Use caution when you build in Lombok

There is a law in Indonesia that states you cannot build within 50 meters of the high tide line, at coastal areas. Everyone does of course, thinking that the local government would never pull them up for it. On Gili Trawangan, the local government is doing just that, threatening to pull down beachfront businesses!

Why would politicians want to pull down the infrastructure that earns their community money? I have no logical answer, other than to say ‘logic’ isn’t in great supply here, and that sometimes things happen to encourage other things.

Just today I was telling my friend Devin about the cool, beachfront restaurants, bales and hotels on Gili Trawangan. According to the Lombok Times, the local government wants to ‘adjust’ the beachside buildings. On the front page of the Lombok Times is a 1/3 page banner ad saying ‘Save Gili Trawangan Beachfronts’. Businesses listed are Hotel Vila Ombak, The Beach House, Stud Stables, Horizontal Bar, Rudy’s Bar, Tir No Nog, AJ Hackett, Dive Indonesia, Dream Divers. These are all the high-end busnesses on the island, so everyone is worried.

The letter from the provisional land department on Jan 15th, demands the demolition be done by the end of April. In all likelihood, the demolition won’t happen and a solution will be found. If it does happen, say goodbye to tourism on Gili T for years, with Gili Air, the next most developed island, reaping the benefit. One thing I have heard from expats and Indonesians during my time here is, people change overnight. You think you have a cozy situation, and then its all changed. I’m sure the people who toughed it out in Gili T are downright pissed, that some grey-suit in government is messing their plans up.