Baru di Bali

I’ve heard stories from those who have been living in Bali for years about how the sleepy villages of the Island of Gods have transformed into sounds and lights that know almost no sleep. When I first moved to Bali almost three years ago, most of the current establishments in the used-to-be villages of Seminyak and Kuta were already there. Yet, I still consider myself to be pretty fortunate (if I could say so) to have witnessed several new transformations undertaking in the island. There was only one Kuta then; but now, the “New Kuta” has been established lower in southern part of the island called Bukit. The story doesn’t stop there; years-old rumors have it that a new big ‘invention’ keeps on progressing. It’s not as simple as creating the new Seminyak or new Ubud, however, because the invention takes the whole island with it: the “New Bali”.

The funny thing about the New Bali is that it will not take place in Bali, but in the neighboring Lombok instead. Projections and expectations are high that Lombok would serve perfect as the New Bali, an alternative or substitute (I say it complimentary) for the existing Island of Gods as the “Real Bali”. I’m always intrigued about everything that is Bali; therefore, I couldn’t help but to find my way on the I. B. Mantra Bypass leading to ferry port in Padangbai. Yes, I decided to just witness it for myself if Lombok is suitable to ever ‘replace’ Bali.

The cruise with ferry from Bali to Lombok takes around four to five hours. Nothing fancy is offered on board – the meaning of this statement extends to “you are lucky if you could find a seat to so-so comfortably sit” during the at least four-hour journey. Yet, if you enjoy the sun that much, there is usually an upper deck where you could use to lay down and sunbathe. In other words, I have to remind you that traveling from Bali to Lombok would only be comfortable and suitable if you are taking your vehicle with you or you simply enjoy a long cruise. You could always rush stepping on board to assure yourself a rather comfortable seat on the ferry; otherwise, you could always use the fast boat services. I paid IDR 555,000 for the ferry (including me and the car); the price is similar if you are going with a car of two persons or eight persons.

Anyway, once the ferry sailed off the Padangbai Port, I kept on staring at Bali’s southeastern coast. From the ferry I could see the serene Blue Lagoon with its clean white-sandy beach and clear blue and turquoise water. It was a pleasant goodbye-Bali moment. After more than four hours, Lombok finally appeared very clear; there laid before my eyes the place known for its Gili Islands. It was more than a year ago when the last time I went to Lombok – to check out Gili Trawangan to be exact. Of course, I went to the main Lombok Island, but unfortunately my one-night stay in Senggigi didn’t really provide me a clear picture of Lombok as a whole. I mean, there should be more than just the Gili Islands to turn this place into the New Bali. I could hardly wait for the ferry to moor so I could begin my adventure.

Leaving the ferry port in Lembar, I was on the road constructed in the middle of vast rice fields. Just like in Bali, rice is an important crop in Lombok. The smooth, well-asphalted road that led me to Mataram – capital of Lombok – provided green views from the rice fields that were at times blocked by the passing big trucks and tourist buses. To repeat my last Lombok experience, I stayed at a beachfront boutique resort in Senggigi. I didn’t spend that long time unpacking my bag before finally got back onto the road. My aim was the long-stretched beach of Senggigi. Senggigi is the main tourist strip in Lombok, probably like Kuta in Bali. The beach in Senggigi stretches out along the several kilometers. A lot of new buildings were constructed in the late 90s; yet, a riot that took place in 2000 and Bali bombing in 2002 gave a huge impact that put all the constructions to a stop. The beach is mainly occupied by wooden boats, be it fishing boats or the ones used for tours. Sunset in Senggigi is breathtaking, making the silhouette of Mount Agung in Bali even more picturesque as the sun sets right beside the island of Bali. A short rank of restaurants to cater the tourists is sited at Senggigi Raya Street. Although the options provided are not that many, the street is where you can enjoy your cold beer in this Muslim dominated island.

In the morning I went to Malimbu, some ten minutes north away from my resort. The hillside drive to the area offered a breathtaking view of the ocean below. As a highland area and a canal zone of Senggigi Beach, Malimbu offers various sceneries such as turquoise seawater, pounding waves, sunset and a range of small islands.

After Malimbu, which is located north of the island, I went down south – my mission was to see Kuta (yep, Lombok has Kuta also). The smooth road made the trip even more pleasant. On the way, I made a stop at an art market in Senggigi. It was already 10am, but unfortunately, most of the shops were still closed – only two or three selling traditional sarong, Lombok t-shirt and sunglasses were open. Anyway, within half an hour after, I found myself on the road in Mataram. As the center of governance and businesses in Lombok, Mataram showed a different pace of life. Things seemed to move faster in this part of the island, with the hectic office buildings, schools, traffics and shopping malls. It was quite surprising to see a little Hindu temple standing on an intersection not far from the governor’s office. However, as I moved further south, a number of Balinese Hindu temples could be found. It was interesting to see a beautiful Balinese-style gate with big towers of a mosque on the background.

Away from Mataram in an area called Kediri, the local way of life was so thick. The road was full of cidomo (horse-drawn carts), which is a popular public transportation. Ranks of cidomo could be seen packing the roads and areas such as traditional markets. Aside from cidomo, bemo is also a popular public transportation just like in Bali. The funny thing about bemo in Lombok is that humans are not the only passengers; sometimes you could also see goats and even cows inside the bemo.

After Kediri is an area called Praya. Here you can find an attractive site called Sade, a Sasak (native tribe of Lombok) village that still remains original for fifteen generations. The traditional architecture of Sade consists of two types: beruga (traditional ceremony hall with six pillars) and lumbung (house to store rice and other food). The roof of each building is covered by alang-alang (elephant grass) and constructed in order to keep the temperature inside cool on hot days and warm on cooler days. Visitors can also see the villagers making their traditional ikat sarong and other handicrafts. It is a must for visitors to donate and use a guide service in order to enter this traditional village. However, all the guides, souvenir sellers and donations to the village are something we will have to tolerate; because this is an important income and maybe you help preserve a culture which otherwise would have disappeared.

After around 30 minutes in the village, I got back to the road heading to Kuta. This time, the journey turned a bit bumpy and rough provided that the road condition was not really that good. It is strange to learn that the road condition leading to Lombok’s most celebrated area was not developed. Again, I began to wonder if Kuta was actually not as good as the one I heard so far. 

Once I finally arrived in Kuta, it was yet another big surprise for me to see such a beautiful place with not even a single tourist on sight; it looked to me that the many tourists I encountered when I arrived in Lombok were all heading to the Gili Islands. The white-sandy, long-stretched of the virgin beach in Kuta would be adorable for sun worshipers. The crystal-clear water with rugged hills rising around it creates a picture perfect occasion. Swimming is certainly a must in this area. The waves in Kuta should also provide the playground for surfers, although they need to paddle out for quite a distant. The surrounding area in Kuta is pretty barren. Still, despite the dry condition, the area offers the kind of views worth tens of photographs. The area of Segar Beach is one example; in order for you to get to this beach, you need to pass a dusty, dessert-like area.

On the whole, noticing Lombok’s undeveloped natural beauties and potentials somehow flew me back to the time when I was told about Bali before it is developed like today. The vast rice fields, untouched beaches, splendid hills and the traditional Sasak tribe are certainly valuable tourism assets that can sell Lombok to the world. It’s been years since the hype to turn Lombok into the New Bali started booming in the late 90s; however, during that period of time Lombok hasn’t changed that much. Certainly, a lot of works still need to be done to turn Lombok into its prototype, the current Bali. If I could have a say, then I say keep Lombok as it is now. This way, the island could really be a complimentary destination; because combining Lombok and Bali for your holiday would certainly feel like paradise.