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WEST LOMBOK
Pura Lingsar, is sacred not only to Lombok’s Hindu community, but also for local Moslem and Wektu Telu Followers. Built around 1714, Pura Lingsar was originally based on the prevailing animist beliefs the time, and some of the original animist statues remain today.
This temple has two holy shrines and is the only place on Lombok where all the religions – Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and orthodox Moslems – come together to pray for prosperity, fertility, rain, health and general success.
The temple is traditionally associated with fertility, irrigation and rice. Perang Topat, is an annual festival held at Lingsar and features a ritualized war with rice cakes, which also serve as an offering to the Gods.
Lingsar has spring-fed pools within the temple grounds and is home to large freshwater eels. Visitors are welcome to accompany a temple priest who well feed them hard-boiled eggs, purchased at nearby stands.
Open during the day. Admission and eel feeding by donation.
Pura Narmada (or Narmada Temple), around 10 km east of Cakranegara in Narmada, was created circa 1805 as a replica of Gunung Rinjani’s crater. The gardens at Narmada are beautifully maintained and surround the pools and lake.
Check for performances of Gandrung, gendeng Belek and other traditional dances on special occasions.
Some of the other pools at Narmada are available for swimming (modest attire,please) and are popular with local people.
Pura Suranadi, a complex of three temples located a few kilometers north of Narmada in Suranadi, is the oldest and holiest of the Balinese temples in Lombok, founded by the 16th-century Javanese priest, Danghyang Nirartha.
Underground streams bubble up into restored baths, used for ritual bathing.
Locally, Suranadi is regarded as the place to obtain the proper holy water for Hindu cremations.
Huge sacred eels live in the pools and streams here, and can sometimes be lured out with an offering of boiled eggs (purchased at a nearby stall).
To see a sacred eel is considered very lucky! The eels are considered holy and it is taboo to eat them or to contaminate their water. |
EAST LOMBOK
Masbagik, close to Pringgasela, is a small pottery village. Wander the streets and see the pottery being made in the small yards behind the simple homes here and purchase the wares for amazingly cheap prices. |
CENTRAL LOMBOK
Pringgasela in central Lombok is easily reached from the main road heading east across the island. A turnoff at Lenek leads to the small village which is steeped in tradition and is major centre for weaving ikat. Visit the small houses and shops here to purchase traditionally woven, colorful fabrics.
Tete Batu, on the southern slopes of Gunung Rinjani, is a cool mountain retreat with beautiful rice terraces, forests and bright green fields of crops and tobacco on the surrounding slopes. It’s wet and misty during rainy season, cool and lush during the dry, and is a lovely place for walking or a day trip with lunch at one of the nearby restaurants or lesehan.
Jeruk Manis is a lovely waterfall to the north of Tetebatu, reached in about an hour’s trekking through a monkey-filled forest.
It’s best to take a local guide with you. |
SOUTH LOMBOK
Sukarana is 5 km to the west of Praya, heading south towards Kuta. This is a weaving village where quality ikat and traditional cloth is displayed and sold.
Weavers work outside many of the shops, using antiquated ”back strap looms” to painstakingly produce works of art. Some of the larger pieces can take several months to weave, and collectors from around the world visit this village to purchase the blankets, sarongs and cloth produced here.
Rambitan and Sade 2, on the maind road before Kuta, are two traditional Sasak villages sitting between the roadside and the rice fields. There are authentic lumbung (traditional houses) here and the villages are laid out in old-style compounds.
Kuta, on the south coast, is famous for its beaches and great surfing. There is a good variety of accommodation and restaurants in the area, including the architecturally spectacular and luxurious Novotel Coralia Resort located on one of the most picturesque beaches in the area.
Kuta is popular with surfers and holiday-makers seeking sun and sea. Located about 45 km (28 miles) south of Cakranegara, or one and half hour’s drive from Senggigi, Kuta has an expansively beautiful white sand beach and is a good base for exploring the stunningly beautiful southern coastline. |
SOUTH WEST LOMBOK
Banyumulek, easily reached on the road south to Lembar Harbour, is an important centre for pottery on Lombok. The small village is packed with shops selling pottery produced in the area, as well as from the other main pottery-making villages such as Penujak and Masbagik.
