Whirlwind Trip Through Lombok, Indonesia

 6 Days, Multiple Stops, in Lombok, Indonesia

Feb '23 - I had a wonderful time in Lombok meeting with friendly locals most of whom were willing to share a story, tea, tobacco, direction and food! Being able to speak Indonesian probably helps😁. Why I say whirlwind? Cos each stop was just for a night with rather long distances between them! 

Lombok International Airport

Also known as Praya due to the nearby town, the airport appears new but small with domestic flights save for a single daily flight from KL. Locals claim that flying via KL to anywhere else is cheaper than via Jakarta. Upon exiting the terminal, walk through the numerous touts into a hall and you will find public buses (Damri) at the left corner furthest away from you. Contrary to several online comments, GrabCar pickup is available at the airport though it appears cheaper private taxi options exist. I took an hour long bus ride to Mataram bus station at outer ring road for Rp35k (or Rp40k if you plan to go to city centre). 

Motobike Rental

The bike rental company I contacted via Whatsapp sent a bike over for Rp70k / day (Honda Beat) and I was dumbfounded to learn that they could have sent it to me at the airport for a fee (Rp100k - pickup and dropoff) which would have saved me a lot of time waiting for and being on the bus. On a bike, you can buy subsidised petrol at Pertamina stations for Rp10k (USD0.67)/litre although long lines are common. 

Senggigi (West Lombok)

I booked a room at Norton Homestay at what I thought was at Senggigi Beach but honestly it was about 6km north of it. It was a quiet lovely hotel with friendly and helpful staff but it was on a dirt/stony road off the main road; the entrance of which was not easy to find. I was a little cheesed off it was next to a loud mosque but such is Lombok. 

My first night's dinner was at a slightly pricey beachfront restaurant - Nuf Said; I never did figure out if the name was English or Bahasa as it could be both! But the grilled rabbitfish was fantastic!

Senggigi beach proper has a number of upscale hotels, beachfront restaurants and shops. The black sandy beach was alright but nothing to shout about. Surfing is a common activity near my hotel. 

Left: A surprise Hindu temple, reminiscent of Bali. Right: One of the numerous lookout points

Aik Nyet

Aik Nyet or cold water in Sasak, the local language, is a river about 1 hour away from Senggigi, which many locals flock to on weekends. A few pools were built and there are a few foodstalls and toilet/changing facilities. A friendly local offered to take me there for a visit. It was a short hike from the parking area; though we had to ask for directions a few times. Indeed, a dip in the cold waters was a good respite after a hot morning of riding around. I even sampled satay bulayak, local Lombok style, which is meat skewers of beef mixed with chicken on peanut sauce. 

Gili Trawangan

The largest of the Gili Islands can be reached via public boats from Bangsal for Rp23k and takes about 20 minutes- starts at 7am. Mind you, the boats leave when they are full so it can be a wait if you arrive late in the afternoon. Speedboats are available with fixed schedule though with fewer daily departures. 

I would warn travellers on public boats to wear shorts and waterproof shoes/slippers as you will get wet getting on and off the boats! At Gili T, the ticket counter faces the sea instead of the road; which would have been more logical - so look out for long concrete benches or ask around (psst, it's behind this welcome sign on the beach). 

Gili T - Diving

There are probably 20 or more different diving centres in the main beachfront and I dived with Trawangan Dive Centre. They are one of the biggest with lots of staff, equipment and good facilities. Rooms, training pool, swimming pool, indoor restaurant, beach restaurant and pool bar available. 

Diving in Gili T was great with visibility of 25m at Shark Point with lots of white tip sharks, a wreck and lots of fishes. 2nd dive at Sunset had lots of bus size turtles (ok, I'm exaggerating) and numerous other fishes too. 

Gili T - cheap rooms

Walking behind the main strip, you can find many cheap rooms. Pitara Homestay was one of them though I had to walk through a flooded dirt road. Cheap eats are also off the main beach road.  

Gili T - BeachFront & Nightlife

It's no wonder that Gili T is such a hotspot for backpackers as there are lots to enjoy at prices much lower than Bali. Retail therapy, sun worship, massage and spas, beachfront restaurants, live music, roadside cheap eats and more. 

North Lombok

On the ride past North Lombok, I had a great breakfast at a beachside local food stop. Delicious bakso urat with a view! 

Senaru

This was a picturesque village and one of the starting points for days long hikes up Rinjani; although hikes are prohibited from Jan to Mar due to the rainy season. I stopped several times to take a view of the terraced paddy fields and of Mount Rinjani on the way there. 

Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls

Entry is Rp20k and the well built and maintained steps take you to Sendang Gile where you can see and hear the gorgeous waterfall. 

Here I befriended a couple of local tour guides who were actually leading their paying (!) guests but invited me to join them to Tiu Kelep which is about a half hour hike away through the at times unfriendly uphill pathway, several river crossings and a few climbs over large rocks. Be warned not to wear flipflops and you would benefit from waterproof shoes. 

Tiu Kelep is no Niagara Falls but the thunderous sounds and cold water after a sweaty hike was surreal. One cue, the sun came out right after we arrived and rainbows were abound. Unlike Sendang Gile, there is a pool you can dip yourself in the cold water although the rocks, large and small, will challenge your balance and are not for sensitive feet. 

