Lombok, Indonesia

Day 1 : Travel

The thing with me is and I think I might have mentioned this before, I have got these huge lion dreams and a really chicken heart ! So, this other day when I was feeling whiny about how I don't have a traveling partner and was cursing my lack of friends, it dawned on me that it's not guaranteed that even if I did have a lot of friends, they would be interested in traveling ! The moment I had this deep epiphany, I booked the trek to Mount Rinjani without a moment's delay ( You never know when my mind flips the other way! ). Now with the booking all done and dusted, I got into the real details of the trip i.e. how I am not the fittest person in the lot, how I will be all on my own on this island and so on...And that's when my chicken heart started beating nervousness!

Before saying bye to Lombok!

Quite a start to the trip, I must say! AirAsia check-in luggage had to be pre-booked at an extra cost (which I didn't know! Quick note - Air Asia charges even for water on the flight. We are asked to throw away any water whilst checking in and then we are asked to pay for water again! Is it just me who is constantly surprised by such things? ), the visa at the immigration apparently had a system glitch, the homestay (where I checked in later that evening) sink and shower and door lock wasn't working and my legs felt acutely tight!

Kuta Mandalika

Well, contrary to all this was - even though the town had this uncanny similarity with the broken, dusty parts of many Indian cities, every nook and corner of the town burst into big bright blooms of bougainvillea, the sea breeze felt refreshing to the core, my driver to the homestay was very friendly, the place where I had dinner (The Hut) was very good and I learnt some local vocab - terimakasi (thank you) and sama sama (welcome). Also, I met two people named Harris within an hour! Must be a popular name! After a big yummy bowl of coconut chicken curry and rice, I hit the bed early and slept really well. Good food is all you need when you are tired. I only woke up a couple of times due to mosquito bites but I have forgiven that beast by now.

At Lara Homestay, Kuta

P.S. Lombok has so much to explore! Even though it looks like a tiny island on map, it has such wide range variety of scenery (beach, waterfall, volcano, forest..name it!) and activities (surfing, snorkeling, diving, hiking..name it!) to offer that a week's holiday doesn't seem enough. So, to manage with my limited holidays (which never seems enough), I handpicked a few areas to explore - Kuta, Rinjani, Senggigi and a few Gillis.

Day 2 : Kuta

Morning Sun made the homestay look much better! After a relaxing breakfast at the homestay which included a really yum dragon fruit juice, I headed out for a lazy stroll in the town. The main street was busy with all types of swanky cafes, motorbike hires and billboards declaring a range of exciting activities - surfing and snorkeling and hiking etc. The beach was only a 5mins walk and once on the Kuta Mandalika beach (which felt quite busy nonetheless beautiful), I decided to head out for a quieter beach experience.

Pandanas fruit everywhere in the beaches here!

Tampah

I booked a ride which took about 40 minutes to reach Tampah Beach, to the west of Kuta, just after Mawun bay. The approach to the beach was through a narrow dirt path with farmlands on either side, growing tobacco. The edge of the farmlands were lined with long, swinging coconut and palm trees. Only a few minutes' walk through this dirt road brought me to a lovely cove i.e. Tampah.

Tobacco plantation near Tampah

The first thing that made me gasp was the beautiful blue of the sea! The cobalt blue mixed with the aqua green and the white foamy waves was heavenly. The beach extended circling the cove like a nice outskirt. There were only four or five shacks selling food and water. They had a few hammocks or sun loungers in front of those shacks. It was a perfect picture of serenity and beauty. I found only a handful of people in the beach the whole morning that I was there.

Lovely shades of blue in Tampah

I walked along the beach from one end of the cove to the other. The sand here was very soft and beady; the feet would squish in couple of inches in places, making it an intriguing walk. After couple of hours of walking, the heat started to get the better out of me and it was time to lie down in a hammock under the cool shade of a palm tree and sip coconut! So tranquil...

Sail away or have a lie down... :D

Tanjung Aan

Beach hopping is a real thing but I'm more of a gliding person than hopping! So, after a coconutty lunch in Tampah, I glided my way to this beautiful white beach in Tanjung Aan and decided to stay here until dark.

Sign post says it all 😃

The crystal clear water and the neat white sand coupled with the lovely blue of the water made this beach a tourists' delight. Needless to say, this was busier than Tampah. It wasn't crowded though.

Comfy Beach Bags! 😀

As per my usual nature, I walked the shoreline as far as it would allow me. You could walk up to the hill, Bukit merese from one side of the beach and then cross the hill to walk down to another little cove.

White Sand and Crystal Clear Water!

I did a bit nosing around here and then continued my walk towards the other end of the main beach and that was when I came across this little quiet mound going right into the water. I loved this spot! With only a couple of people around, I felt quite special perched up on this hidden gem!

From the top of the mound

Bukit merese was very popular amongst the tourists, especially at sundown. I, along with many other interested onlookers, watched the beautiful sunset from up here. The temperature dropped a bit just as the Sun went down. I waited till the orange of the sky dissipated into a thick darkness and then walked back towards the beach to get my ride back to the hotel.

