Arriving in Mataram Airport
There's a ferry leaving Padangbai to Lembar every 90 minutes. Price is 7000 Rp pp and 125.500 Rp for a car. It's not possible to take a rented car with "RC" at the end of the numberplate from Bali to Lombok. You can however hire a car in Senggigi.(9/98)
Arriving by ferry from Bali There's a ferry leaving Padangbai to Lembar every 90 minutes. Price is 7000 Rp pp and 125.500 Rp for a car. It's not possible to take a rented car with "RC" at the end of the numberplate from Bali to Lombok. You can however hire a car in Senggigi.(9/98) Climbing Mt Rinjani What to take
- The climb is not to be taken lightly ! You definitely need good hiking boots. Once you arrive at 2700 m (crater rim) it tends to get cold and windy, so you need warm clothes. Don't go there during the rainy season since paths will be slippery.
- It's better to have your own sleeping bags. They can be hired, but quality can be poor. Tents can be rented.
Where to start
It depends a bit on what you want to do.
- If you want to go to the top, it might be better to go directly to Sembalun Lawang and start walking from there. Majda started from Senaru, so they first had to take a bus to Sembalun Lawang, but this can be arranged by your guide.
- If you just want to go to the crater rim and into the crater, then you can start from Senaru.
Hiring guides and porters
Senaru
Most hotels in Senaru can arrange this for you. Majda stayed in Pondok Indah Cottages (20.000 Rp for a double with shower and breakfast). For their 3 day trip with 4 people they paid 350.000 Rp (coming from 450.000 Rp). This included 3 porters and a guide, as well as tents and food. Two day trips going to the rim and into the crater will be cheaper.
Sembalun
- In Sembalun there's only 1 losmen, the Pondok Sembalun along the way to Rinjani. They have 6 double rooms with bathroom and charge 20.000 Rp excluding breakfast (6/98).
- It's also possible to stay in private houses.
- Another option is to start your walk up Rinjani immediately after your arrival. You can walk for about 2 hours till the first shelter where you can spend the night.
The 3-day trip: Senaru-Sembulan-Pelawangan-Top-into the crater with hot springs-back to Senaru
- From Senaru to Sembulan, it's a 90 minutes ride starting around 5 am.
- From Sembulan you start walking in a grassy area for about 2 hours, the top is in front of you, temperatures are OK. There's a breakfast break. Then there's a second 2 hour walk and another break. Finally it's still 90 minutes to get to Pelawangan II. You'll arrive there a bit after noon. You put up the tents there and have the afternoon off.
- Next day you get up at 3 am to be at the top at sunrise. The first hour is very steep. Once at the rim it can get very windy, and temperatures will drop. The top is at 3700 m, and especially the last 200 metres are very hard since you're walking on volcanic sand. This means that with every step you put, you will slide down a bit. If you manage to do it, it'll take you about 3 hours to get from the camp to the top. Afterwards, you return to the camp to have breakfast, and start packing.
- From there you go down to the Lake Segara Anak. The track is steep and slippery, so be careful. There's a fence at certain places, but it's not in a good state nowadays. Around the lake, there's a camping area, and you can have a bath in the hot springs. You can have lunch there.
- After this break, you will start to climb up for 2-3 hours to Pelawangan I and down to Base camp III where you will spend the night. It is possible to camp at Pelawangan I, but there's not much place and it's very windy there.
- The last day is an easy 2 hours walk down.
Tetebatu and around
Tetebatu :
This village is on the edge of the Rinjani mountain forest. It is about 550 meters above sea level. There are several hotels and restaurants (Soedjona hotel, Wisma Diwi Enjeni, Pondok Tetabatu, Lentera Indah known under the name Green Orry Inn, Pondok Bulan, Mekar Sari and Cendrawasih)
Kembang Kuning (Benteng):
Village near Tetabatu. It is on the way tot Jeruk Manis Waterfall. There are two places to stay : The first one is Losmen Hakiki with nice views from any of its sides. The second one is Wisma Rambutan situated in a quiet garden.
Loyok village :
Loyok village is well known as a bamboo and grass handicraft centre. This village is considered as one of the seven attractions of East Lombok. It is located just 1,5 Km from Kotaraja. The very thin place-mates in grass that some shops sales in Bali and Sengiggi are made in this village.
