Lombok Island Including Lombok, Sumbawa and Gili Island
It’s Inhabitants and Beliefs
The natives living in Lombok are called Sasaks who can speak both their own language ‘Sasak” and Bahasa Indonesia as well as. There are also Balinese, Chinese, Arabian and Javanese inhabiting the island. We have three main districts with three capital cities which are Mataram in the west, Praya in central and Selong in the east.
The main activity of the commerce is takes place in the capital city of Mataram in in the west side of Lombok.
Most of the inhabitants on the island are Muslims and they go on Fridays around 12.00PM to the mosques, just as the Christians do on Sundays, to the church. Activities like businesses and government offices are therefore closed for half day, then re-open again after praying time (not including Senggigi).
Our guests are best advised to wear slacks or knee length shorts and a shirt with sleeves with a sarong to get more respect from the local before planning to criss-cross around the island and visiting small villages in the nearby. During Ramadhan, which is the Muslim month of fasting, our guests are also recommended possibly not to eat, drink or smoke in public during the fasting month beginning from sunrise to sunset. The people might not seem to be offended in the public areas like Senggigi and the Gili islands, but anyway it is just advisable to pay respect to the local inhabitants and their beliefs along.
It’s Geography and Weather
The island is situated on the east side of Bali. The Tourism is actually not as developed as Bali and based on this fact, Lombok is the perfect getaway in the nearby. Flee to the picturesque mountainside, the fine landscapes, and the white sandy beaches on Lombok and the three Gili Islands. Those all make Lombok as the only one perfect hideaway to get absolutely relaxation from daily life.
The high season runs from May to October while the low season starts from November to May. The perfect time to visit Lombok however is in May when the weather is just perfect mild with a bright daylight and more green scenery.
Transportation
It is highly recommended not to miss our beautiful sceneries and you can explore them by renting car or motorbike and drive by yourself. To be able to drive alone, you need to have an International Driving License. Travel insurance is highly recommended in case there is any collision with anyone / anything, or someone collides with you and you may be responsible for all costs.
Using a car is a good transportation, either self driving or with a chauffeur so that you can be more relaxed and enjoying the landscapes. A tip like pocket money for meals is highly appreciated if you stop for lunch and/or dinner.
Motorbikes are also a very convenient and inexpensive way to get around the island but somehow tourists are frequently injured in motorbike accidents. It is therefore advised to ride slowly. Helmets provided by the rental companies offer very little protection if we don’t want to say nothing, but still it is required by law.