of scuba diving and boat trips is best on Gili Trawangan.
17 Southern Lombok’s Kuta Beach Solitude that is oh so different from Bali's Kuta
Lombok’s Kuta (sometimes written Kute) could not contrast more to its (in)famous namesake on Bali: imagine a place where tourists are outnumbered in the sea by fishermen and on the beach by goats; and as surfers spread east and west during the day searching for those gnarly waves, stallholders in bamboo huts gossip while waiting for customers to saunter past. A few stalls offer surfing lessons, board rentals and repairs, as well as boat trips—but these are really token offers by boat-owners and of minimal interest to visitors (and getting the minimum required to make it cost-effective may be difficult). The beach is perfect for swimming—sheltered, shallow and surfer-free—although the eastern end at the village is scruffy. (Refer to page 69 for information about swimming and snorkeling further along the southern coast.) Other activities include horse riding along deserted beaches with Kuta Horses (0819-15999436) and bicycle tours organized by the Solah restaurant (solahlombok.com). The major scuba diving agency—Scuba Froggy (scubafroggy.com)—offers a range of dive trips as far east as Ekas and west as Gili Nanggu. Oh, and two other things: Kuta is home to the remarkable Bau Nyale festival (see page 118) and one of the best weekly markets (Sunday morning) you’ll see anywhere. This Kuta remains an anachronism reminiscent of its boisterous namesake from the 1970s. Tourist facilities remain basic, resorts virtually non-existent, and transport options limited, but this will surely change soon as the international airport has relocated nearby. The latest news is that the same company (BTDC) that built and runs Nusa Dua wants to create the Mandalika Tourism Precinct along 7.5km (4.6 miles) of Kuta’s finest beaches with a golf course, theme park and—gulp—motor-racing track.
Getting There Bemo connections to Praya are infrequent, so take a “shuttle bus” (often just a shared car) to major tourist destinations on Lombok and further afield to Bali and Sumbawa.
18 Lombok’s Senaru Village A quaint village on the slopes of a towering volcano
Clinging to the northern slopes of the mighty Rinjani volcano, Senaru is known as the best place to start and/or finish a trek to the summit or crater lake, but the village is certainly worth visiting for other reasons. The views of Mt. Rinjani and the northern coastline are splendid from anywhere along the 4km-long ridge upon which Senaru and the adjoining village of Batu Koq are nestled. And the gentle walks through lush forests to the thunderous waterfalls are so good they deserve their own section (see Best Walks on page 115). At the point where the road ends and the trail starts is the Rinjani Trek Center, which offers some informative but faded posters along its walls about the Gunung Rinjani National Park. Opposite, Kampung Tradisional Senaru, a “traditional village” with a few thatched huts, is probably less worthy of your time. About 45 minutes’ stroll downhill—and accessible on the way back by bemo if you’re lucky, or ojek (motorbike taxi)—is Bayan, center for the Islamic sect of Wektu Telu with its unique thatched mosques. The trail-head can be congested for a few minutes every day, but most trekkers these days buzz in and out of Senaru with immediate connections to Senggigi or the Gili Islands, so the village remains delightfully tranquil. Other reasons to visit and stay a while are easy access from Senggigi and the Gilis; fresher air and cooler weather than anywhere along the sticky coastline; rustic homestays (read: no resorts) with million-dollar views of rice-terraced valleys and waterfalls; and the chance to try traditional Sasak food at simple warung food stalls (read: no western-style restaurants).
Getting There Bemo from Sweta (Mandalika) terminal in Mataram to Bayan, then ojek to Senaru. Easy to charter or share a “shuttle bus” (normally just a car) from Senggigi. Tip Stay in or near Pondok Senaru in the village “center” because the main road is steep.
19 Pura Lingsar Temple in Lombok Sacred to Hindus and Muslims who “fight” with rice cakes
Not far from the capital, Mataram, and easily accessible from Senggigi, Pura Lingsar is the most important and sacred temple on Lombok. Built in the 18th century by a Balinese ruler and based on various animist beliefs, the temple is now revered by Hindus as well as followers of a minority sect of unorthodox Islam known as Wektu Telu (although followers are officially referred to as Muslims). But worshippers of Buddhism, Christianity, and orthodox Islam also come to pray, make offerings for a good harvest and bountiful rain, and to bathe in the holy waters. The more elevated Pura Gaduh Hindu temple has four shrines pointing towards the twin volcanic powers of Rinjani (Lombok) and Agung (Bali). The lower Wektu Telu Kemaliq building has two courtyards with Balinese-style architecture—one for praying, the other with a pond. Gates to the pond are opened if someone buys hard-boiled eggs at the entrance and a priest or guardian can be found to lure eels to the surface of the pond. (Observing the eels is regarded by locals as a sign of good fortune.) The setting is also delightful, with immaculate gardens, walking paths heading in all directions to padi fields and a large pool. (But be wary of stumbling into segregated and unsigned public bathing areas.) The temple is especially popular on Sundays and public holidays, and at its most colorful during Perang Topat (“Rice Cake War”). Part of the Pujawali festival in late November or early December, this is when Hindus and Muslims engage in good-natured rivalry by throwing food, mostly rice cakes called topat, at each other. Tourists are not immune from being targets and everyone is encouraged to participate.
Times Daylight hours daily Dress Rent sarong/ sash at temple entrance Getting There Bemo from Sweta (Mandalika) terminal in Mataram to Lingsar village. Tips A donation of Rp5,000 is enough. A guide is not compulsory, despite what you may be told. Also nearby Taman Narmada park
20 Lombok’s Senggigi Beach A resort with deserted beaches and quiet roads. No, really!
Stretching north from the island’s capital Mataram is a series of glorious, curved beaches interrupted by rocky promontories and backed by undeveloped hills covered with dense coconut groves. A popular spot for tourists to photograph the views (especially at sunset)—and for the sizable local Balinese population to pray—is the picturesque Hindu temple, Pura Batu Bolong, which faces the mighty Agung volcano on Bali. While supremely photogenic, the beaches are a mixed bag for swimming, and most sand is grayish. The two best beaches in Central Senggigi are in front of the Aerowisata and Sheraton hotels, but the public beach in between both is scruffy and impossibly busy on weekends. More alluring are the beaches at Mangsit, a few kilometers north, and between Café Alberto and Pura Batu Bolong temple, while you can almost feel Crusoe-esque along stretches of sand south of the temple. At breakwaters in front of the Aerowisata hotel, fishermen compete for the waves with local (not foreign) surfers; this is also the best area for snorkeling (and the only place to rent equipment anyway). Ignored by almost every foreign tourist, and only 1.2km (0.75 miles) from the main road, is the Taman Wisata Alam Kerandangan nature reserve, a dense sanctuary of hiking trails, waterfalls and, of course, monkeys. For many, the appeal of Senggigi is what it doesn’t have: tourist hordes, heavy traffic, and high prices. It’s more spacious and tranquil than the Kuta/Legian region of Bali, but also smaller and less developed. In addition, Senggigi is a perfect base for exploring western Lombok, but be warned: many hotel rooms in central Senggigi are within earshot of at least one (and often three) nightclubs.
Getting There Bemo (i.e., pick-up trucks) ply the main road as far as Kebun Roek terminal in Ampenan (western Mataram). Shuttle buses depart for all major tourist