We arrived in Lombok, Indonesia in late November. After three weeks in Indonesia getting to Lombok, we settled there for a bit and got to know the area. During that time, we went to a festival, visited some satellite islands, and enjoyed some down time in Lombok.
About Lombok
Lombok is an island east of Bali and west of Sumbawa. While its closest neighbor is Bali, Lombok is part of the province of West Nusa Tenggara. 4,607 square kilometers in size, Lombok is surrounded by several islets, a few of which we visited. It has a healthy population of over 4 million very friendly people. We spent most of our down time in Lombok in the northwest quadrant, north of the town of Senggigi, and east of the Gili islands. We also sailed to some islands on the southeast, visited waterfalls, and even rented scooters.
Getting Around Lombok
Lombok is busy, but everyone tells us not as busy as Bali! It’s big and bustling and the roads are full of motorcycles and motorbikes, cars, and some trucks. Buses are not a thing here, probably because most people have motos. Getting around Lombok is pretty easy and affordable with the Grab app and regular taxis. We also found some good reliable drivers who were available through whatsapp. When we went on a tour or to the big city of Mataram, we hired a driver. A one day tour cost around 300,000 IDR (Indonesian Rupiah), which is less than $20 USD. A quick taxi that goes a few kilometers costs about 20,000 IDR or a little over one US dollar.
Since we were in Lombok staying away from the boat for a few weeks, we hired motorbikes for the short trip to the marina and back. Thanks to Noforeignland, we can easily find drivers and bike owners who have already been approved by other boaters, which is how we got a deal on renting the motorbikes.
I have only ridden a motorbike once before, so definitely had a learning curve. The worst part is crossing against traffic to get on the main road, and I failed one time and had a small collision. Fortunately, I was not going fast and no one was hurt except for me. My knee is recovering nicely and I learned to go slow and take my time. I will not be renting one on Bali, however. It is much too busy.
Perang Topat: Rice Cake Wars
One of the highlights of our time not just in Indonesia, but since we’ve lived on the boat, was a unique Lombok festival. The annual event Perang Topat translates to “Rice Cake War” in English. The ritual celebrates unity and tolerance between the Hindus and Muslims of neighboring temples. We rounded up a few friends and hired a driver to take us.
We didn’t realize, but our driver arranged for a tour guide for us and we are so glad he did! Our guide led us around the grounds, pointing out different temples and buildings, taking us past dancers and straight to the location of the parade.
We had front row spots to watch the parade go by before the rice cake wars, where the Hindus and Muslims throw small rice cakes (topat) at each other.
This was one of our most fun days in Indonesia, and a highlight of our years living aboard. We were among the only tourists there, and everyone was so friendly and helpful, posing for photos and welcoming us. If you’re in Lombok for the last full moon of the year, try to find the Perang Topat!
Sailing Around Southern Islands
We sailed to the south of Lombok and visited a few of the islands, notably Gili Gide and Gili Asahan. Gili means “small island” in the Sasak language of Lombok. These islands are well protected from the south, east, and west by the Sekotong peninsula of mainland Lombok.
Gili Gide is home to the small marina, Marina del Rey, some villages, and lots of sheep, goats, and cows. We visited for a couple of nights, but preferred being situated at Gili Asahan. With several cruiser friendly resorts with restaurants, a yoga studio, massage, a scuba shop and a swimming pool, we could happily spend our down time in Lombok in Gili Asahan. There’s even some OK snorkeling despite murky waters during the rainy season.
Haul Out at Medana
After one rough night when the wind changed direction and we shifted onto some coral, we needed to get some fibreglass repairs on Go’s hull. Medana Marina in northwest Lombok is the only game in town and we only had to wait a week before they could take us. The haulout went smoothly and we realized they had loads of room to keep our boat while we took a break in Western Australia.
Dealing with Domino
Domino gave us a health scare, but fortunately Lombok was a good place to handle it. In Darwin, we took Domino for a checkup where she got a clean bill of health. However, in Indonesia we noticed some bleeding. We took her to a wonderful vet near Lombok’s main city of Mataram but Domino did not want to get her blood taken. She refused. She hissed and scratched and acted very unDomino-like. So we agreed to leave her overnight to allow Domino to relax so they could check her properly.
While Domino doesn’t like the vet as a rule, she didn’t mind this place. The Lombok vets were professional and very nice. Indonesians like animals and many have pet dogs and cats.
Domino had a tumor and they treated her with medicine until she improved, followed by ointment. We boarded Domino there for 6 weeks while the boat was on the hard and we flew to Western Australia. She is now back on board and doing well. The vets couldn’t believe she’s 17 years old.
Enjoying the High Life of Down Time in Lombok
It’s not pleasant staying aboard a boat that’s on the hard. It’s dirty and dusty in the yard, and you often have to climb a ladder to get on and off the boat. Add to that walking several hundred meters to use the facilities, and we no longer stay aboard. In Lombok, we found most accommodations are very nice and inexpensive, especially in the rainy season. We got to vacation at high end resorts in Lombok that were a fraction of what we would pay elsewhere.
Going to The Gilis
Another must is a visit to the Gilis, a trio of coral islands in the northwest of Lombok. With regular ferry service from Bali and Lombok, the Gilis are a popular vacation destination. With narrow car-free “roads,” bicycles and boats are the main transport in the Gilis.
We visited two of the islets, once on Go, and another time on a scuba trip from Oberoi Hotel. They are very busy with tourists, but still a getaway from the bustle of Bali. A lot of people go to the Gilis to party but we only visited for a few hours.
On Gili Air, we anchored in the morning and rented bikes ashore. A lot of the “roads” on the island are sandy paths, so we cycled a bit and walked the rest, stopping in cute shops and beach bars on the way.
On Gili Trewangan (or Gili T for short), we stopped during a dive interval and just walked around a little bit to get a sense of the vibe. Both islands have lots of bars and clubs and bar crawls, but also nice beaches and decent diving and snorkeling.
Monkey Highway
There are two routes from northern Lombok to the city of Mataram. One route goes along the coast, and offers seaside views of Bali and the islands, and the inner route goes up into the mountains where the monkeys live. That road is known as the Monkey Highway and you’ll see monkeys along the way. Every time we road that route we saw troops of monkeys and enjoyed spotting them from the car window as we passed, a fun part of down time in Lombok.
Have you been to Lombok? Share your impressions in the comments. We enjoyed spending lots of time there meeting the people and seeing the sights.
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