ABOUT LOMBOK
1. Where is Lombok
2. How to get there
3. Senggigi
4. The Gili's
5. Diving & Snorkeling
6. Surfing
7. Lomboks Future
Where is Lombok
Lombok lies around 35 kilometers east of Bali, at the start of the Nusa Tenggara-Timor
island chain that stretches hundreds of kilometers across the islands of Komodo, Rinca,
Sumbawa, Flores and Sumba. Lombok is the westernmost island of this chain, which becomes
arid and dry after the Wallace Line.
The Wallace Line is a deep undersea trench separating Bali and the islands of West and
East Nusa Tenggara. The trench was discovered by Alfred Russell Wallace in 1859, during
the zoologist’s 10-year travels across the Indonesian archipelago when he noticed
a distinct change in the zoology, climate and flora between Bali and the southeastern
islands.
The flora and fauna east of the Wallace Line are classified as Australasian, and the
western species are classified as Asiatic.
Lombok is a mountainous island, and its capital is Mataram. Indonesia’s second
highest mountain, Mount Rinjani, is located on Lombok and can be seen from most parts
of the island, towering high above it at 3,726 meters.
The indigenous people of Lombok are the Sasak, who are famous around the world for their
beautiful handwoven textiles, called songket and ikat. The dominant religion of Lombok
is Islam.
How to get to Lombok
From Singapore there are direct flights to Lombok with Silk Air which makes it easy to combine a
Lombok getaway with a journey through other areas in Asia.
From Bali , there are 3 main ways to reach Lombok - by small aircraft , high speed ferry or
by the local and slow public ferry.
Flights: From Denpasar Airport, Merpati Airlines offer a number of services every day. The
aircraft are generally 24 seat propeller driven planes which take approximately 30 minutes
for the one-way trip. The first flight departs Denpasar around 7.30 am while the last flight
is around 4.30 pm. The last return flight from Lombok is approximately 5.30pm.
Redline
Cruising from Benoa Harbour to Lombok with Redline operates every day.
As weather conditions are variable, they cannot stop in Senggigi. The cruise will stop at
'TELUK NARA' on the north-west coast. Transportation from this port to Senggigi is
included in the price. There are two classes - Economy and Executive. Departure time:
9:00am and arrives in Teluk Narat at 11:45am via Nusa Lembongan. Departure time back to
Bali: 12:15pm and arrives in Benoa Harbour 15:00pm via Nusa Lembongan. E-mail us for
more information
Public Ferry: Large ferries carrying passengers, goods and vehicles operate daily between
Padangbai ( near Candi Dasa in Bali ) and Lembar Harbour. These ferries are quite basic
and slow, taking between 4-8 hours for the crossing. While they are cheap, it can cost
quite a bit extra to get to Padangbai so its worth comparing all alternatives. This can
only be booked direct and costs approximately US$ 5 one way
Senggigi
Senggigi, named after a princess in local legend, is the main tourist center in Lombok
and the most developed tourist area. The resort area about 10 Kilometers north of
Ampenan, and about 20 minutes drive from the Lombok international Airport. Nowhere
near as large or as busy as its Bali conterparts, Senggigi is a great base for
exploring the rest of the island. The pace is very laid back, with activities
centered around the beaches and day trips to places of interest, which are all
with in ferw hours drive from the town. At night dine in the many restaurants
catering to all tastest and budgets, listen the live music at the cafes or Bars
or dance the night away at the night clubs.
Senggigi is the large bay that forms the center of Senggigi, with the main road running parrarel
to the beach, and large resorts occupying the space between. The beach provides picturesque
views of Bali's Agung Mountain to the west and stunning sunsets with the volacano
silhouetted on the horizon.
The main road in Senggigi is lined with small shops, Restaurants, Bars, Travel agencies
and Night Clubs. There are couple of supermarkets, numerous ATM's and Money Changers,
Post office and all as ussual tourist facilities. Senggigi is a relaxing place to stay,
with a good range of luxury hotels and resorts, as well as mid range and budget
accommodations.
The Art Market Senggigi, is located between the Santosa
Villas & Resort and Sheraton Hotel. There are numerous small stalls selling handicrafts
and souvenirs from aroun Lombok, as well as T-shirts, sarongs and clothing similar to Bali's
markets. On the beach, line up restaurants and cafes are nice place to catch the ocean
breezes during the day, orr to dine at night watching the lights of the fisihing boats
accross the ocean.
The Gili's
Arching away from the northwest corner of Lombok, are three idyllic atolls,
where the sand is still powdery white, the water a clear sparkling turquoise,
and the sunsets over Bali’s Agung in the west simply spectacular.
Home to the largest Irish bar on the smallest island in the world, an authentic Japanese
sushi restaurant, a turtle hatchery, ominous sounding dive sites
like ‘Shark Point’ and miles and miles of white sandy beaches, Lombok's
Gili islands, or Gilis for short, makes a surprisingly ideal getaway destination
for everyone.
Getting there is easy and whichever way you choose, you will be guaranteed
to see some of Bali and Lombok’s breathtaking scenery.
Transport - options, from shuttle bus and public ferry, the PERAMA boat service,
flights with airport transfers, and the daily direct fast boat services.
Helicopter sight seeing tours and sea plane charters are also available.
Accommodation - choices start from beach shacks, backpacker beach huts
and budget hotels, a large selection of mid range hotels and boutique bungalows,
through to resort style hotels and luxury private villas.
