauna begins, changes become more noticeable the further you move east. The northern part of the island is hilly and covered with greenery of tall trees and bushes. South - barren, arid land, savannah. As the dry seasons are getting longer here, corn and sago are replacing rice as the main ingredient in most dishes. Lombok is known as a virgin island ideal for travel and relaxation, where you will find white sandy, quiet beaches, mountains, unspoiled villages, tropical vegetation and rich culture in Indonesia. The island has its own unique charm, it is not for nothing that they say "You can see Bali on the Lombok island, but not vice versa."

Lombok island, is located in Indonesia between the islands and Sumbawa, and is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands group of the Malay archipelago. Town Mataram Is the main administrative center of the island. There is an international airport 40 km from it, although the number of foreign flights is less. Fly to and. Distance from Mataram airport to Senggigi 55 km. You can get there by Damri Damri buses - it is convenient and inexpensive. A new international airport has been built in the city of Praia Praya - to the south.

There are two seaports on the island of Lombok, one in the southwest of the port of Lembar, the other in the east of the island. You can get to Lombok from other islands, Sumbawa, Flores by ferry, ship (more on this in the next article). There are also private boats and boats, which are also engaged in transportation.

I bought a ticket for 159 thousand rupees, not 200, as requested by the hostess's husband. Traveler's advice - never give money up front... The girl with whom I went to the ship warned that there would be a lot of people and that you need to take great care of your things, which, of course, worried and did not allow you to relax.

My budget for two incomplete days.

I drove from the port to Senggiga for 60 thousand rupees + accommodation with a light breakfast 65 thousand * 2 nights \u003d 130 thousand rupees. During all this time, I spent 50 thousand rupees on food, including cake and coconut. I arrived at the port again 50 thousand rupees.

As a continuation of my "great" travels in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, I went further east to see the volcano on Flores Island. Swam on

Part of the Indonesian Islands, this is a place where tourists from different countries go to spend time without fuss and crowds. Holidays in Lombok, Indonesia are affordable prices, beaches, entertainment, attractions for those who appreciate a leisurely pastime surrounded by exotic natural beauty.

There are several options to visit the island of Lombok:
1. By ferry or boat. There is a 24-hour ferry service from the nearest island, Bali. Starting point is Padang Bay Port, arrival point in Lombok is Lembar Port. Travel time is 3 to 6 hours. The ticket price is Rs 80,000 per person. There is no clear timetable for the movement of ferries, the average interval is 2-3 hours.

2. By plane. From the same island of Bali, you can go to Lombok by plane. The ticket will cost from 40 euros. A flight from Jakarta, Indonesia will cost a minimum of € 90. The island's new airport has been receiving international flights since 2011. Direct flights link Lombok with Singapore and Malaysia. The cost of a round-trip ticket from Singapore is from 360 euros.

You can take a taxi to the resting place from the airports or the port of Lembar. The price is usually negotiated with the taxi driver. The main rule is to bargain.

By the way, there is a bus from the international airport to the popular tourist area - Senjiji. The ticket price is 20,000 rupees. For comparison, a similar taxi route will cost 160,000 rupees.

Lombok island: holiday features

The main direction of recreation is a calm, measured pastime on the beach.
However, vacations on the east coast and vacations on the west coast are different.

Tourist areas and beaches

Senjiji Resort

The resort area in the western part of Lombok is located 50 km from the international airport. The western part of the island has a well-developed infrastructure. Walking through local shops, you should pay attention to products made of silk or fabrics using gold and silver threads. The masterpieces of local potters are no less valuable.

Senjiji beaches

The beaches of this resort area are the best in Lombok. The sand here is gray-beige, and the grains of sand reach the size of a pea of \u200b\u200bblack pepper. The beach line is wide. A feeling of low population is created. Large hotels designed for foreign tourists have their own territory on Senjiji Beach. Each such site is equipped with everything necessary for a quality holiday on the coast. Not far from the central beach of the resort, there is a popular beach among Indonesians - Kerangdangan.

Eastern part of the island

The average tourist who prefers comfort rarely visits the east coast of Lombok, but surfers in the village of Kuta are frequent guests. Despite the complete absence of any tourist infrastructure, there are several decent guesthouses and comfortable hotels. The beaches of the eastern part of the island are distinguished by lighter, almost white, sand. In addition to areas ideal for surfers and windsurfers, there are beaches that are good for families:

• Lagoon Mavun, nestled among lush hills.
• The beach of the Novotel hotel is Pantai Putri Nyale.
• Tanjung A'an Beach, the water is deep turquoise.
• Air Guling Bay, the closest to Kuta, is the perfect place to relax with kids.

What to do in Lombok

The nature of the island has created several interesting objects that are worth visiting while vacationing in Lombok in 2019. Among them:

1. Rinjani volcano, almost 4000 meters high. Climbing the volcano takes a whole day. During the ascent, meetings with representatives of the local fauna are frequent. Such an excursion is a great opportunity to see the picturesque mountain regions. There is a beautiful volcanic lake at the top.
2. Sendang Gila Falls, located 30 minutes walk from Senaru Village, is the most beautiful on the island. By the way, after walking about an hour up the river, you can see another waterfall - Tui Kelep.
3. Lake Danau-Segara-Anae.

Vacationers on the east coast can take a walk along the many hiking trails in this part of the island.

In addition to natural parks, the island of Lombok has historical and cultural sites.

The main attractions of Lombok

1. The Narmada Water Park is a large-scale landscape and architectural complex, founded in the 19th century. There are many springs and lakes in the park. There is also a Fountain of Youth, the water from which, according to local residents, contributes to its prolongation.
2. The Pura Kalasa Temple is a striking example of Hindu culture, located in the Narmada Park.
3. Mayura Water Palace, built in the middle of the 18th century. A walk through the territory of the palace park is an opportunity to enjoy interesting sculptural objects, fountains and admire the picturesque lake.
4. The villages of craftsmen, including: the village of weavers - Sukarare, the village of Penuyak, where they make clay products, and the village of Suradi, its inhabitants make bags and decorations from palm leaves.