Lombok pottery, with its distinctive terracotta styles, has become famous internationally and is exported throughout the world. Wander the streets here and see the pottery being made and fired using traditional methods. Visit the small workshops out the back of some of the shops to see the products being decorated and finished by hand.
Lombok pottery makes a great souvenir or gift to carry home, and the shops can arrange shipping to almost any country for larger items and export.
Lombok Harbour is the main port on Lombok, about 20 km south of Mataram.
This large natural harbor is surrounded by hills and picturesque scenery.
Public ferries make the crossing to Padang bai Harbor on Bali approximately every two hours, 24 hours per day. Boats can also be chartered from here out to Gili Nanggu and the southwest islands.
Sekotong is a picturesque area on the southwest coast, where the waters are turquoise and the sand blindingly white. The large calm bay just before Taun (Sekotong Barat) is one of the most beautiful on Lombok, reminiscent of the Caribbean.
This is an ideal base for exploring the southwest coast.
Just off the coast lie three small islands:
Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudat and Gili Tangkong. Gili Nanggu, with is soft white sand and sparkling clear waters, has a small hotel with basic accommodation and the island is perfect as a castaway escape, with reasonable snorkeling off the beach.
There is a sign-posted parking area at Sekotong Barat where small boats can be chartered to explore these lovely islands. |
NORTH LOMBOK
The Pusuk Pass is a winding mountain road the starts in Gunungsari and runs through the mountains inland, to Pemenang in the north.
The drive up the pass provides wonderful views of valleys and gorges, with rivers running through the tropical forests and small villages dotted amongst the tress.
Families of grey monkeys live in the jungle and come down to the road to beg for food from passing motorists.
Pantai Sira is further nort past Tanjung, where a small sign-posted road branches off from the main road and leads to a beautiful white-sand beach with good snorkeling on the offshore coral reef.
There are great views across to the Gili's and Bali beyond. This is also the site for the Kosaido Golf course: a stunning world-class 18-hole golf course with magnificent views from the manicured greens.
Sendang Gile waterfalls at Senaru are amongst Lombok's most spectacular, even after climbing the 200 plus vertical steps down to stand below them.
The water cascades in a steep vertical drop down the hillside into a rocky stream below.
It is popular with both locals and tourists visiting the Mt Rinjani Nasional Park.
Guides can also be hired from the restaurant near the car park for the short trek through the jungle to the lovely Tiu Kelep waterfall nearby, where the water flows in to a pool at the base, good for swimming. Climb the rocks to the hidden cave behind the falls and follow local legend that says for every pass behind the waterfall, you take one year off your age. Park admission: IDR 2,000. Guides: around IDR 20,000. |
CLIMBING GUNUNG RINJANI
Senaru is the usual starting point for climbing Lombok’s famous volcano.
Gunung Rinjani. Other options, for a slightly shorter route to the summit, are Sembalun Lawang and Sembalun Bumbung to the northeast.
Rinjani soars 3726 m above sea level and is the second highest volcano in Indonesia, attracting thousands of trekkers and climbers annually.
The huge crater near the top contains a beautiful lake, Danau Segara Anak (Child of the Sea Lake) and a smaller volcanic cone, Gunung Baru Jari, which was formed a couple of hundred years ago. There are a number of caves, small waterfalls and hot springs located around the volcano.
In 2004 Rinjani won the World legacy Award and the volcano is recognized internationally as an important eco-tourism destination. The Rinjani Trek, funded by the New Zealand government, has set up a series of programmes for climbing the volcano and for trekking in the National Park, involving local communities and guides, and ensuring better management and safety for trekkers. Enquire at the Park’s office for trekking details.
Sembalun Bumbung is located in a high, cool valley on the northern slopes of Gunung Rinjani, along with the neighboring village of Sembalun Lawang.
The area is surrounded by lush field and valleys, and is famous for growing many varieties of vegetables in its cooler climate. Both villages are alternative points to Senaru for climbing Mt Rinjani and there are a number of places to organize treks in the region, as well as several small home-stays. |
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