Indonesia: Lombok
“Lost in Paradise”
(Part II)
Continued from Part I
Did I ever tell you how much I love island hopping? To infinity and beyond. Lombok is an island that’s 25 minutes away from Gili T by local ferry and about 2 hours from Bali by speedboat. It has literally everything one could ask for, beaches, monkeys, caves, awesome coffee and so much more. I was fortunate enough to explore it on multiple occasions.
Lombok is an incredible island about 70 kilometers (43 miles) across and a total area of about 4,514 square kilometers (1,743 square miles)**. It has plenty to offer as far as activities go and it’s suited for all ages. The first time was a short day visit. I had a wonderful guide take me to see the monkeys and explore one of the many waterfalls on the island. First we drove up the mountain to see the monkeys. It was cool and thankfully they were not too vicious. The babies were adorable and all I wanted was to bring one back to Gili T, unfortunately that wasn’t possible for obvious reasons. Shortly after, we set out to drive to the falls, about a 2.5-hour ride by scooter, which was incredible scenery. I didn’t know where to look as the scenery was something out of a painting. As we were driving, we passed incredible rice fields, the ocean coast, black sand beach and palm trees everywhere. Indonesia is hands down my happy place. The waterfalls was so serene, we spent a few hours splashing around in the freezing cold waters and taking some pictures. There weren’t much people there so it worked out well for us. A nice local woman had a stand there making tempeh, fried patties made with soy, gorengan (fritters with veg or non veg stuffing), among other Indo treats (check out the post on Indo food). After a few hours, it was time to start heading back, as it started pouring cats and dogs. This obviously didn’t stop us as we had a long ride back. We were two wet chickens riding back to civilization, shivering like crazy as we decided to stop for a quick dinner before going to the port to catch the boat. Alex* took me to a place he said had the best soup on the island and was famous for it. It was a small, hole in the wall restaurant, however the hot soup with a giant meatball and a side of krupuk (shrimp chips) was just what the doctor ordered after riding soaked for over two hours. Actually, some of the best food places I found in Southeast Asia had been small, family owned local spots with incredible food. We ate and were on our way back to the port to catch a ferry to Gili T. It was such an amazing day to say the least, we didn’t care about the rain or the long drive, the company was amazing and so were the sights.
Alex* had some free time coming up from work and we decided to plan a Lombok adventure around the island. It would be a first for us both to circle the island. I figured life is all about exploration so why not embark on a new experience. The starting point of the trip was in Kuta, a touristy beach area in Lombok (yes, there is a Kuta in Bali too but this is so much better). The beach was what the doctor ordered once we arrived and it was gorgeous. We got a cabana and just relaxed, ordered some food and a few beers. While waiting for the food to arrive we witnessed a herd of buffalos casually strolling along the beach. I was in awe. In general, the view of the neighboring islands and crystal clear waters was breathtaking; the buffalo was the cherry on the top. The water was so perfect to swim in and this was just the beginning. After the day of beach bumming we decided to stop by a bat cave before heading back to the homestay. We were handed an umbrella (protection from bat poo) before climbing into a cave with thousands of bats screeching and flying around. There was bat poop everywhere and the camera just caught their bright, yellow eyes staring back at me as it was super dark and clammy. It was an interesting experience, I can now say I got to walk through a bat cave. Hanging out in Kuta for a few days was relaxing before we were off to Mataram to see a few of Alex’s* friends. I had a great opportunity to witness the lifestyle from a local perspective as this was a residential neighborhood and I was the only white girl for miles and miles. The experience was priceless as I had little kids come up and just wanted to touch my skin, it was hilarious. In their eyes, since I had white skin, for them it meant I was rich, little do they know haha. In Mataram we hung out with Alex’s* old friends until late night. Every one I came across there was super nice and very welcoming, considering I am a foreign stranger to them. As it was explained to me, in Indo culture, a guest is held at a very high regard. Actions speak louder than words and the words were not necessary. There were some language barriers at times but at no point did I feel uncomfortable and we always managed to the get the thoughts across, sometimes we did wish for subtitles though. The boys were a funny bunch and we had a blast picking on each other.
Next morning we set out to Simbalun. This is the highest point of the island, where Mt. Rinjani rests peacefully and a lot of travelers make a point to trek it, unfortunately for us, this was the middle of the rainy season and it was a bit dangerous. The drive was about 3-4 hours from Kuta, but as in any place on the island the scenery was gorgeous. We passed by rice fields, greenery everywhere and the gorgeous Gunung Rinjani National Park where we sighted monkeys along the way. When we finally made it to Simbalun, a very religious town apparently, to the point that they don’t sell alcohol as this is a predominantly a Muslim country. It was amazing none the less and known for it’s blueberry and strawberry fields. Too bad for us it wasn’t the season. The farmers grow everything there, from chilies to coffee and everything in between. The coffee was amazing, in general in Indonesia, even the instant Luwak white coffee was yummy. I am a bit of a coffee connoisseur (ok a coffee snob) as a strong cup of coffee is one of my greatest joys in life. Asia pleasantly surprised me with the amazing varieties and flavors it has to offer, such as Robusta beans, weasel coffee and of course Luwak coffee just to name a few.
Once we arrived, we found a local homestay perched on a mountain, overlooking the fields. It was very cute and the owners were very polite. We only spent a night there as the purpose of the overall trip was to circumnavigate the
island and this area was pretty far from everything else. We explored the neighborhood, went on a short hike, just
enjoyed the nature and the fresh mountain air, where it was actually freezing. Next day we checked out and continued the exploration, in the pouring rain, as usual. At this point we were so used to being soaked from the tropical downpours that it didn’t even bother us. What did bother, at least me, on the way back we were running low on petrol (this is why men should listen to women from time to time) while in the middle of the national park with no gas station in sight. Alex* decided to turn off the motor and ride down the hills while I muttered “please don’t kill me in this forest, I’m too young to die”. I love adventures but I definitely wasn’t planning on walking for 25 plus miles to find gas. Luckily, we spotted a vendor on the side of the road selling bottles of petrol, hot corn, and my favorite white coffee. We sat in her shed, filled up gas, and munched a bit. We hoped the rain would stop as we refueled ourselves and the bike. As I always say “all hope dies last”, we went back out in the downpour which grew stronger during our 30 minute breather. Eventually, we made our way back to Mataram and met up with the boys again. As it was still early we went to a local water park and hung out there for a few hours while we chilled and exchanged Simbalun stories.
Before heading back to Gili T we stopped by Sengiggi to check out a different part of the island. This area as well as Kuta are the most touristy and Mataram and Simbalun being the least. I don’t think there is anything to dislike about the island, I would love to live here for a year or so as the food is amazing, the people are sweets and the atmosphere is very laid back. However, Mataram is pretty busy compared to other parts as it’s a residential area. The locals live pretty simple lives but they are always happy and always make the best of what they have, in general they are very genuine, at least in my experience. It is well known that every island, country, and culture have their amazing people as well as the fair share of a$$holes. Just be careful and be smart about who to trust, but that’s the case in every aspect of life, especially when traveling as a solo female.
* Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals
**Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombok
Dates of Travel: A few times between 1/14/17 – 2/22/17
Modes of Transportation: Scooter, ferry
Foods to Try: Ayam taliwang, tempe, gorengen, sate ayam, nasi goreng, Luwak white coffee, mango smoothie, banana smoothie
