Kaylah takes Lombock!

Last week I spent 7 days at the beautiful island of Lombock in Indonesia. It is quite simple to get here from Singapore as there is a direct flight which takes about 2 and a half hours.

As soon as you step off the plane you immediately know this place is special. The many smiling Indonesian people greeting you and the palm tree filled hills which go as far as the eye causes you to do nothing but settle comfortably into the irresistible tropical lifestyle.

We stayed at the resort called Sudamala Suites and Villas. I honestly cannot say anything bad about this little slice of heaven. The location was perfect; it was right on the beach. We had a beach front room which meant each night we slept with the sound of crashing wave’s literally right outside out door.

Our rooms came with two showers, one of which was outdoor and possibly the biggest bathtub I have ever seen; it was practically a spa.

From the resort everything was at your fingertips, you could organise day trips anywhere on the island and food and a driver would be included. This meant that we were able take advantage of all the sites while staying here.

THE FOOD! Oh my goodness. I don’t think I have ever eaten so much good food in my life! The menu was amazing. I had rice paper rolls, beef satay skewers, steamed fish and even a traditional Indonesian banquet one night. For the breakfast menu you selected two dishes which came with fresh juice and a mixed fruit platter. My personal favourites were the muesli and yoghurt aswell as the banana pancakes. The serving portions were massive!!! I could never finish it all.

The day after we arrived in Lombock, we wanted to get to know the area and the culture. We booked a day trip where we got to see all the major sites in the city of Mataram. We visited the ornate Hindu Narmada temple, the local market, a weaving store and a wood work store. We also had lunch at an Indonesian restaurant which overlooked rice paddies.

The market was probably the most interesting of all the sites. It was amazing to see the array of foods; especially those I had never seen before. It was incredibly busy, stuffy and the floor was quite muddy, but I could not help but smile and enjoy the experience as it was so foreign and exciting to me.  Something I have learnt over this last year and had to remind myself of when visiting Indonesia is that when travelling or living somewhere new, you must understand that this is a different place, and not everything is the way you are used to. It is not up to you to judge, as it is the culture of many. Everyone wanted to know where we were from and what we were doing in Lombock. The friendliness and generosity of the people on this island was beyond anything I had ever experienced.

On the third day in Lombock we headed out for a day of snorkelling around the Gilli Islands. We woke up early, ate a hearty breakfast and set off at 9 am on a private boat.  The boat was conveniently located on the beach at the resort. We spent the entire day snorkelling around the three main islands. The coral was absolutely beautiful and the water, oh my goodness, it was the perfect temperature. We snorkelled for hours at a time.  On our way to Gili Trawangan, we stopped and eagerly jumped into the water as we had spotted a large green turtle. I was so excited!! I had never swum with one before. We followed the turtle for about half an hour and as it was so peaceful our guide encouraged me to touch its shell. It was so stoked that I got to see and swim with one in the wild as I know it doesn’t happen very often. It was a great end to a great day.

On the fourth day we were all so tired from the past two days that we thought it would be best just to hang around the resort. Two of my family members actually got heat stroke from being in the sun the day before. The weather in Lombock was aa lot hotter than that in Singapore, especially as we were outside pretty much all day every day. When you’re always in the water it is so easy to forget to keep hydrated.

On the fourth day my dad and brother and I (as we weren’t sick) desperately wanted to go on another snorkelling trip. One of the drivers at the resort said he wanted to take us to some more remote and protected islands and we pretty much jumped at the proposal. The next morning we set off for about an hour’s drive to the harbor where we met up with the man who let us use his boat. We actually also met his family and were given complementary coconuts. The coconut water was so incredibly sweet and delicious. They also had super cute children!!

It took about an hour to get to the first island, Gilli Nanggu. This island was absolutely beautiful. I could hardly believe my eyes as to how clear the water was. I just had to stop and take it all in. I felt like I had just stepped into one of those exotic travel documentaries on national geographic. It was so insanely beautiful. We put on our flippers and as we headed into the water there was a girl of about 17 years of age who kept calling out “miss”, I turned around and she said, “Hi! Can we please get a photo with you?” I was so excited and taken back I immediately replied, “Ofcourse!”. Suddenly a group of about 20 people crowded around my brother and I and they all took photos with us. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, I just kept laughing at how completely out of the blue it was. It was so exciting for me that people wanted a photo with me even though they didn’t know me!!

The great thing about Gilli Nanggu in comparison to the more popular Gilli Islands is that it is significantly quieter which means that the coral is more colourful and untouched. The fish are also more naive meaning that it is much easier to see a wider range of species.

When we were snorkelling our guide handed each of us plastic bottles filled with bread.  In the water you could simply squeeze the bottle and bits of bread would come out. Within milli seconds schools of fish would literally come rushing to the bread. Within no time you were surrounded by up to about 40 fish, all of different species. I got to see so many clownfish!! It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had.

We also visited a second island, but I sadly cannot remember what it was called. The island was very small; you could easily swim around it in less than 5 minutes. The water was even more pristine than the previous island. It was an incredible day. I felt so blessed that I could to see such jaw dropping beauty.

I definitely recommend the Gilli Islands to anyone that is going to Lombock. It is a must that you see them!! It is significantly quieter that the other island which means that the colourful is more alive and untouched. I have never seen so many beautiful fish in my life.

This holiday really was one which came close to perfect. Being so close to the beach, surrounded by a welcoming culture and being spoilt with delicious local cuisine makes me believe I will be back in no time!