Lombok: An Alternative to Bali

The island of Lombok, situated due east of the fabled tropical resort island of Bali, is developing its potential as an attractive multicultural alternative to Bali for the backpacking set as well as for more upscale tourists. Government tourism officials and local business people are actively working together to promote Lombok's vast potential for the millions of tourists that visit Indonesia annually. Lombok's promotions highlight its natural beauty, friendly population and relaxed atmosphere.

Geography
Lombok is a small island that is located between Bali and Sumbawa in Indonesia. It has a population of approximately 3.2 million people and is small enough that it can be crossed east-to-west in a car or on a motorbike in about two hours. The western side of the island tends to receive more rain than the drier eastern side of the island. The active volcano Mt. Rinjani is on the east coast. The southern coast is excellent for surfing. About 85% of Lombok's population are ethnic Sasaks who practice Islam. Balinese Hindus make up about 10% of the population with the remainder of the population coming from other islands usually to look for work in the tourist industry.

Attractions
Lombok has a predominately agriculturally-based economy, but the tourist industry is rapidly developing. Lombok offers a wide variety of activities for visitors including snorkeling, diving, surfing, mountain trekking, and learning about the local cultures.

While Bali has a number of excellent surfing spots, they are usually quite crowded. Lombok has some ideal spots, such as Desert Point, where surfers can enjoys great waves without the crowds found in Bali's favorite surfing spots. The Gili islands off the north coast are a popular diving spot because of their crystal blue waters and abundant sea life where divers can view reef sharks, sea turtles, octopus, manta rays and a large variety of exotic tropical fish. Gili Trawangan, the largest of the three Gili islands, has a number of PADI certified instructors available to teach new divers.

For the visitors who prefer land action, hiking to the top of Mt. Rinjani is a challenging activity. Rinjani is the third highest mountain in Indonesia at 3726 meters. While some visitors like the attempt to trek to the top of Rinjani without the assistance of guides or porters, the difficulty of the terrain makes this unwise. For visitors who prefer a more laid-back vacation, Lombok has a number of star-rated hotels for relaxing by the pool or on the beach with a tropical cocktail while they enjoy Indonesia's beautiful sunsets.

Places to Stay
Lombok has two main tourist areas: Sengiggi on the north coast and Kuta on the south coast. Sengiggi, which is only a short drive from the airport, has the most developed facilities for visitors. This area is full of restaurants, bars, nightclubs and hotels that run from star-rated to budget-class. Kuta is set to become a major tourist destination because of the new international airport that is due to open in 2013.

Getting There
Lombok has a small international airport that mostly serves domestic flights. However, Silk Air flies to Singapore three times a week. Most visitors, however, come to Lombok from Bali. Tourists that choose this route to Lombok have several options. They can take a short 25 minute flight from the domestic terminal in Denpasar on any of six domestic airlines that provide service from Denpasar, Bali. For visitors who prefer to travel by sea an assortment of companies offer fast boat service from Bali to Lombok. Large, public ferries that accommodate both vehicles and passengers make the four-hour crossing to Lombok on an hourly basis.