• contact
  usMore questions?
• Other travel infowhat else to know
• Dive coursesYes, as well
• Other dive locationsFrom Bali or direct
• More about Balinot only diving..
• Bali dive locationsplan your stay
• Custom made..how and why
• About Bottles-Upwelcome

Other things to do in Lombok

Rinjani trek and tours around Lombok island.

The province of West Nusa Tenggara has 2 mayor islands, Lombok and Sumbawa, with the provincial capital Mataram in Lombok.
It is part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the West and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the East.
It is roughly circular about 70 km across and a total area of about 4,725 km². There are 3 major cities close to each other; Mataram, Ampenan and Cakranegara.
Ampenan used to be the main port of Lombok and has a divers population of Arab, Malay and Indonesian ethnic people like the Buginese from Sulawesi.

Cakranegara, often shortly referred to as Cakra has been the commercial center in the province and has a large Balinese population. To this day a minority Balinese Hindu culture remains strong in Islamic Lombok.
The Islamic religion first arrived in Lombok in the early half of the 16th century.
A non-orthodox Islamic group found only on Lombok are the Wektu Telu ("Three Prayers"), who as the name suggests pray only three times daily, instead of the five times stipulated in the Quran. Many of the Waktu Telu beliefs are entwined with animism. Waktu Telu has influences not only of Islam, but also Hinduism and pantheistic beliefs.

Lombok has a lot to offer with beautiful landscapes, authentic villages and their art work. We did a tour around the island, starting from Kuta via Senggigi to Senaru, one of the starting points for the Mt. Rinjani trek.
The West of Lombok is very green year around, except for the Sekotong region. Pottery, songket weaving and beautiful wooden artifacts can be found here in Banyumulek, Labu Api and Rungkang.
Central Lombok with the Southern slopes of Rinjani is very fertile and lush. The area is an ideal place for hiking in the rainforest at Sesaot.
South Lombok is noted for its drought and therefore less densely populated.
The settlements here are normally built on hilltops and are inhibited by indigenous Sasak. Famous for its woven fabric, pottery and woven ketak basket and other fine crafts.
East Lombok here you have the Northeast starting point to climb the Mt. Rinjani.

Climbing the Mt. Rinjani

At 3,726 metres, Rinjani is the second highest mountain in Indonesia outside of Papua. It is very climbable by visitors with a high level of physical fitness. Critical is to understand and respect this great mountain: sadly, visitors have died here through failing to follow sensible procedures and make all necessary preparations.
Few actually make the very strenuous effort required to reach the actual summit but instead stop at the crater rim (approx 2,700 m) where the views of the crater lake are mind blowing. To make the extra 1,000 metre ascent to the very top requires a considerably higher level of fitness, not to mention strength of spirit and sense of adventure.

Typically, a trek to the crater rim involves two days and one night on the mountain. The longer ascent to the summit can be done with just one night's camping but is often part of a longer trek of four days and three nights.
There are essentially two ways to approach the climb - semi-independently with a private guide or as part of an organized trek. It is extremely inadvisable (if not impossible and illegal) to climb Rinjani without the services of a professional guide. An organized trek is by far the easiest and safest option but it is perfectly possible to make all of your own arrangements and just hire a guide and equipment from one of the trekking centres on the mountain.
Proper sturdy climbing/hiking boots are an absolute necessity as is a substantial windproof jacket and a head lamp. Air temperatures towards the summit are as low as 4°C, often with a significant extra wind chill factor. You must prepare accordingly.

 design: by us - © Bottles-Up-Diving  2009

• DE
• NL
• UK

choose a language: