Lombok: Still a virtual tourist free island- part II

"There's a surprising lack of reliable information about Lombok: the Balinese will tell you that there are only rice and bananas to eat, no roads, no places to stay, that Lombok people are skilled in knife-fighting, and are easily provoked-all quite untrue. The Balinese just want to keep the tourist business to themselves. Slightly smaller, and drier than Bali, There's an intact Balinese culture in the western part, with serene temples and impressive palaces. Accommodation in the 3 main towns- Ampenan, Mataram and Cakranegara-are outstandingly good value; the best are Balinese owned and run."

I have been to Lombok twice in the last 2 years and here’s how it changed. Senggigi, located on the coast just north Mataram, has developed into the tourist center. Here you will find restaurants, bars, guesthouses and hotels including the Sheraton. Most tourists will stay in Sengigi or keep going to the port of Bangsal and catch a ferry to the Gili's.

On the south coast there is Kuta Lombok which has about a dozen guesthouse and the same amount of warungs. Outside of Kuta Lombok there really aren't any paces to stay or eat on the south coast. I found the Lombok people to be shy, but friendly when approached. The island itself is largely undeveloped for tourism and seems super quiet. It really is a different world from Bali and makes for a different kind of adventure. I like it!