Travelling to Lombok
Our trip to Lombok began with the free sky shuttle to Senai Airport. Singaporeans travelling there and back can take this free transportation from 3 pickup points, namely Newton MRT, Queens St Terminal or Kranji MRT. For us we boarded the first bus at Kranji at 4am and departed for Senai Airport.
It was really easy to catch a flight to Lombok from Senai Airport because flights travel there 3 times per week (Tue, Thur, Sat) at 0650hr.
The hot meals served onboard Airasia were certainly delicious. We had Nasi Lemak for our departure flight and you can just smell the fragrance of the rice filling the plane. Ok, so I exaggerated but it’s a must try if you get hungry which you probably will.
This new flight route has certainly benefited Singaporeans and Malaysians alike, making it really convenient for us to travel to Lombok. Once we arrived at our destination, our holiday officially began! Wohoo!
Beaches at Lombok
We started our journey at Lombok by visiting some of the most beautiful beaches, namely Mawun Beach and Selong Beranak Beach. You can see the different shades of blue and it was just amazing. The sand felt so fine and comfortable that I could just bury my feet in it. The sight was majestic to behold!
If you think that the scenery during the day is spectacular, the scenery during the night is just as wonderful. Picture yourself dining on the beach, enjoying seafood as the cool breeze blows on you and the sky slowly turns dark. What a luxury huh? That’s the experience you will get to enjoy if you dine at Menega Lombok, seafood restaurant by the beach.
Islands to visit
On the following day, we went island hopping and had our go at snorkelling at Gili Nanggu! We didn’t need to swim far to see schools of fishes swimming and there were quite a lot of them. If you haven’t tried snorkelling, you should!
After that we enjoyed BBQ fish at Gili Sundak as fresh fish were barbecued for us.
Natural Attractions
We also trekked to this waterfall, Sindang Gilaand it was a glorious sight to behold. We could just stand there and stare at the waterfall in awe of it. Really beautiful. Makes you just want to go into a state of contemplation as you bask in nature.
We made this pitch stop to observe the sunset. Now I totally understand why photographers would camp for this moment. The image is so surreal that it looked like it jumped right out of a painting. The middle of the sun is composed of white and only its outer rings are orange.
If you think that oh it’s just another sunset, you cannot be further from the truth. What makes this the perfect photo taking spot is that there are palm trees in the vicinity and they make a really good addition to our photographs. Not to mention that our experience was enriched by the strong, cooling winds that accompanied the sunset. See the palm trees dancing in the wind? It’s not everyday that even the weather works for you.
I caught this view from inside the van we were travelling in so the quality of the photograph isn’t as good. Just look at the pinkish hue!
Man-made Attractions
We also visited the Autore Pearl Farm and Showroom. While it was unfortunately closed, the scenery was really photogenic. You could take photographs at different angles and it would still look really professional. My photograph was taken with an Iphone for your information.
The Streets of Lombok
This is how a street located in Lombok looks like. Along the roads, you can see many street stalls bustling with activity. Motorcycles, vans and even horses-pulled carts whizzed past us on the roads.
The scenic spots at Lombok are plentiful, you just need to know where to look for them. Strongly recommended for a holiday beach getaway. Enjoy what Lombok has to offer become it becomes another commercialised, tourist attraction.
Tips for Tourists:
1) Hire a van/bus for transportation during your stay. Preferably someone who knows the place well and is good at driving. Travelling in comfort is important because it takes rather long to get to certain destinations.
2) Get a tour guide. Even if you speak their language, you don’t know the place as well as they do. They may reveal certain hidden gems or less known attractions to you.
3) If you intend to go snorkelling or engage in activities that require equipment, enquire with your hotel. They may provide better quality equipment for reasonable prices.
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Writer: Samuel Low