After a busy few days in Kuta, we commenced the slow part of the holiday in Lombok.
There are many snorkel spots all around the Gilis and our boatman took us to one off each off the three Islands. Each spot was slightly different. Bron's fave was the first one off Gili T but swimming here was a bit difficult since the reef was close to the shore break. Visibility was a bit poor at the second spot off Gili Meno. The third spot off Gili Air was shallower and easier to swim around due to less current and we spent most of our time there. We saw every shape and colour of tropical fish you can imagine, it was amazing! We also saw some pipefish, sea urchins, jelly fish, every kind and colour of coral, a puffer fish, and Bron is pretty sure she saw a small stonefish.
While the reefs were amazingly beautiful, the damage from so many tourists snorkelling everyday was obvious. This made us really sad. We realized that no one at any point during the arranging of our trip or on the boat had told us how to behave around a coral reef. Can you imagine hundreds of tourists everyday doing what they like in the water without any instruction? We like to think we were careful with our fins but others around us were clearly not. A little bit of tourist education would go a long way preserving these reefs for future generations. We also like to think that they take the bulk of the tourists to the already damaged spots thus preserving the healthy reefs elsewhere. By the time we returned the tide had gone out and we were able to jump off the boat at the beach in front of our hotel. And go straight to afternoon tea. It was a tough day.
We also celebrated Christmas while we were in Lombok. It was our first Christmas in a non-Christian country and although they tried hard it was a bit odd and not quite right, lol. On Christmas Eve we enjoyed a buffet dinner at another hotel in Senggigi and on Christmas Day we did the Mount Rinjani waterfall day trip.
And then our week in Lombok was up. We enjoyed a final early morning walk on the beach and got ready for the fast boat back to Bali.
Our time in Ubud to follow in the next post!
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The beach in front of our Lombok accommodation.
In theory Getting to Lombok is simple and quick, but in practice it took some patience and the better part of a day. Included in our fast boat ticket was a shuttle pick up from our hotel in Kuta (and the return drop off to Ubud) for the hour or so transfer to the harbour in Padang Bai. Once at the harbour one has to check in for the boat but it wasn't very obvious where the check in or said boat thereafter was or what time it would be leaving. In the end we made it onto the boat just in time for departure but had good seats right under the fan and air con despite our late arrival. The crossing to Gili Trawangan was about 90 min. Our ticket was for Senggigi, Lombok so hence our confusion when we arrived at one of the Gili islands instead. We were assured that another boat would be along to ferry us the short 20 min to Senggigi. It eventually did about an hour later and we finally arrived at our hotel just after lunch time. This round-about-ness and lack of communication seems to be the norm in this part of the world.
Lombok offers many interesting sights from the volcanic Mount Rinjani in the North to the pristine surf beaches of the south with slumbering towns and temples inbetween. We had planned to do a few day trips around the island but in the end decided to do only 2. We chose to use our time in Lombok to rest inbetween the busyness of Kuta and Ubud. After a busy few months it was just what we needed.
We stayed at the beautiful Living Asia resort just outside of Senggigi. The pool, restaurant and bar led straight onto the black volcanic sand beach. There were a few showers but in general the days were sunny, hot and humid. Every morning we enjoyed a lovely long walk on the beach before it got too hot. Breakfast and chilling by the pool side followed. Complimentary tea was served at 16:00 and happy hour cocktails from 17:00. We usually enjoyed dinner and a cocktail on the pool deck while watching the sun slip below the horizon. It was a very comfortable hotel and there weren't very many reasons to leave. We spent a morning wandering around the small town of Senggigi and returned a few times for provisions such as bottled drinking water but there was no need to venture in every day.
Accommodation at Living Asia Resort
Our room,
and outdoor bathroom.
The beach, complete with clear water and palm trees
Shallow areas to explore at low tide
And finding washed up coral.
The pool and restaurant at sunset
The pool and bar at sunset
One of the things we really wanted to see on Lombok was the volcano Mount Rinjani. There are various trekking trips one can do up the mountain and even to the crater lake. But these are typically 4 days and don't run in the rainy season. It's still possible to view the mountain though and enjoy the surrounding villages. We booked a driver to take us to one of the small towns in the north and a local guide to hike to two waterfalls. Well, we thought it would be a hike, it was more like a relaxed walk. But really beautiful through some forested areas. It was very cloudy with some showers that day so we didn't see as much of Mount Rinjani as we had hoped but more of the surrounding mountains but it was still worthwhile going. During the day we also stopped at a monkey forest, some rice terraces, and on the road just north of Senggigi and our hotel for panoramic views of the 3 Gili islands.
