Lombok, December 2006

Having had to hastily scrap plans to Hong Kong due to obscene year-end travel package prices, and out of the desperation of not wanting to spend our holidays at the local zoo or botanical gardens (not that these are not wonderful places!), we jumped upon a tour opportunity to Lombok tempted initially by the 5-star hotel stay.

Aldrina, Fadilah and I arrived at Mataram’s Selaparang airport on the evening of December 4, and were pleasantly surprised by our rustic surroundings. Our flight was the only plane on the tarmac of the airport which is bordered by vegetation and mountains – our initiation to Lombok’s terrain. Accustomed to terminals with seemingly endless travelators (and we always have the “luck” of boarding our flights –including this one - at the very last gate) and queues, we were ushered quickly into the arrival hall that was more the size of a small room. Once we cleared immigration, porters dressed in blue eagerly carted our luggage and waited with equal enthusiasm for their deserving tip.

It was in between panting and cursing our lack of physical fitness that we slowly caught sight of the towering structure.

The roads out of Selaparang airport were crowded with evening traffic that didn’t quite comprise of your typical cars and buses. Rather, bemos (minivans) and cidomos (horse-drawn carts) make up the bulk of public transportation in Lombok and at busy street corners, one could hear the “clip-clop” of the cidomo alternating with the honking of the bemos. As we traveled the winding roads and made our way to the Sheraton Senggigi we saw excellent views of the coastline at sunset and groups of locals stopping along the roads as the skyline slowly transformed into a shade of orange.

At the hotel, we were introduced to the genuine hospitality of the people of Lombok. While our guide from Bidy Travels attended to our documents and check-in procedures, a hotel staff busied himself with serving us drinks and hot towels, affably insisting that we were comfortably rested in the lobby. As per the tour package, we were checked into a deluxe terrace room that incorporated an outdoor balcony. Not far away were the hotel spa and Senggigi beach, the latter being where we spend hours in the evening (because no one could wake up in time for sunrise :p) wading in the sea and photographing sunsets. As with all thirsty (and hungry) travelers, it was not long before we went in search of food and happily settled for a dinner buffet at the hotel’s Kebun Anggrek restaurant. Since eating fresh, affordable seafood was at the top of our “Must Do” list in Lombok, we were extremely contented that the chef was preparing cumi bakar (grilled squids) for the night, in addition to local favorites such as lontong and satay.

We must have been the first few to check out the outdoor pools on our second day in Lombok. Straight after breakfast, we wasted no time in rolling up our pants and dipping our feet in both the regular and kiddie pool, and amused ourselves by taking pictures with the concrete ‘gators basking by the poolside. For swimmers (or even non-swimmers with more guts than I have), the pool slide which is shaped like a tribal face mask must not be missed!

Despite being a main tourist belt in Lombok, Senggigi is a laid-back town flanked by shops renting scooters and offering diving trips to the nearby Gili islands. Our first stop out of the hotel was a short walk to the Senggigi Art Market which offers a good array of traditional wooden handicrafts, ikat and songket cloths. Though the presence of hawkers was not entirely overwhelming, we were approached by local vendors selling “Lombok pearls” and “approved agents” who drove up in their vehicles and made their pitch for local tour deals. The café/pub culture of Senggigi is concentrated along a stretch of road that was a good 20-25 minutes walk away from the hotel. Being at the mercy of the hot weather, we took shelter and had drinks in “Happy Café” as we watched groups of school children hurriedly make their way home heeding perhaps the call for afternoon prayers.

Our real excursion of Lombok took place on the third day. Having earlier signed up for an overland day trip, we met our guide Chandra promptly at 9AM and drove off firstly to lookout points for views of the neighboring Gili islands (Trawangan, Meno and Air). Quite like the locals whom we saw lining the roads close to the coastline during our arrival, we were mesmerized by the turquoise waters of our surroundings and by the colorful fishing vessels dotting the sea – all ready to reap in the morning’s catch.

We then drove to a local market and came face-to-face with colorfully decorated cidomos waiting to transport customers and their shopping baskets. Although the morning crowd was dispersing, all sorts of produce were still displayed along the market’s narrow alleys – bright red tomatoes, poultry, mixed rice, clothes, fresh tobacco and even a buffalo’s nose! Outside, in between obliging to having their photos taken, womenfolk gingerly bargained and bought fresh fish that were piled up in tubs while at a wooden shack across the road, a group of men were seen squatted next to several cooped-up fighting roosters.

