Lombok shouldn’t be the Bridesmaid to Bali

Medana Bay Marina, the closest haulout facilities avalable between Darwin Australia and Malayasia

With divine beaches, the majestic Mount Rinjani, and spectacular marine life to discover, the island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara has no shortage of attractions both in and out of the water. It’s no wonder that Lombok had become one of the most popular destination for cruisers in West Nusa Tenggara, it reminds us of how Bali was 25 years ago. There are popular places “tourist hotspots” but you can also escape and find the real Lombok not far away.

The hikes we took through the Villages and Rice Paddies was both educational and beautiful.
The Sasak people real want to showcase their tradions and lifestyle.

Lombok Island is separated by the Lombok strait from Bali Island in the west and by Alas strait in the east from Sumbawa Island. 

Map of where Lombok lays in the Nusa Tenggara Island Group

Medana Bay Marina provides us with this chance as Our Dreamtime safely rests on a mooring, enabling us to embark on inland explorations. These journeys lead us up the slopes of the majestic Mount Rinjani volcano, across picturesque rice terraces, to beautiful waterfalls, guided through traditional villages where we engage with locals and witness exquisite hand weaving and learn the intricate artistry involved. The experience is truly captivating, witnessing these cultures retain their authenticity despite modern influences. While technology and transportation have made their way into everyday life, these communities value their heritage, understanding the significance of preserving their traditions for generations to come.

Mount Rinjani is one of the highest volcanos in Indonesia, with its summit rising to 3,726 meters above sea level, it’s a trek to the top. Though we didn’t take the trek to the summit we were still in awe of this glorious mountain that dominates the sky wherever you are on the island. 

We enjoyed two easy hikes at Mount Rinjani, both took in beautiful waterfalls plus the serene terraced rice fields. We trekked through the rice fields for 3 hours with a local guide explaining the life of the villagers who lived and worked the fields.

The Sasak village high on the mountain are the custodians of Mount Rinjani, they work as guides to take you into the rainforest and onto the waterfalls of Sendang Giles and Tiu Kelep. Our guide from Senaru village explained the history, culture, customs and plantings of the Sasak people. Everything is sacred to them and you feel very privileged to be allowed onto their lands.

The Sasak people are the dominant ethnic group living throughout Lombok and surrounding islands. We visited the traditional village of Sade to experience their daily life in the weaving tradition. Girls must learn to weave prior to marriage. We learnt a thing or two from these wonderful women with meticulous weaving skills that produce the fine quality textiles. Karen has an absolute love of textiles and she would be happy to buy everything available if she could put it somewhere onboard.

If you would prefer beaches, Lombok has more than 20 Gilis - local name that means ”small island” in Sasak language - three stand out to be the hot spot destination : Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. We enjoyed visiting Gili A with the boat. As we had already been to the famous Gili’s, the time there, allowed Anthony and Lynda the freedom to discover the 3 islands for themselves whilst we stayed on a mooring to catch up on “boat jobs”.

There is no motorised transport on the Gili's so its by horse drawn cart, bycicles or on foot. 

The secret Gili’s found on the Southeast side of Lombok are firm favourites with us. Away from the hustle and bustle of hundreds of push bikes, bars, coffee shops, boutiques and dive centres. The secret Gili’s with 17 islands to choose from you can find, pristine beaches, beautiful coral reefs, small villages and eco resorts serving exceptional food. Gili Asahan and Sudak have stollen part of our hearts and we will be soon returning to enjoy the laidback atmosphere they deliver. The generosity of the beautiful people and the care and pride they show to their islands is quite unique in Indonesia. They really have learnt about rubbish and the involvement.

We can’t not tell you about our time at Medena Bay, this small resort has expanded to add moorings, two docks, haul out and boat yard facilities. It has become our second home whilst we come and go to explore all Lombok has to offer. The staff here can not do enough for you, arranging fuel, laundry, boat repairs, parts, mail and can offer immigration checking in and out. 

Medana Bay Cafe a great place to catchup with other cruisers over an ice cold Bintang and great food.

Local market is close by.

Medena Bay is close to a local morning market for supplies and the beautiful Wildlife Park. You have already seen some of our photos of the park, but we would like to add how impressed we were with the handlers. These animals have been rescued from illegal trafficking, home cages and abuse. They have rehabilitated these beautiful animals with care and devotion to their individual needs. You can get up close and personal with much of the wildlife and it is a real treat. It is somewhere that we would have a return visit to.

The Lombok Wildlife Park is a beautiful sancutary for abused animals

Thank you for reading to the end of this blog. Through our Social Media, YouTube, Blog and Books, our goal is to provide valuable insights to help future sailors prepare effectively for their journey. If you are heading into Indonesia you maybe interested in 3 of our other interactive Ebooks we have written. 

Follow in Our Wake - Indonesia Part 1 an interactive guide for anchorages, tracks, guide destinations and more.

Indonesia Awaits which is a guide to help with the officialdom of entering Indonesia

Ready to Set Sail which is a guide to help with the officialdom of leaving Australia

These books along with others can be found on Our Book Shelf

Our local guide on Lombok was 

Sapii La Pajar +62 853-3822-1844 lomboklocalguide@gmail.com If you choose to follow our recommendation, please make sure to inform him how you came across his services. While we have no direct affiliation with this guide, sharing our recommendation is a great way to acknowledge his excellent work.

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Below is a gallery of Photographs from our time in and around Lombok, we hope you enjoy them.

Cheers to Gili Aer

Rendang Pie

Chunky Meat Pie

Electric motorcycles are also common on Gili Aer. with many riden by children of all ages.

Main form of Transport on the Gili's for tourists in still horse drawn cart.
Sort the price before getting into the cart.