Taking a Peek at Lombok

By Taufik Darusman

Lombok is dubbed as "unspoiled Bali" or "Bali's sister island", that is the reason of some tourist
to visit Lombok. It takes only 20 minutes of flying from Bali to Lombok. Lombok's quite and
undeveloped environment stands in marked contrast to that of Bali's. Lombok is just as large as Bali
and offers many tourism sites that suit all kinds of visitors. And the right time to visit Lombok is May,
when the climate is perfect: bright and sunny days. The population of Lombok is no more than three
million.

Lombok is not a place that offers surfing, diving and snorkeling opportunities only, but also
beautiful woven textiles like songkets and ikats that can be used as a sarong, wall decoration and
tableware.

Lombok is also gaining fame for its pottery that comes in all shapes and sizes. Banyumulek
(West Lombok), Penujak (Central Lombok) and Masbagik (East Lombok) are the three villages most
famous for making pottery.

Many of their traditional handicrafts deserve to be taken back home as souvenirs, namely
wooden masks, ketak grass baskets, wooden boxes embedded with fragments of sea shells, or bamboo-
and rattan-based items.

Most well-heeled tourists tend to gravitate towards Senggigi, a 10-kilometer strip along the
coastal road north of Mataram, where most star-rated beach resorts and nightlife action are found.

If after overexposure to the beach, sand and sun begins to work on your nerves, make time to
visit Mataram. The city is beginning to display signs of a metropolitan in the making in the way of a
shopping mall well-stocked with general consumer and electronic goods. In Mataram one already can
find branch offices of national and foreign banks as well as fast food outlets such as KFC.

It may take five to ten years before Lombok achieves what Bali has attained: "the world's most
favorite island resort" as voted by readers of Travel+Leisure. But this is perhaps all the more reason for
you to visit Lombok now.

There are some places that suggested to visit,

1. The three little islands that make up Gili Islands offer good diving, snorkeling sites, sandy
beaches and some nightlife.
2. The volcanic Mount Rinjani, the third-highest in Indonesia, features many trekking routes.
3. Kuta has some of the best surfing spots in the world, and beautiful beaches.
4. The Narmada Park houses a Hindu temple and a famous fountain as well.

Places to Stay

1. Holiday Resort Lombok

2. Novotel Coralia Lombok
3. Qunci Villas
4. Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort
5. Tugu Lombok
6. Vila Ombak

(Source : http://garudamagazine.com)