TRAVELING INDONESIA

Senggigi was one of the coastal tourist attractions in Lombok that was famous would his beauty. Senggigi was located on the west of the Lombok Island coast. The coast that his location 12 kilometers from the north-west of Mataram lombok this, be unfolded almost along 10 km with the white sand carpet that still was beautiful and his underwater scenery that was beautiful.

The wave of the Senggigi coast was not too big because of being gotten the coral reef that soared in the middle caused the wave of the size to break before reaching the coast, so as tourists could do snorkeling to the full.

All along the Senggigi coast, could be encountered by you the gift shop that sold typical Lombok handicrafts like the painting, pearls jewellery, Lombok woven cloth, the handicraft et cetera. And don't forget to enjoy the beauty of the sun sank in the Senggigi coast. For accommodation, in the Senggigi coast was available various hotels with the varying price, from that was expensive to that was economical.

Senggigi has bays with white sandy beaches and safe swimming spots. The beach area in Senggigi can also provide spectacular sunsets, a look at the life of fishermen and their unusual, brightly coloured sailing boats, souvenirs or just sit back and enjoy sunshine, good food and cold drinks.

Further north from Senggigi are the majority of luxury hotels and boutique resorts situated on a spectacular coastline lined with rugged cliffs, inlets, and protected bays with sparkling blue lagoons. The waters and reefs here are great for swimming, snorkeling and sailing.

Batu Bolong Temple
This temple is on a rocky point which juts into the sea about a km south of Senggigi. The rock it sits on has natural hole in it which gives the temple its name - batu bolong (rock with hole). Being a Balinese temple, it's oriented towards Gunung Agung, Bali's holiest mountain, across Lombok Strait.

Legend says that beautiful virgin were once thrown into the sea from the rock. Fantastic view and good place to watch the sunsets.

Senggigi is the main tourist strip of Lombok, stretched out along nearly 10 kilometers of beachfront just to the north of the capital Mataram.
Senggigi can be broadly divided into three parts: northern Mangsit Beach, central Senggigi and the southern stretch near Batu Bolong, with headlands separating the three. Mangsit has quiet resorts and very little other development, while nightlife and other restaurants are concentrated in Senggigi and the Batu Bolong area.

Ref: http://bestindonesiaislands.com; www.lombok-ecolodge.com; www.lombok-network.com

Gili Air is the nearest Gili to Lombok. It is also the most populated and you will find more trees there than the other Gili's. The local inhabitants are: Sasak, Mandar, Bugis and Makassar. You can find their unique culture that is different from Lombok and wonderful beaches. Many of the older generation still make their living as boatmen, fisherman and farming coconuts.

There are only a few number of luxury upmarket hotels (rooms with air conditioning, swimming pool, TV etc) on Gili Air. Most of places to stay are located in south, west and east side of the island. The island remains quiet and relaxing making it popular with honeymoon couples and travelers seeking a quiet retreat.

Snorkeling and diving are the highlight of the activities. Snorkeling area are located in the south east (opposite-facing the Lombok Golf Kosaido) and along to the north east).

You can just jump into the water to see the colorful fishes and coral reef. In the western part of Gili Air when the moon is high (low tide), you can't swim off the beach. You need to walk to the south or east side.

There are few quality scuba diving operations on all the islands.

There are now 3 PADI Dive Centres - Manta dive (offers SSI training as well), Blue Marlin and Dream Divers. Also offers great dive site, Hahn’s Reef, where strange critters and muck diving are the norm, it is also a superb training site for beginners.

The other great spot for diving and snorkeling is Gili Air Wall where you can see anything from turtles to pygmy sea horses, quite amazing

To get around the isle, the only means of transport are Cidomos, horse drawn carriages. Bicycle rentals are available too. Expect higher prices for most things there since all food and goods must be brought over from the mainland.

Ref: http://www.lombok-network.com

Gili Meno, the middle island, the smallest of the three Gili's and it is the quietest with fewer tourists. A great escape for honeymooners or someone who wants to get away from it all.

Special features of the island is the salt lake and spectacular dive sites such as, Meno Wall, Sea Turtle Point, and Blue Coral Point. The beach on eastern part of the island is very nice and there's snorkeling just offshore and further north.

Gili Meno has a population of about 300 locals. The interior of the island is mostly a palm trees surrounded by grass which is kept neat by cows munching lazily in the shade. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island, all transport is by horse-drawn carts or on foot. The diving was pretty good, with quite a strong current but that incredible swimming-pool visibility that you get on good days off the islands in SE Asia. The relaxed pace of life and the community feeling on the island is really special.

