My plane (and most others either) left Lombok only in the late afternoon/ evening; so I had a last walk around town – saying farewell to Lombok and the beach.
Tag Archives: Indonesia
From Gili Air back to Lombok
It was time to say good-bye to Gili Air.
We left the island in the early afternoon, after a lazy morning and a last bit of relaxation in paradise. We made it back to Lombok an hour later, where we changed back to our van.
We were now heading for Senggigi – Lombok’s most developed tourist resort town (though far from the scale of Denpasar on Bali).
On the way to there we had a further stop at a view point to get a last glimpse of the Gilis.
For dinner the group did meet up again – our last evening as group – and went to a local restaurant. The (live) music was quiet questionable; their version of Sweet Child of Mine was the worst interpretation, I ever heard … so I took the decision to head back to the hotel – and was surprised to see half the group following me for similar reasons 😉 .
Snorkeling the Gilis
Today saw me going underwater once more – though only snorkeling this time.
We left Gili Air on a boat heading close to Gili Trawangan, the biggest Gili. We jumped into the water and could already see the damage done by decades of dynamite fishing. Even with the reef far from being intact, there was plenty of fish and other sea creatures to watch.
For our lunch break we stopped at Gili Meno, the middle of the three Gili islands … and in the late afternoon though we were back to Gili Air … for yet another walk around the island and another nice sunset and dinner.
Gili Air – Arrival to Paradise
We made it to Gili Air in the afternoon; I had a look around town and then followed the beach all the way around the island (approx. 1.5 hours walking) – including a fabulous sunset on the way. The group met again later on for an included seafood BBQ.
Senaru – Waterfalls & a Water Slide
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This gallery contains 11 photos.
After breakfast, we left the hotel with a local guide, made our way into the National Park to get to two waterfalls. We first went to, what they referred to as second waterfall following a path into the jungle. After … Continue reading
Tetebatu to Senaru
After the cidamo ride and the visit of the villages, another long trip on the van was ahead of us … heading for Senaru.
On the way we had a stop at one of the oldest mosques on Lombok.
After arrival in Senaru we could sit back, enjoy the scenary and enjoy a nice Bintang.
Cidamo Tour
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This gallery contains 16 photos.
This morning we were picked up by the most local form of transport available – Cidamos (horse drawn carriages, also dubbed Lombok Ferrari in the Intrepid material). We made our way through town (with people staring at us for a … Continue reading
Sasak Lunch in Pringgasela
After we got back from the rice paddy/ waterfall walk, we had a short break at our guesthouse (basically to change) – before we jumped on the van to get to nearby Pringgasela village.
After a lunch buffet with local Sasak dishes, the travel agent ‘counter’ (aka tour desk) opened with ferry and plane tickets (back to Bali) on offer.
After lunch (and getting set-up on the tickets) an extensive tour of the village was ahead of us – this included an introduction to songket weaving and yet another opportunity to get some souvenirs.
From the weaving village we got to a nearby pottery village. Here – once more – we got an introduction to the process, Anna had a chance to try herself – and then – once more we had the chance to buy more (this time clay-made) souvenirs.
Tetebatu Walk
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This morning – our first morning on Lombok – started with yet another walking tour. We walked through villages, rice paddies and fields, though with different views and a different cultural background compared to Bali (i.e. Hindu temples replaced by … Continue reading
From Bali to Lombok …
It was time to say good-bye to Bali …
We left Bali on the slow ferry heading for Lombok (takes around five hours). We were lucky with the ship, a relatively new one – even with a sun deck and deck chairs.
Interestingly those were only used by the tourists (it would probably be fair to call that deck the Westerner meeting point), while the locals remained inside or in the shade. For me inside was not really an option – due to the scent of durian hanging in the room (check my previous comments on durians … or take brie/ camembert add some onions and garlic and put it into the sun for some days and you get a feeling of what I am talking about).
On arrival on Lombok we were picked up by yet another van – we still had some hours drive ahead of us … all the way to Tetebatu at the lower slopes of Mt. Rinjani.
On the way we were lucky enough to witness traditional wedding parades; we stopped (the vans had to pass-by anyhow) and had a closer look. The parade is basically the bride being walked to the home of her to-be husband – the moment in her life, where she gets separated from her family (after years together under one roof) .. so if you see someone looking sad … it’s probably the bride.
