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 Facts at a Glance
Country: Indonesia
Population: 2.4 million
Capital city: Mataram
People: 90% Sasak, Balinese, Chinese, Javanese, Arabs
Language Sasak and Bahasa Indonesian
Religion: Islam, Wektu Telu (a combination of Balinese Hinduism, Islam and animism which originated in northern Lombok)
All three Lombok religions have their own holidays and festivals, with most of them taking place at the beginning of the rainy season (October to December) or at harvest time (April to May). At these times there are celebrations in villages all over the island, and people dress in their niftiest gear. Wooden horses and lions are carried in processions through the streets, and there's nowhere to escape the sound of the the gamelan.
Islamic festivals and holidays include Ramadan, a month (the date changes every year) when everyone fasts between sunup and sunset to conform to the fourth pillar of Islam. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves. Eid al-Adah, another moveable event, is the other big feast of the year, and marks the time when Muslims should make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Other events include Pura Meru a Bali Hindu ceremony celebrated on the June full moon at the temple in Cakranegara, Perang Ketupat, a rain festival held in Lingsar between October and December where celebrants pray and fling sticky rice at each other, and Pujawali, a Bali Hindu celebration honouring the god Batara who lives on Gunung Rinjani.
The dry season is better for trekking and travel to remote areas, particularly from June to October. The wet season - October to May - is a little hotter and considerably more humid, but quite OK for travelling; in some ways it's more pleasant than dry, dusty conditions, and the landscape is greener and more attractive.
Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara & Sweta
Although officially four separate towns, Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara and Sweta virtually merge to form a 'city' on Lombok. Mataram is the administrative capital; Cakranegara the commercial centre; Sweta is the transport terminal and site of the island's largest market; and Ampenan, once the central port, is the prime location for budget accommodation and food.
There are a few weaving factories in Mataram where you can see dyeing and weaving, and buy ikat cloth or handwoven songket sarongs. The hand-and-foot powered looms are amazing contraptions that look as if they haven't altered since the Majapahit dynasty. The Mayura Water Palace, on the main road through Cakranegara, is a pleasant retreat. It was built in 1744 and was part of the royal court of the Balinese kingdom on Lombok. The centrepiece is a large artificial lake with an open-sided pavilion in the centre, connected to the shoreline by a raised footpath. There are other shrines and fountains dotted around the surrounding park. Pura Meru, which is the largest Balinese temple on the island, is directly opposite the water palace.
Located on a series of sweeping bays, Senggigi has become the most developed tourist area on Lombok. Despite a definite gearing to the upmarket traveller, there are still cheaper places to stay, and the fine beaches and snorkelling make it worth the hunt. After you've soaked up the last UVs and witnessed another magnificent sunset over the Lombok Strait, you'll find this is the only spot in Lombok with any nightlife.
South of Senggigi Beach, the Batu Bolong Temple juts out into the sea. There's a fantastic view, but this is not a choice spot to dive. Legend has it that beautiful virgins were once thrown into the sea from the top of the rock and this is the reason, locals claim, why there are so many sharks in the water.
These small coral-fringed islands have become enormously popular with visitors who come for the very simple pleasures of sun, snorkelling and socialising. It's cheap, and the absence of cars, motorbikes and hawkers adds greatly to the pleasure of staying on the Gilis. Indeed, the islands' popularity is a backhanded boon, as numbers sometimes exceed the available rooms and raise environmental pressure, especially regarding waste disposal and the supply of fresh water.
Most accommodation is in basic bungalows, and there are shuttle boats between the islands so you can sleep on one and swim from another. Visitors should respect the islanders' sensibilities by not swimming nude (or topless, for women), and covering shoulders and knees when away from the beach.
Lombok's Kuta doesn't have the buzz and millions of tourists of Bali's, but there are big plans to develop a large stretch of the south coast with luxury hotels, so it's probably better to visit now rather than later. Still, outside of the main tourist season in August, Kuta is quiet and very laid back. Pantai Segar is around 2km east of Kuta, and if you climb the enormous rock you'll be rewarded with great views of the surrounding countryside, especially in the early morning. There's fantastic surfing, especially at Gerupak, about 7km east of town, and you can get there by local fishing boat.
A beautiful sandy bay, Selong Blanak, lies to the west, and the road is sealed all the way. There's plenty of surfing there in the right conditions, as well as at Mawan, Tampa and Mawi along the way. Further west the road winds through forested hills, with stunning ocean views at Pengantap.
Sukarara
Sukarara is a noted weaving and basketwork centre, and unusual for its houses built from local stone. It's set in rice-growing country dotted with small thatch-roofed villages, and nearly every house here has an old wooden handloom, not to mention, of course, a traditionally dressed young woman weaving for the benefit of tour groups. Most of the material is actually made in homes in the surrounding villages, and there's such a wide variety of size, quality and style that it's impossible to give a rough guide to prices. The best pieces, however, are excellent, and well worth the price tag. Penujak, just to the south of Sukarara, is well known for its pottery made from the local red clay and fired in traditional kilns.
Rinjani (3726m/12,221ft) is the highest mountain in Lombok. It's an active volcano - it last erupted in 1995 - and a popular destination for hikers and locals making pilgrimages to the hot springs located on the north-eastern side of the caldera. The springs are thought to have amazing curative powers. A lake is 600m below the rim of the crater, and a relatively new cone, Gunung Baru has grown out of one side. Four-day treks to the caldera are common, but care should be taken as the tracks are often slippery.
 The revered Mt Rinjani dominates Lombok (21K)
Tanjung Luar on the far east coast is one of Lombok's main fishing ports, and although the region's population is sparse and the vegetation is scrubby, it does have an interesting coastline. There are good beaches for surfing nearby, and the town has plenty of Bugis-style houses on stilts over the water and a strong smell of fish permeates the air. Nearby at Keruak you can watch tradesmen building boats, and a little further on is the town of Sukaraja, another traditional village where you can buy wood carvings.
There are frequent ferries between Lembar in Lombok and Padangbai in Bali. The crossing takes at least four hours. Ferries to Sumbawa depart from Labuhan Lombok and arrive at Poto Sano. The trip takes less than two hours. Merpati has frequent flights between Lombok and other Indonesian islands.
Lombok has an extensive network of roads, but public buses and bemos are generally restricted to main routes. Bemos, or minibuses, run on routes all over the island, or you can charter your own. Away from these you have to hire a cidomo (pony cart), get a lift on a motorcycle or walk. In the north-east and south there is usually some public transport between the bigger towns, but it might be far between, and extremely sparse after dark.
You can get around the whole island and to most of the remote locations if you have your own transport. A motorcycle is the cheapest and most versatile option, though a rental car with good ground clearance will get you a long way. Mountain bikes are ideal, as you can put them on boats for coastal hops or island visits.
Outrigger boats, called prahu are used for short trips to snorkelling spots or surf breaks, while slighty larger boats (jukungs) travel between islands.
Sulawesi-style houses in the port of Labuhan Lombok (18K)
 Travellers' Reports
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Events
When to Go
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
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