In Gili Meno, where fresh water is shipped from Lombok, eco-friendly practices are not an option. It is a necessity.

There are many options for an enjoyable holiday on the islands. You can rent snorkeling equipment, join a diving course, or just snorkeling off-the-shore to see the magnificent coral reefs and fishes.

There are few quality scuba diving operations on all the islands. The blue coral garden around the north east of gili meno can be reached by snorkeling off-the-beach. Turtle point and meno wall located in the north west of Gili Meno and can be reached only by boat. Join any of the boat dive trips available.

While the island is busiest from May through August, the quieter off-season from January to April provides a better opportunity to enjoy all the islet has to offer. To get around the isle, the only means of transport are Cidomos, horse drawn carriages. Bicycle rentals are available too. Expect higher prices for most things there since all food and goods must be brought over from the mainland.

Ref: http://www.lombok-network.com

Gili Trawangan, the most popular among the three Gili’s. Just kick back and enjoy the sun, nightly beach parties and sea. The main stripe is full of accommodations, restaurants, and dive shops.
If you are seeking a quieter place to stay there are bungalows in the north. This Island is also known as "Party Island", where mostly young European find themselves "Lost In Paradise".

With spectacular sunrises over Lombok's Mount Rinjani volcano and breathtaking sunsets that illuminate Bali's towering Mount Agung volcano, together with warm hospitality of the Gili Trawangan residents, it's not surprising that most visitors end up staying longer than originally plan.

Snorkeling off-the-shore, sunbathing, swimming, or join any dive trips with any dive operators which colored the lines. There are quality dive schools available to cater the needs of tourists, offering complete range of PADI courses, as well as Fun Dives for those already certified.

By night, the waterfront comes to life as various foreign and locally restaurants and bars start to fire up, with fresh snapper, grouper and tuna, cooked over charcoal flames, readily available.

TURTLE HATCHERY
A local initiative was set up to help the turtle population around Gili Trawangan. The poachers are paid for their find and the turtles are re-buried and kept under surveillance. Once they hatch, the baby green and hawksbill turtles are placed in a tank and left to grow until they are approx. 6 months old when they are big enough to fend for themselves, and are released into the sea.

The project still relies purely on donations by locals and tourists and has grown bigger and bigger over the years.

Nightlife
Although the island once had a reputation among the back-packing community as wicked party destination, many establishments which once laid claim to hosting wild dance parties today trade on their reputations.

By a tradition that continuous today, only one establishment per night can play music and host dance party until 4 am. Of the seven weekly venues hosting parties, the one most anticipated by tourists and locals alike are the funk house and hard music parties with local DJ's in spinning disks.

If wild dance parties are not to your liking, many restaurants and bars, including the Tirnanog - Irish bar, provide a range of more sedate and social gathering point for Al fresco dinning and drinking by the water's edge.

Ref: www.lombok-network.com

The Gili Islands are located to the northwest of Lombok, heading towards Bali. It takes about an hour to reach them from Senggigi Beach on Lombok itself. From west to e Gili Trawangan is the biggest of the islands and it has more of a nightlife than Gili Air and Gili Meno, which are quieter in general. Gili Meno is home to a bird park and Gili Air is attempting to protect its local turtle population by using pens to help hatchlings develop.
There are more than 15 dive sites around the islands and more reefs are being explored all of the time. Most sites are suitable for beginners, but there are some that are more challenging for advanced divers. Some of the dive sites are shore dives, others have to be reached by boat. Snorkeling is also good around the three islands.
There are over 3,500 marine species living in the reefs and seas of Indonesia. In comparison to the Great Barrier Reef (1,500 species) and Red Sea (600 species), 25 % of all reefs in the world are in Indonesia.
The drop-offs, plateaus and slopes of the Gili's reflect a good cross-section of what Indonesia has to offer. Dive in and be fascinated by turtles, White-tip Reef Sharks, Cuttlefish, Moray Eels, Angel Fish, Ghost Pipefish and more.
Around the three Gili Island in the north-west of Lombok (Gili Air, Gili Meno, Gili Trawangan), are more then 15 different dive spots and there are new reefs being explored all the time.
ast they are named Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. They are tiny islands surrounded by white sandy beaches that are covered with palm trees. There is no motorised transport on any of the islands – only bicycles and horse and carts are used. Resorts take the form of bungalows overlooking the sea.

Ref: www.lombokinformation.com