Sunset from Bukit Merese

After the long day of walking around various beaches, I felt super hungry in the evening. Kenza Cafe, right along the corner of the main street looked tempting with its fancy tables and dim lights! I treated myself to a gala dinner of a local grilled carp, some sourdough bread, a green salad ending it with a big melting chocolate cake that makes me drool even now! Heard a good bout of praises for all kinds of Bollywood movies and Shahrukh Khan from the waiter! Bollywood and Khans and Kajol seemed to be really popular amongst the locals here...I would have never guessed!

Nice ambience in Kenza Cafe

Day 3 : Snorkeling at Gilli Sudak, Kedisi, Nanggu

I woke up with absolutely no plan for the day. I had a rough idea of the things that I might want to try but didn't really work for it. I took a nice warm shower and a breakfast in the sunny balcony of the homestay. Whilst sipping into the dragon fruit juice, I met three guys in the homestay. They just got back from the Mt. Rinjani trek - where I was headed for the next day and they were from France, various corners of which country I had been to. This led to a hearty conversation involving food and places and culture, etc.

By the time I was done talking and finished my breakfast, it was around 8:30 in the morning. I chatted for a bit to the homestay owner, Lara and that was when I finalized my plan for the day - A snorkeling trip to the Gilis!

Swing & Snorkel the day away!

This was a trip to the lesser known Gilis of Nanggu, Kedisi and Sudak (as opposed to the more popular ones of Gili T, Meno and Air). I am always on a lookout for less popular places which comes with its own advantage (pristine beauty and peace!) and disadvantages (lack of infra and gizmos!), hence, I set off for Gili Nanggu on a boat (with a guide, ofcourse!) from Sekotong Barat (about an hour drive from Kuta).

With Excel!

The guide (whose name I could never understand but his son's name was Excel! What a cool name and a very sweet kid) first took me to Gili Sudak. It's the tiniest and the most beautiful island I have ever seen! You could walk around the island in just 1minute! There was one cafe, where you could buy drinks and snacks and one swing. Apart from these two manmade structure, rest all was just white sand, blue water, few trees! Paradise!

Gili Sudak...Paradise, it is!

I got my first snorkeling lesson in the shallow water of Gili Sudak. I was quite apprehensive as I didn't know swimming and I kept saying that to the guide. He kept assuring me and I kept whining. I first practiced breathing with the mask on the boat, then did a little more practice by placing my head down in the water whilst standing. After a few such practice sessions, we swam around the water by the island for short intervals. I floated and the guide dragged me, to be precise. As I was earning a bit more confidence, the guide took me a little bit towards the less shallow area and suddenly everything felt a whole lot quieter - as if, I had entered another world. Big corals, little green mounds of underwater plants and starfish appeared! At this point, I, probably, couldn't hold the excitement and managed to breathe some water inside the mask. We returned to the tiny island.

Approaching Gili Nanggu next...

After some photo session here, we moved to the next island - Gili Nanggu. This island was slightly bigger and it had a hotel for accommodation as well! Right away, I put my mask on and floated into the water. I was a bit more prepared this time. I knew what to expect and that made me feel a lot more relaxed now. As the guide dragged me inwards to the sea, the other world unfolded itself again. Everything got very quiet. I felt my nerves calming down further. And then suddenly, a school of fish appeared out of nowhere! Fish of all kinds of size and shape and bright colours - blue, red, yellow, green, striped fish, polka dotted fish, fish with large eyes, colourful fins, long narrow tails, snouty mouth - I gasped! I found myself giggle out loud!

lovely above water & lovely under water! ^_^

I had a bottle of bread (fish food, as they call it) with me; I pinched the bottle and little crumbs of bread came out of it; the fishes swam with eager speed towards me. I kept letting out small crumbs and the fish kept circling around me, kissing my hands and fingers, even colliding with my mask sometimes! I felt like a kid in a candy store! I can still see the colours of the fish, bright in my memory! (If you don't want to look as stupid as me, do check your guide's camera and ensure it works before you go snorkeling in the water, else, you will have to just trust your brain for all the memories! 😏 ) As I swam a little further in, corals appeared - big corals with bright hue of purple, yellow, blue - it blew my mind! I had seen them on tele but have never realised them to be this beautiful until now! I was so overwhelmed and so engrossed that the sense of time and fear escaped me. I kept floating and getting dragged, captivated by this whole new world. We don't realise often that there is this world out there with its bright, beautiful, magical existence. Mesmerising!

Approaching the next Gili - Kedisi

My last stop for the snorkeling trip was at Gili Kedisi. There was one restaurant and a few cottage like accommodation on this island. I took a break from snorkeling and had my lunch here. I sat on a table, facing the sea, right on the edge of the beach. I had Nasi Goreng - a local delicacy and drank from a coconut. After a relaxing lunch, I dived into the other magical world of fish and corals again!

My Lunch Table at Gili Kedisi

I wanted return to the hotel before evening. But I did not know how time flew! Time must be racing faster in this side of the paradise! It was almost sunset time, I forced an end to this snorkeling adventure. As soon as I got out of the water, I felt a trembling chilliness. I ran to the washroom and changed to some dry clothes.