Activities - Scuba diving packages from beginner to experienced,
snorkeling trips, Sea Kayak experience, golf days, horse riding at sunset, wakeboarding,
deep sea fishing, trekking Mt Rinjani , Komodo dive trips,
and private party nights, and yes, there is good surf on the Gili islands.
Diving & Snorkeling
Diving
The island of Lombok, located to the east of Bali, offers diving for all experience levels.
Most of the dving takes place at the Gili islands to the northwest of Lombok however there are
a number of other locations around the island. Marine life is also similar to that found in Bali,
conditions in the Lombok Strait can be hairy with those strong currents from the Indonesian
Through flow. The rewarding result is rich underwater biodiversity, during certain times of
the year large fish such as sharks, eagle rays, turtles and manta rays also visit the reefs.
There is also the chance to see schooling hammerheads at Blongas Bay.
Snorkeling
The popular activity of snorkeling has in the recent years become a major attraction for
tourists. It is a variation of swimming at the surface of a water- body. The string of
islands with its unspoilt beaches makes Lombak an excellent place to enjoy the thrill of
snorkeling. The crystal clear waters with its mystic charm offer an excellent opportunity
for snorkeling.
The person, however, needs to be equipped with a diving mask, a tube commonly known as the
snorkel, and swim fins. Snorkeling is an innovative and an adventurous way to enjoy the
underwater attractions. As there is no time barrier, you are free to spend long hours
under the water. Though no time is bad for this popular activity, yet the dry season is
generally considered as the best time to carry out with your desired activity.
The months between April and October are high time to enjoy the utmost fun. The
water bodies during this part of the year remain calm, thereby, preventing the
tourists from the calamities of natural hazards.
Surfing Lombok
Lombok has been an ideal surfing destination for years. Surfing enthusiasts, especially those
who come to Indonesia for the prime purpose to surf find best conditions on several spots on
Lombok. Here is but a short overview.
Desert Point
Desert point, one of the longest waves in the world, when it's good, maybe even the best left
in the world: Long, barreling, warm, and consistent. Crowds are getting worse every year though.
Inside Gerupuk
The break is very sheltered as it's in a bay, and it has great shape, so it's ideal for
beginners. There's a more raw wave outside the bay.The sea bed is mainly seagrass,
which can tickle, but doesn't hurt too badly.
Kuta Lombok
There are two large, steep hills right near the break. Easy to spot from the hotel and
from the water. Head out from here and start walking across rocks,coral, and sea urchins
until its deep enough to paddle. Find the channel, its very close to a huge rock out in
the water, be careful not to ride close to it, because it gets shallow. The waves are
nice, but trying to get back out is really annoying. Getting pounded. We saw two guys
who looked to be good, and they had some sick rides but they were getting worn out.
I'm not really that good, I only lasted a little, and caught one ride, but it was good.
I'm definitely a beginner, but I don't think I'll ever try that spot again,
it was just too much for me to catch one. The reef goes into a large bay which is right
in front of the hotel Novotel. It can get shallow.
Mawi
The take off is very fast, then monster barrel (you could put a bus in it),
very scary, with the wind go out at the end. The wave is not very long.
And don't go in the water by the rocks on your left even if it seems more
faster, too dangerous if a big set is coming.
Outside Gerupuk
Even though it's flat there is ALWAYS a wave. Has a few takeoff peaks and the outside
peak is always double size of the others. No good quality wave though.
Inside Ekas
Inside Ekas is best known as a left and right hand peak (see the Indo Surfing Guide)
which breaks in medium and large swells. The right is a high quality wave, particularly
on low tide, suitable for advanced surfers. The left winds down the reef at high tide,
a softer wave ideal for the less experienced surfer who wants a classic long ride. Both
short and long boards are suitable on the left. The ride is longer at Ekas, but the left
wave is like the well-known Grupuk peak, which has attracted many surfers from all over
the world, particularly Japanese visitors.
Outside Ekas
Outside Ekas, a solid left break, is best on high tide in large swells when a very long,
heavy wave peels over 400-500 m down the reef and barrels in sections. The square take-off
jacks up into a thick lip, over deep reef. Outsides also works when the swell is smaller,
particularly around mid tide … a bit peaky at times, but still fun.
Lomboks Future
Bali is the tourist mecca, filled with resorts, bars and markets; whereas Lombok is largely
unspoilt, relying more on its natural charms to attract mostly surfers, and short-term
visitors from Bali.
Work has already begun on a US$72 million international
airport, close to the town of Praya, about 30km south of the existing Salaparang airport.
It's expected to open in 2010 and locals believe that it will be the key to making
Lombok a primary tourist destination, rather than just an add-on to a holiday in Bali.
Development is inevitable, says Dominique Duvivier, general manager of Accor's Novotel
Lombok, one of the island's only existing high-end hotels. "Bali is too crowded so
they need to find a plan B."
The trick, though, will be making sure any development doesn't detract from Lombok's
natural beauty - currently its biggest tourist attraction.
Duvivier too is confident Lombok can retain its own unique character. "We are
far better in terms of beach here. Lombok will grow, little by little, yes, but not
like Bali. I've worked in many areas and this one is totally magical."
Although the island is often described as resembling Bali 20 years ago, Duvivier
disagrees. "In Bali, Kuta 20 years ago was still developed. It's more than 20
years ago, I would say even 30 to 40."