Unfortunately our driver that day was a bit dodgy, he kept making rude jokes and we didn't feel that safe driving with him (too many precarious overtaking manoeuvres). A similar experience with a taxi driver sadly put us off doing anymore long trips around the island. We would have liked to visit the town of Mataram and some temples in the mid-south and the beautiful surf beaches further south but we didn't feel it was worth another dodgy driver experience. Instead we happily enjoyed some much needed slow days around the pool.
Rice terraces on Lombok
A quick stop at the monkey forrest
Walking with our local guide to the waterfalls
The first waterfall
The second waterfall
Mount Rinjani and other peaks
One of the beaches that we passed on the way back to the hotel
The other sight not to be missed on Lombok is the Gili Islands. These three small islands off the west coast are world renowned for diving and snorkelling. They have twice the number of fish species than the Great Barrier Reef! It is popular to come to Bali and Lombok to learn to dive and gain PADI certification.
The three islands each have their own character. Gili Trawangan used to cater largely for backpackers and is still known as the party central of the Gilis. Gili Meno is the romantic island and Gili Air is a happy balanced mix of the two. All of them boast pristine white beaches, turquoise waters and excellent dive and snorkel sites. Our one hour wait on Gili Trawangan beach for the connecting fast boat to Lombok gave us a taste of the beach and laid back lifestyle and we could see the appeal.
If you are not staying on any the islands it is still easy to do a day trip to any one or all three islands and snorkel equipment can be hired on most of the beaches. From Lombok it is popular to rent a private slow boat and to snorkel at various sites with snorkel gear included. This is what we did on a particularly beautiful day. The idea was for the boat to pick us up from the beach in front of the hotel but it was a bit too rough with the incoming tide so we got on the boat at Senggigi harbour instead. It was a leisurely hour to the first dive spot off Gili Trawangan and we enjoyed the scenery of the lush green mountainous Lombok passing by.
Taking a slow boat to the Gili Islands
Crystal clear waters around Lombok and the Gili Islands
There are many snorkel spots all around the Gilis and our boatman took us to one off each off the three Islands. Each spot was slightly different. Bron's fave was the first one off Gili T but swimming here was a bit difficult since the reef was close to the shore break. Visibility was a bit poor at the second spot off Gili Meno. The third spot off Gili Air was shallower and easier to swim around due to less current and we spent most of our time there. We saw every shape and colour of tropical fish you can imagine, it was amazing! We also saw some pipefish, sea urchins, jelly fish, every kind and colour of coral, a puffer fish, and Bron is pretty sure she saw a small stonefish.
While the reefs were amazingly beautiful, the damage from so many tourists snorkelling everyday was obvious. This made us really sad. We realized that no one at any point during the arranging of our trip or on the boat had told us how to behave around a coral reef. Can you imagine hundreds of tourists everyday doing what they like in the water without any instruction? We like to think we were careful with our fins but others around us were clearly not. A little bit of tourist education would go a long way preserving these reefs for future generations. We also like to think that they take the bulk of the tourists to the already damaged spots thus preserving the healthy reefs elsewhere. By the time we returned the tide had gone out and we were able to jump off the boat at the beach in front of our hotel. And go straight to afternoon tea. It was a tough day.
We also celebrated Christmas while we were in Lombok. It was our first Christmas in a non-Christian country and although they tried hard it was a bit odd and not quite right, lol. On Christmas Eve we enjoyed a buffet dinner at another hotel in Senggigi and on Christmas Day we did the Mount Rinjani waterfall day trip.
Carved watermelon as part of the Christmas festivities
A stormy moody day down at the volcanic ash beach
And some of the beautiful sunsets we enjoyed from the poolside
And then our week in Lombok was up. We enjoyed a final early morning walk on the beach and got ready for the fast boat back to Bali.
Our time in Ubud to follow in the next post!
x