About an hour’s journey away from the local market is the Senaru Sasak village, our next stop for that afternoon. This arid, northern Lombok territory is a gateway for trekkers making their way to Mount Rinjani - the second highest peak (3726 meters) in Indonesia. We were greeted by an elder at the village who became our unofficial guide as we toured the compound that was filled with neatly arranged thatched-roof houses. Curious Sasak locals, young and old, soon tagged along our mini-exploration and we were invited into a Sasak house owned by another elderly. As a community that still thrives without much reliance on modern amenities, we noticed the sparse interior of the typical Sasak household – a small firewood kitchen by a corner, a water jar next to it, a few cooking utensils hanging against the walls. We learnt later that for added space, the Sasaks build berugas or gazebo-like structures situated outside of their actual houses. As advised by the guide, we donated a small monetary token and signed our names in a guest book before leaving the village. In turn, we were offered a photo opportunity and thanked them using the smattering of Sasak language that we picked up from our guide before leaving the place.

When the van came to another halt 20 minutes later, we were excited for both our bathroom break and our proximity to the Sindang Gile waterfall. From our vantage point on that high ground, we saw lush, terraced rice fields and the cascading waterfall. Chandra then left us in the care of a local area guide who started us on our descent. While he deftly maneuvered his way along the slopes, two of us struggled to keep up with the pace of climbing up and down the more than one hundred steps leading to the base of the waterfall. It was in between panting and cursing our lack of physical fitness that we slowly caught sight of the towering structure. At approximately 80-meters high, it was the tallest among the three waterfalls found within Rinjani National Park.A few local youths clearly enjoyed themselves there and we wasted no time in joining them in the cool water. As we were about to leave, another group of locals dressed in sarongs quickly stationed themselves underneath the gushing water and took advantage of the high pressure for a quick shower.

Breathless again from our climb up to the waiting van, all three of us unanimously decided to skip the provided box lunch. I suppose that was the first time we said no to a good serving of steamed rice, crispy tempe, stir-fried vegetables and cake. The driver then took us on a leisurely drive along the slopes of Sembalun and as our surrounding temperatures dipped, we cooled ourselves while admiring views of the mist-covered mountains.

We were driving back to Senggigi when the traffic slowed down to make way for a riotous entourage. From the van, we heard the beating of cymbals and drums, and saw men and women respectively dressed in colorful ikat sarongs and lace-kebaya tops. Chandra explained to us that a wedding procession was underway and wasted no time in getting the driver to make a spontaneous stop just so we could take pictures of the event. It was awkward being pushed, uninvited, into the middle of an important occasion – especially when we were facing oncoming human traffic – but as we soon learned, the locals did not mind our presence and sportingly danced for the camera. The bride marched somewhere in the middle of the sea of pink and was dutifully followed by her groom. The whole entourage then turned into an alley to continue with celebrations indoors and during this point, we had to decline an invitation to take more photos in the house because we were inappropriately attired and sweaty from our excursions :p

It was during our last day in Lombok that we actually spent time shopping – (another first for Fadilah and myself since we would gladly, upon landing, choose shopping over jet-lag or any other travel-related exhaustion). Having had our breakfast and mailed some postcards, we thanked the front-desk staff for their generous hospitality and promised another visit in the near future. Our first shopping stop was at a pearl shop. Along the way, we passed by the town of Mataram which serves as both the capital of Lombok and the administrative capital of Nusa Tenggara Barat, and is decidedly more bustling with schools, government offices, banks and the Mataram mall. After pearl shopping, we continued with our journey to the south of Lombok, stopping by a local pottery workshop and then a weaving village in Sukarare. Here, Aldrina gamely tried songket weaving and experienced first-hand the intricacies (and difficulties!) behind producing the fine songket cloths this island is known for. From there, we proceeded onto Kuta beach, the last of our excursions for this holiday.

Whereas Kuta beach Bali thrives on swelling tourist numbers and sidewalk eateries, its Lombok counterpart boasts endless stretches of pristine, unpopulated white beaches. The only company we had there, apart from ourselves, were some local children playing under a nearby tree and a stray dog. The calm waters made it perfect for a swim but none of us were appropriately attired and we had to make do with just wading by the shore. We left Kuta beach half an hour after soaking in the sun and the sand – but not before having our photos taken with the children. When we asked Chandra what was keeping the kids happily occupied, he sheepishly replied “dating game” and gestured to a few of them closely seated within a circular, makeshift compound.

As the van made its way down the narrow slopes to take us back to Mataram, we saw groups of barefooted children laughing while herding cattle, oblivious to the presence of wheezing scooters carrying surfers who were on their way to catch the next wave at Kuta beach. Their indifference to the scorching weather and foreigners’ presence taught us the true value of this holiday. From the hotel staff we interacted with daily to the vendors we joked with at the local market, we learnt that the people of Lombok were always welcoming and never let their modest lifestyles get in the way of their happiness. We told Chandra that we’ll be back, this time with enough stamina to not only make our down to Sindang Gile but also our way up Mount Rinjani. But honestly, I think we’ll be back because we love the culture, beaches and especially people populating this less-discovered neighbor of Bali.