Lombok, Indonesia: Fraternal twins in Bali

Just a half-hour flight from the Hindu enclave of Bali, Lombok has a well-deserved reputation as “Un-Bali”.

Minutes after leaving Lombok airport, you’ll understand why this southern Indonesian island is well-deservedly dubbed “The Un-Bali”. Instead of the busy, traffic-jammed avenues of Bali, our taxis meander along two-lane lanes, flanked by rice fields where greenery seems to be blooming towards you. As a farmer wades across the vista, we occasionally see a distant sombrero bobbing.

“What do you think of the Lombok Ferrari?” our taxi driver joked, honking at the oncoming horse-drawn carriage.

Lombok, a Muslim-majority island, is just a half-hour flight from the Hindu enclave of Bali. A series of mosques dot the landscape of Lombok, rather than the offerings of cigarettes, flowers and food that linger in typical Balinese villages. “We have 1,000 mosques on the island,” says our chatty driver with a laugh. The mosques we passed all looked new. Many bathrooms have shiny white bathroom tiles on the front.

Little is known about Lombok before the 17th century, except that it was settled by a group of animist farmers known as the Sasaks, who migrated south from Burma or northwestern India. The Sasaks converted to Islam in the late 16th and 17th centuries, but were soon conquered by the Hindu Balinese kingdom of Galga.

As a result, many Muslims on the island practice a mixed belief of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Animism known as “Wektu Telu”. However, as we drove to the hotel, the mosque architecture loomed so clearly that it suggested the rise of a stricter, purer form of Islam. Still, there are other signs of the island’s historical diversity. We pass a Chinese cemetery filled with painted Taoist deities and a machine shop called the Ramayana.

Our resort is located on the western seashore of the island, just a few minutes drive from the main tourist area of ​​Senggigi. It’s a low-key, uncluttered area where the main entertainment is the lava-filled sky as the sun sets behind Bali’s Mount Agung. As we lay by the resort’s infinity pool, sipping strawberry basil mojitos, we watched our first sunset, a flaming horizon punctuated by the gigantic silhouette of a volcano.

On the second day, we visit the Sasak village in the southern part of the island. It was a long way and we spent nearly four hours on the road in total, which made us very tired.but the itinerary includes Kuta Beachwhich, unlike its namesake in Bali, is like peace away from chaos.

The waves are high in Kuta, Bali, and the scenery here often includes Australian surfers. The white sand of Kuta Lombok, the light green sea water, the scenery is perfect. However, I feel a bit revealing in a one-piece swimsuit. Several other women on the beach wore ankle-length gowns and headscarves.

Kuta Lombok is as different from Kuta Bali as peace is from chaos. (Photo by Alifia Harina via Pexels)

The real beach action started the next day when we headed to the beach. tape, consisting of three islands surrounded by some of the best dive sites and snorkeling reefs in the region.we start with Geely Meno, a half-hour boat ride from Lombok. We found an empty stretch of beach and got busy putting on masks and flippers.

For the next hour we will skim over a deep sea reef. The world becomes quiet, but my thoughts are colorful. I found bright yellow fish and lime green fish. It’s a dreamlike experience, wet, slapping, and alive.

Then we go to Gili Trawangan, the most developed island, for lunch. It is packed with day trippers from Bali and Lombok. Welcome to “Party Island,” a sign says. While we were relaxing on the beach, we were handed a flyer advertising an all-night “Moon” party at Trawangan Beach Bar. “If the music is too loud, then you are too old,” it said. We realized it was time to go back.

Gunung Rinjani, the second highest volcano in Indonesia at 3726 meters above sea level, is located in northern Lombok and is an unforgettable 3-day trek for mountaineering enthusiasts. (Photo by Roman Odintsov via Pexels)

The boat ride back to Lombok was bumpy. We were sprayed by rough water and the kids were terrified. I watched the ferryman through sea-salt-stinging eyes as he crouched impassively, smoking a cigarette next to the gas tank. My nerves are hit. Luckily, there’s nothing a dinner of shrimp sambal and strawberry basil mojito can’t fix.

We went back to the airport the next day, and our excursion came to an end in no time. But we know we will definitely be back. Because we’ve saved one of the island’s most exciting adventures for a future trip. Gunung Rinjani, the second highest volcano in Indonesia at 3726 meters above sea level, is located in northern Lombok and is an unforgettable 3-day trek for mountaineering enthusiasts. We just need to use this time to hit the gym – it’s not for the faint of heart or flabby muscles.