After an early morning boat-crossing from Gili Air, we arrived at Bangsal Harbor in Lombok. Though poised strategically between famous Bali to the west and the rest of Nusa Tenggara, (with Komodo National Park a few islands to the east) Lombok seems to be searching for how to fit in. Senggigi is known as the developed tourist beach, though it seems from am older era, in need of fresh paint and some upgrades. Kuta Lombok in the south has some beautiful quiet beaches and good surf, if that’s enough. There were rumors of big resort construction here, but not much progress in that direction from what we could see.

In the north they grow coffee. In the east they grow a lot of tobacco since it’s drier. The west has more coconuts, beans, chilies. Starting in December it’s wet enough for rice in some areas, since rice needs lots of water, especially at the beginning. The new international airport opened just before we arrived, bigger than Bali’s, though still not fully operational. People seem to have high hopes tourists will start landing here soon, hopefully to stay for a while. Displaced locals were already setting up kiosks along the road. In the late afternoon people came just to take a look at the huge runways and planes starting to take off and land.

On our mini tour of the island, we stopped first in the “monkey forest,” basically anywhere along the side of the road as you go up and over the mountain. Gana, the local guide we’d met in Gili Air, assured us the monkeys were friendly, not aggressive like the ones in the west near the Hindu temple or the ones in Bali. There are macaque and black ebony monkeys on Lombok, but the ebonies stay hidden in the forest. The macaques were indeed pretty friendly, and very tame, clearly used to being fed. There were lots of cute babies hanging onto their mother’s bellies and a definite pecking order. The male in charge looked totally confident and in control of the situation, and I for one kept my distance.

Lombok Market

At the Pura Lingsar temple complex we tied yellow sashes around our waists to separate the physical, sexual bottom half from the spiritual, thinking top. The temple was built by a Balinese king in 1714, and is now known best as a place where different religions can harmoniously share space to worship. The complex is divided into several wings. Many locals follow ancient, animist practices, and come to pray, make offerings, and even sleep or picnic. Water flows out from two directions from a well inside, one to an area for women to bathe and wash, the other side for men. Followers of Hindu and Islam faiths come as well, each following their own traditions. We made a wish and threw a coin into the pool where the holy eels reside, and admired the two pools representing Bali and Lombok.

At a village inland we saw (and got to try) Sasak weaving using a traditional loom. It was WAY harder than it looks, and requires very good eyes. Garments for special occasions include gold and silver thread, and women use no patterns, keeping the image of how they want the finished product to look only in their minds. We tried on a traditional Sasak outfit too; very comfortable.

The afternoon market was pretty typical, with any item you can imagine, and many you can’t, for sale: fruits and vegetables, fresh or dried fish and meats, beans and grains, colorful spices loose or in tiny packets, housewares, pots and pans, bamboo baskets and mats, clothing, headscarves and underwear, school supplies, electrical cords and motor parts, helmets and playing cards…a seemingly systemless mishmash to meet any need. We bought some mangos and snakefruit before continuing on.

We had lunch by the beach in Kuta and took a walk, acompanied by four little girls trying hard to sell us some bracelets. The white-sand crescent, deep blue water, and surrounding hills were postcard perfect. We eventually pulled ourselves away to begin the long drive back to Sengiggi for the night. In the morning we would take the bus to the opposite coast, where the car ferry from the port of Labuan Lombok would leave for the island of Sumbawa.

More photos HERE