LOMBOK

Lombok ? one of thousands of South East Asian islands, between Singapore and Australia, or, if you wish to include the Pacific Ocean ?to the west coast of South America. A relatively small island (7500 square meter), but known worldwide. What is her uniqueness? What her exceptional status within the Republic of Indonesia, with its 30 000 islands? As seen from the perspective of travel magazines and catalogs, is ?a beautiful natural south Pacific Island?. And there is something to it: you can see natural beauty and tropical scenery everywhere. And, there is more to the island then picturesque rice terraces and prestine beaches.


Lombok has its own character - in flora (Australian plants and climate) and in tribal life. Amidst 26 provinces of mainly Moslems, and mixtures of Christian, Hindu, Animistic and Islam cultures, Lombok keeps a culture of natural life style alive. >Far away from being that soft, ever smiling beautiful flower girl, that you see on posters at your local travel agent, Lombok's people, the "SASAK tribe" have been a rough folk. Rough with the neigbors from Bali, in local wars with clubs and ?Kris?, the traditional stagger, and rough on invaders, like the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Japanese.

But their human roughness and aggressions are nowadays channeled into sacred ceremonies with dances that include fights for the good, in music and painting, and into wood carvings.




Lombok's NATURE is an exceptional big variety of climates, sceneries, flora within one island. In the center of Lombok is a massive mountain: Gunung Rinjani (4400m), on a chain of volcanic mountains, that sustain Lombok from the ocean floor. On these mountain slopes is where Lombok lives. Generation after generation has carved and dug out from the slanted ground a watering system, that gives life to thousands of rice terraces and fruit trees, and has developed into a sophisticated irrigation system, collectively used, called ?Subak?. With no one owner, but the whole social group of one area, making use of the constant flow of water through countless channels and ditches, on its way to the salty ocean. The highest level from 2500 to 1500 m above sea level, is partly alpine, with conifer trees, pines, oaks, bamboo groves, and is used for its grass and wood. Part of these forests is original rain forest, never cut, never planted. The next level around 1000 m above sea is used for extensive agricultural gardening, such as vegetables, flowers, and animal farming (chicken and cows). Some areas, particularly on the mountain slopes towards the south coast, this level is densely forested with clove trees, coffee and cacao plantations, fruit trees, such as Mango, Rambutan (lychees) , Avocado, Durian, Mangosteen, Jackfruit, Mandarines and Limes. Below 500 m above sea level we find mainly paddies. Water irrigated rice fields. And near the coast there is a belt of coconut trees, all the way down to the beachesof the west coast and someparts of the south coast. The south, or "Lombok tengah", is a nature paradise of unspoiled white sand beaches and grassy hills. Turquoise ocean water in half moon bays and surf that comes ashore in one line provide you with finest holiday settings. Some five star hotels guest houses, and villa developments provide accommodation for travellers and long term guests.this is a place to be surfing, hiking and to experience the south Seas, BEFORE a variety of developers and investors build up holiday villages and shopping malls. 2009 will see the opening of an international airport in south Lombok. Get there before the tourists from middle east roll in. Or else you want to invest in a paradise: get your claims staked now. You can still get some hills overlooking the ocean or a whole bay for a price that you would just get a house for in other places, like Bali....

A day tour around Lombok could take you through all these levels two or three times. There are several roads, that cut from south to north through the volcanic chain, and open up a splendid view of either the northern sea, or the southern sea. From the west coast you can see gunung Agung, the highest mountain of Bali, and from the east coasst you can see Sumba island. The ocean swells that hit Lombok from the south, have traveled a long way: from a vast open ocean that has no land in betweenLombok and the south pole. Similar to Hawaii, Lombok is ?out in the open?, hence it gets vast breakers and long lines of waves, highly appreciated by surfers. Since surfers aren?t looking for beaches, but for ?pipes? and ?rip curls?, that geological condition has turned Lombok, among other issues, into a surfer?s paradise. Kuta in the south and other places like Gerupuk have raised from a sleepy fishermen?s hut compound to a busy place with nightlife and international travellers.
As soon as you leave the capital Mataram, you are ? in nature. From the rice farmer to the fishermen, craftsmen and mountain people, you will encounter natural rural life styles, and outstanding natural sceneries.