Back to Lombok - Selong Belanak

As promised, Amy gets some beach time. Arriving out of the jungles of Papua (see last post), we spent a well-deserved organization day in Wamena (ground-zero base for hiking in the Baliem Valley) to dry out our gear, drink coffee, and relax – although, because liquor is banned in Papua, what we really could have used was a cold beer (no such luck). Anyway, as they say, no rest for the wicked. Next day, off to the beaches of southern Lombok!

The loyal followers among you will recall that we have visited Lombok in the past, specifically to climb Gunung Rinjani (Indo’s most famous volcano) followed by a trip to the “Gilis”, Lombok’s famous beach getaway islands. This time though, we had our sights set on the less-known beaches of southern Lombok, mostly just because we haven’t been there yet. Ah, so much to see, so little time J

Lombok is Bali’s little nephew. An up-and-comer shall we say. Sitting side by side in the string of islands that make up Indonesia, they are just a 1-hr fast-boat ride apart (Lombok is the next one over from Bali). But, Bali still, and probably always will, reigns supreme by a bazillion miles in the tourist race. If you are scratching your head wondering what a Lombok is, that’s the point. Conversely, you have probably heard of Bali J But hey, you never know, one day Lombok just might be all growed up, and swarming with tourists….but that’s a long way off. For now, it’s our little secret. Don’t tell anyone. J

So ya, Lombok. Could be our new focus. Amazing beaches (better than anything we experienced in Bali), about 1/100^th of the people, and only 10 minutes more in the air from Jakarta. What’s not to like? Well, there are a few glitches. First, it’s Muslim (Bali is not), which makes drinking, especially wine, challenging. Ya ya ya, I know, you don’t need alcohol to have a good time…blah blah blah…who said that anyway? Obviously not true. Splitting a good bottle of red wine on a beach at sunset is one of this world’s great pleasures (at least ours). So that is a factor. Then there’s the mosque issue, i.e., the 4:30 am wake up call. Also, fewer tourists means less competition, meaning higher prices and less infrastructure. In general, just less going on. In a word, way more chill.

OK, let’s lay this out in real terms. If you’re looking for a yoga retreat, hot-rock massages, and caramel lattes amongst the rice paddies, or alternatively partying like a rock star on the beach till the sun comes up, that’s Bali. If you can live with nasi goreng (fried rice, AKA “nasty” goreng), chilling on a beach, and drinking Bintang (Indo’s national somewhat nasty beer) in a bamboo warung (food stall), then Lombok is for you! The single biggest overriding plus: way way way less people, and probably better beaches. We’re definitely in for more Lombok I think (we’ll just bring our own wine – domestic flight = no customs – done!).

Our target was a place called “Selong Belanak”, a beach on the south coast of Lombok recommended to us by a friend (thanks Lindsay!), and could be one of the nicest beaches we have seen yet. Indo is full of beautiful beaches, but finding one that is not vying for the Guinness world record “most humans (and garbage) on a single beach” award, is the problem. The challenge is finding that sweet spot where this is just enough stuff going on that you can buy lunch, read a book, maybe grab a beer, and rent a surf board (although, I don’t seem to be getting any better J), without feeling like you are at the mall on a Saturday afternoon. Selong Belanak delivers just that (but don’t tell anyone).

Yep. The world of concrete, beach clubs, 2-for-1 cocktails, and infinity pools has not yet discovered Selong Belanak. In fact, once past the 5 or 6 bamboo warungs/surf board rental places, the beach is basically untouched as far as you can see. And, it’s a quick 30-mins taxi ride from the airport. OK, wait a minute, why am I telling you this?! (don’t tell anyone!) J

Ironically however, due to the lack of development, accom is a bit of an issue (recall the “less going on” discussion previously). Nothing beachside. All feasible accom choices are in the back forty, meaning a 10-mins walk to the beach. We weren’t sure about that, but you know, given the choice of an over-developed beach layered in 5-star hotels (i.e., Bali), we’re OK with the walk!

Our accom, Tiki Lodge, found yet again by Amy’s internet prowess, turned out to be fantastico (a little Spanish still invades my thought patterns now and then). Tucked away amongst the fields of rural Lombok, the place is a small oasis of comfort, outdoor garden showers, relaxing breakfasts, poolside drinks, and amazing food. In fact, after trying out the various local options (all 3 of them…again recall the “just enough stuff going on” discussion), we all agreed that Tiki has the best food – no small feat in this world of seemingly endless gastronomic endeavours. 

When I say “we”, interesting “small-world” twist here, is that our dear friend Grant Burns (Nelson connection), who is currently living in Sydney, met us for the week. It just lined up, and we spent the week talking about the good ole’ Nelson days, and of course, the good ones to come! Small world indeed.

 Alrightly then, enough of this frivolity, we need to get back to reality. What am I saying?! No we don’t. Let’s just stay here! J (note: in the end, we reluctantly got on our flight and flew back to Jakarta, but, I think we’ll be back….)

yes, me standing...finally. (look at the size of those waves!)