March 25, 2026 – Lombok, Indonesia

Where in the World Are We?

We are in Lombok, Indonesia.

Home to the second highest volcano and an amazing, unique wildlife.

An island of startling contradictions and contrasts Lombok exudes an aura of the staid and the rural a
genteel way of life in a quiet backwater. Located to the east and across a deep strait from its illustrious
neighbor Bali the island of Lombok offers unique culture beautiful landscapes and a far less frenetic
pressured atmosphere than Bali.

However savvy travelers agree that Lombok’s calm existence may soon come to an end as it is fast
becoming the new “in place” after Bali. The island was once ruled by a series of Sasak princes who spent
their time fending off successive invasions from Sumbawanese and Makassarese attackers. In 1740 the
Balinese established a stronghold here and imposed their culture on the Sasaks. Later Lombok came
under Dutch rule until the country achieved independence.

The western part of the almost circular island is well irrigated by mountain streams and artesian springs.
Here Balinese and Sasaks have sculpted handsome rice terraces Hindu temples vie for attention with
glistening white mosques rising from picturesque rural villages. More dramatic is the southern coast with
beautiful sandy bays set between rocky outcrops.

Most of Lombok’s attractions are concentrated in the western district of the island within a nine-mile radius
of the capital Mataram. Members of Lombok’s polyglot population – Sasak Balinese Chinese and Arab –
continue their laidback traditional ways.

SIGHTS

• Lembar Beach
• Gili Mas
• Cakranegara Town
• Mayura Water Palace
• NTB Museum
• Sayang Sayang Art Market
  
• NARMADA ROYAL PARK
  The Narmada Royal Park & Temple, built in 1727 by the King of Mataram Lombok, Anak Agung Ngurah Karangasem, is the site of the Pakelem Ceremony held every full-moon between October and November.
• In addition to the ceremony, Narmada Royal Park is also used as a resting place of the royal family during the dry season

Excursion – Lombok’s Cultural Heritage

We discovered the cultural heritage and traditional arts and crafts of Lombok during this excursion.

Gili Mas, Mataram District, Cakranegara Town and Mayura Water Palace
We drove to the small town of Cakranegara, located in the Mataram District. We visited is made to the Mayura Water Palace. One of Lombok’s religious and historical buildings, it was originally known as the ‘Garden Palace of Kelepug’, a name derived from the ‘kelepug’ sound that emerged when the swift water discharged from springs in the middle of the palace’s pond. The Mayura Water Palace emotes a peaceful, natural, religious and historical aura. The palace is equipped with a pool, arranged in a way that looks like a beautiful garden. Although the Mayura Water Palace was designed with Balinese and Javanese influences, it also imparts a nuanced religious feel. In some special rituals, the temple still functions as a place of worship of the Gods.

Downtown Mataram and NTB Museum
We continued on to downtown Mataram, the capital city of Lombok, for a visit to the NTB Museum.
The museum’s exterior features the relics of a cannon and anchor, mementoes of the arrival of the Dutch on Lombok Island.
During your guided walking tour inside the museum, view collections depicting the island’s geology, biology, ethnography,
archaeology, history, numismatics, heraldic, philosophy, and ceramics. In addition, see dolls dressed in traditional Sasak,
Mbojo and Samawa garb, part of the culture of the Province. In the main exhibition room, a row of glass cabinets contains
funerary artefacts, as well as those used for marriage ceremonies. Other collections include manuscripts containing historical
records of Lombok.

Sayang Sayang Art Market, Free Time and Shopping
We proceeded to our final stop, the Sayang Sayang Art Market. This local art market was built as a hub for Lombok Island residents and craftsmen to display and sell their crafts. The market consists of small stores selling handicrafts such as wooden, rattan, cane and bamboo products, along with antiques and traditional woven cloth (ikat). During our visit, some free time is made available to browse the items available for sale.

Dinner was in The Atlantide Restaurant