 

Senaru Village

I was most impressed with how the local government helped to preserve a well organised and clean local village; the houses of which are mainly built from wood with attap roofs. After a short walk around, a local invited me to sit with him in one of their local hangout spots; which was really a raised and roofed platform. He told me the village has been there for over 100 years and there are about 20 families with about 100 residents; though many have also settled in nearby government built houses. He shared a lot about his life tending to his farm and how the locals appear to care for the environment by planting trees and harvesting rainwater. Most of the villagers there are either guides and porters for Mt Rinjani hikes or farmers. Visitors are asked to write in their guest book and make a small donation for the upkeep of the village. 

Not officially under any homestay programmes, visitors can request to spend a night, for another donation of course, with one of the families; but don't expect any luxury, piped water or indoor toilets. They are, however, more than happy to share with outsiders. 

Facing the village, if you turn left, it is a long, winding and treacherous road up to one of the entrance to the Rinjani Park. I literally had to walk my motorbike down, after falling twice, as the road was covered in slippery moss. 

Senaru - Eat

 

I had lunch at one of the several cliffside restaurants with a great view. The picture says it all. 

Senaru - Sleep

I spent the night at Pondok Guru Bakti which has an awesome view of the valley and minutes away from the waterfall entrance; I could see part of Sendang Gile from my room. The infinity pool was great for a dip, if only for a few minutes, especially in the early morning when the sky is clear and gives a great view of Mt Rinjani. A large black monkey clambering away on the roof gave me a scare though. Sunrise is at 6am. Restaurant is available onsite but the ayam pelincing was spicy even for someone like me used to spicy food. 

Sembalun

I passed by Sembalun on a longer than expected trip - with multiple lengthy stops - (6 hours for me) south to Kuta. This is a small village about 1200m high in a valley to the north-eastern side of Mt Rinjani. Temperature was a cool 16'C but there was a drizzle when I got there; which I suspect happens almost daily. I was miserable riding a motorbike in my beachwear. I am sure there are more things to see and/or visit but I literally zipped past it for obvious reason. 

The road getting to Sembalun was ok, but after Sembalun, I found the road terribly winding and very steep - I doubt it would be legal in many countries. With the addition of rain, I honestly would not recommend it for beginner motobikers. Still, there were some good photo ops and I was so tickled to see so many monkeys near, in and by the road. I swear they all have moustaches! 

East Lombok

After getting down from Sembalun, I was still cold and stopped at a roadside stop for a cup of hot tea and had an interesting chat with the owner and her husband - of migrant workers, village life and tourists passing by. A couple of boys with a motorbike tyre puncture joined us and told of their village, 'their' waterfalls and local produce. I gave one of them a ride to the nearest workshop to get help about 15 minutes away. 

I was told of yet another waterfall called Otak Kokok where the water runs through roots of trees and apparently turns white after you bathe in it. It is believed by locals to have healing powers; but for what ailments they couldn't tell me. 

At Suela, I stopped by a roadside petrol seller (they sell petrol in glass bottles!) for gas and asked about local tobacco which East Lombok is famous for but it was time for Friday prayers. I was invited to wait with them which I did after a short lunch. Again, the people there told of their migrant work experience in Malaysia or intention to do so and what they were proud of around there - apparently kasturi or senang tabacco; which I got a big bag later. 

Kuta, South Lombok

Kuta in Bali is well known, but there is a Kuta in Lombok too. Many Lombok people were proud to tell me about the Motor GP race held there - and I'm not sure if it was because I was on a motorbike. The beach was well maintained with nice walkways, a park and even has a perch built for better viewing. Many restaurants were on a side street and cheaper rooms were within walking distance. I found it strange that the sand were large and spherical; your feet would sink somewhat into it, making walking in the sand tiresome. Still, locals were abound for a reason I would find out later. 

 

  

Kuta - Sleep

I splurged, as it was my final night, for a room at a hotel right at the beach at Surfers Beachfront, though honestly it was probably the cheapest on the beach. 

Tanjung Aan / Bukit Marese

About 15 minutes ride away, and past the racing circuit, is Bukit Marese with what would be a great view of sunset and sweeping views but someone forgot his wallet to pay for parking. Tanjung Aan is a beach which is good for surfing apparently and has many beach stalls where one could also spend the day in the shade with drinks and food. Mind you, it is more of a day hangout place, has no accommodation and is served by a dirt road. 

Bau Nyale Festival

At Warung Makan Sederhana in Kuta, I tried the delicious ayam bakar taliwang, another local dish - this time I knew well in advance to tell them "average spiciness".  After a friendly chat, the friendly owner offered me to try a fish dish that his family caught that day. Apparently, they had spent the morning netting them out in the sea - most curious. Strong fishy taste but quite good. Only after I ate it that I found out that it was some kind of sea worm that comes to the surface only once a year over 2 days. It is a local delicacy and while many catch for own consumption, enterprising fishermen do go out on motorised boats to catch for sale at the local morning market. At Kuta beach, one has to walk out into the sea for about 30 minutes (yes, it is that shallow) to net it - I had arrived at the right time; though I declined several offers to join them at 3am. 'bau' means to catch and 'nyale' is the name of the worm or fish as the restaurant owner calls it. Nearby Seger provides easier access as people do not need to walk as far but the crowd and expensive parking fees put me off. 

 

More Cultural Villages

On the main road towards Kuta, you will see two other well preserved local villages called Ende and Sade ('Smooth Operator.....' - yes, I'm that old); from which the staff at my hotel and my restaurant were from. They are worth a visit if you did not make it to Senaru. 

And that was the end of my short round the island trip. West, North, East and South Lombok checked. This is just my personal experience and errors are all mine.