Rungkang
Rungkang village is a part of Loyok. It is known for its pottery. (The prices in the village of Banyumulek, on the west site from Lomok, only a few Km from Mataram, are better).
Kotaraja:
Daily market from 8 to 12 noon. On Monday and Wednesday, the marked is bigger. Travellers should beware of pickpockets. There is a moneychanger where you can change bank notes and traveller cheques. It is located about 150 metres from the crossroad, on the right hand of the road to Tetebatu. The rates here may be lower than in Mataram.
Jeruk Manis waterfall (AIK TEMER):
You can go there by car or motorcycle until the edge of the forest and than on foot for 2,5 Km. It’s easy to find the way, you do not really need a guide.
Warning :
- Woman should not to go alone, especially on Fridays. More than once, women have been robbed in the forest.
- While you are taking a bath or a shower, your things should not be out of your sight!
Water spring "Otak Koko Gading" (JOBEN):
This place is completed with two swimming pools.
Loang Gali (Water spring, Black monkey forest):
At this place, Sasak dance is performed often. It is very cool area. A lot of birds and monkeys. Pringgasela :
The centre of traditional woven filled with the touches of Lombok drawings.
Suradadi:
Baskets and other things in Lontar (kind of palm leaf).
Going to the Eastern Gili's: Gili Petangan
It's possible to visit the Eastern Gili's. This can be arranged from Senaru. There's almost no accomodation on the islands, and they are not yet developed for tourists.
Majda paid 840.000 Rp for 4 people for the 3 day trip including transport, boat, food and drinks (9/98).
Snorkeling gear is extra at about 15.000 Rp p.p. for the 3 days.
Accomodation on the mainland:
- You can sleep on your boat
- Siola Cottages are right on the beach and cost 35.000 Rp for a double with outside mandi and including breakfast.
- Hati Suci Inn, Pringgabaya charges 50.000 Rp for a double with mandi including breakfast. food is good. The hotel is about 100 m above sealevel, no need for fan or AC.
Getting from Lombok to Flores The most popular way I suppose is to join a boat tour taking from 4 to 6 days. On the way, you will stop at several places to go snorkeling. For more info, look at the Flores page.
Another option is to take the plane from Mataram. However, take into account that Merpati is cancelling a lot of flight nowadays, so an overnight stay (or sometimes 2 days) in Bima is sometimes necessary.
The third option is to go there by bus and ferry. You will be promised an AC sleeping bus, but be careful since this only goes to Bima, from there onwards it's just a local crowded bus. Majda had a bad experience on this bus:
- First of all it left 90 minutes late, but OK, you're in Indonesia.
- Secondly, prepare to wait for the ferry to Sumbawa.
- Thirdly, you arrive in the middle of the night in Bima (4.30 am) where you have to change to a local bus.
- Normally, you will arrive in Sape in the morning where you can get on the ferry the same morning. However, 1 of the 2 ferries has broken down, so there's only 1 ferry who has to do the 2 crossings on its own. The schedule nowadays is like this:
1) From monday to thursday: Labuan-Sape in the morning and Sape-Labuan in the afternoon (arriving around midnight).
2) From Friday to Sunday: the opposite.
3) CONCLUSION: Check this story before leaving, once the ferry is repaired, it should be as before: a ferry leaving in either direction in the morning.
Fourth option: ACE-travel sometimes organises cruises around the island. I don't know them myself, so i can't comment. They usually organise it in high season, and the cruises are not cheap. This is an overview of what they offer:
- Price for cruise Bima-Maumere, dec. 23 – Jan. 4: $ 2.145 (cruise A)
- Price for cruise Bima-Waingapu dec, 23 – Dec. 26: $ 660 (cruise A1)
- Price for cruise Waingapu-Maumere Dec. 26 – Jan. 4: $ 1.485 (cruise A2)
- Price for cruise Waingapu-Ende Dec. 26- Dec. 29 : $ 660 (cruise A3)
- Price for cruise Ende-Maumere Dec. 29 – Jan. 4: $ 1.155 (cruise A4)
You can contact them at Ace-Travel, PT. Abdi Ceria Emas Wisata Jalan Pariwisata 41, Mataram 83121, Lombok NTB - Indonesia Telp. +62 (0)370-621780 Fax +62 (0)370-628251 E-mail:
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Check out http://www.lombok-network.com, a site made by local people with mainly info on Sengigi and the Gili's. |