Cottage Stays in Gili Kedisi

I met a girl from Rome here. She was about to stay the night in the island, all by her own. Almost all the tourists had left, I was the last one to leave. We chatted a while before parting. I remembered my days in Italy and she discussed her plan to visit India. I wonder, what her experience has been like, being just by her own on that island...

Carrot Cake at The Hut! Best cake ever!

When I returned to the homestay, it was late and I was starving. I rushed to 'The Hut' and ordered a big plate of tacos, followed by the best carrot cake, I have ever had! How I wish to have that cake again! :( I hurried back to the homestay and got my bags packed. I would be leaving for the Mount Rinjani trek the next day...more adventure to follow!

Day 4-7 : Trekking Mt. Rinjani

After a morning stroll in Kuta Mandalika, I headed for my much awaited and apprehended trek!

Now that's a whole other story >> Trekking Mt. Rinjani !

To the volcano and the crater lake!

Day 8 : Senggigi Town & Temple

In my work life (the one that pays me!), I generally need to do a lot of planning - planning design, algo, timelines, delivery, resources and what not. So, when on vacation, I like a few days when I don't need to plan at all. Hence, as the timeline would allow me, I planned to have a couple of unplanned leisurely days post trek.

Jayakarta Beach Resort - view from room balcony

I checked myself in Jayakarta Beach resort - a perfect place to put your feet up! It's right on the beach, with a café serving food on the beach ; a series of palm trees lined up on a section of the beach provides a cool shade for you to sit and relax. After pottering around the resort for a bit, I walked up and down the beach front as far as it would let me. After quite a stretch, the the rocks and the waves put up a boundary, so I conceded.

From Batu Bolong - a viewpoint

I, then, walked on to the main street and started exploring the town. There were a couple of nice spots offering a wide view of the beach, a few cafes and spas advertising their expertise, quite a few wood carving shops producing artistic decors, locally known as Putu art.

The street is dotted with such beautiful artistry

I also came across an ancient temple right on the beach, waves lashing on its walls...very rustic and mystic and quiet. There were only four other people there - a couple of tourists and the priest and his daughter.

Pura Batu Bolong

I saw the scooter shops, nosed around a few warungs (local word for eateries), met a group of school kids (kids wearing school uniform to be precise, so I concurred). Sengiggi is a quiet town, not very touristy , you see more locals than tourists. I quite like that.

More from inside the temple...

I had a few exchanges with the locals though I'm not sure how the conversation actually went. My extent of knowledge on Indonesian language is limited to - 'bagar mana kabar mu'. Aam, one of our trek guides taught this to me. It apparently means, how are you. Though when I tried that on a kid, he looked at me with big, scared eyes. So, I won't brag.

part Temple, part Sea, part Rock pool :)

Even though it was a leisurely walk, it was an odd 10km or so. I spent almost the whole day strolling and my legs complained that it was not their idea of putting my feet up. Agreeing to what my legs said, I settled in the resort beach cafe and spent the evening watching sunset, sipping avocado shake and devouring a big plate of grilled prawn. The only time my blissful evening got interrupted was when a cat meowed at me and another suddenly jumped on to the bench where I was sitting. Apart from that, it was all very relaxing and peaceful. The live local music at the cafe added to the extra bliss for the night. 

lovely Mural on a Supermarket.
Notice the 'oleh oleh'! means 'gifts' in Indonesia :D

Day 9 : Senggigi beach walk

I woke up pretty late today. Still filling up on my sleep quota. After a sumptuous and long breakfast in the beachside restaurant, I went for a long stroll along the beach. Playing touch n go with the waves, finding some dead corals on the beach, rock pooling and pulling underwater plants, chasing a big spider into its rocky home... eventually feeling quite burnt out by the Sun!

Finding corals...

I saw a few teenagers running on the beach. They had their club jersey on. This tickled my imagination. So, the next thing I knew I took my slippers off and started a slow jog. Running on a beach is surprisingly hard! You would think the soft landing would help, it's indeed good for the knees, but makes you work harder. I went only a couple hundred metres I think before I had to put an end to this joy.

Look at the crazy palm roots!

I found this nice cool tree shade on the beach and settled down for a quiet snooze.

Ah, the charm of doing nothing and listening to the waves and looking at the sparkling blue! If you looked straight across the sea (Lombok strait), you would be able to see Bali's highest volcano - Gunung Agung. I did watch the volcano at sunset the previous day but now when I settled myself on the beach, I noticed, the volcano on the far end of the horizon had disappeared. I'm hoping it will reappear at sundown! - I thought.

Palm tree shade on the beach

Voila! It did reappear! But only after the sky turned orange and the yellow ball of Sun dipped down the horizon over the sea. The sky and the water turned into this silky smooth glow of a vibrant orange and  suddenly two dolphins decided to acrobat their way to the darkness! I sat on the swing by the beach and watched them, whilst humming to the tunes being played in the beach café. It was a leisurely blissful end to the day and to my time in Lombok. Would be heading to Bali next...

Sunset in Senggigi...speechless!