It's a shore thing

lovely Lombok

For years travellers to Indonesia have been spending the bulk of their time at the justifiably popular island, Bali. More recently however, there’s been a growing popularity of several other islands. Neighbouring Lombok, for instance, is a treat for those who are prepared to seek it out. A new international airport that opened in 2011 has made this island — a half-an-hour flight away from Bali — even easier to access.

White-sand beaches, epic surf, a forested interior and plenty of hiking trails are on Lombok’s invitation card. That the island is also relatively free from cloned monopolies of malls and upmarket stores places it clearly within the country’s more introspective aspect.

No matter where you stay, it’s always possible to arrange a visit to the local Sasak village. Chances are that you’ll be welcomed with the Gendang beleq, a performance that belongs to the Sasak cultural heritage. What has culture-vultures applauding is not only the dexterity of playing the drums, but also the stamina of the performers.

You may even be treated to a spot of Peresean — a martial art that features fighters attacking each other with weapons built of cane, and defending themselves with shields fashioned from animal skin.

While these performances may seem a trifle oriented to appease the exotic tastes of the traveller, the locals are the first to admit that they keep the tradition alive, not just to earn a livelihood, but for the pleasure of performing. A man with his face painted like a kitten is thoroughly absorbed in his act. The whole village turns up to giggle at his hilarious antics. Music played on a drum made of goatskin, stretched across a wooden frame, cymbals, and a traditional flute accompany his antics.

Abandon your guide for a bit of wandering. Through the clusters of wood-and-straw village homes, you’ll have chances aplenty to chat with the friendly locals. I enter one of the clusters. The roofs of the homes are low, compelling a gesture of respect from the visitors who stoop to enter. In the lanes around us, women weave the most colourful of cloth, also available on sale. If you want to go deeper into ikat weaving, pottery or woodcarving, enquire locally. The trend of students coming from Singapore, Korea, Japan and Malaysia to apprentice with weavers here has been growing.

Diverse practices
The longer the time you spend here, the deeper you’ll get under the skin of the place. A friendly villager tells me what he’s clearly explained multiple times: the indigenous Sasak people are predominantly Muslim; however, before the arrival of Islam, they were in a long period that was marked with Hindu and Buddhist influences. This points out that the religion they now practice is syncretistic. Another distinguishing feature of the place are the pile-built rice barns constructed in rows, each with a single opening. Known in these parts as lumbung, they leave any visiting architectural aficionado impressed.

Other worthy forays into cultural life include a stop at Pura Batu Bolong. What the temple lacks in size, it makes up for in atmosphere. The name Batu Bolong, which translates to ‘rock with a hole’, refers to the natural cavity in the boulder beneath the temple. Here, black-and-white chequered cloth (called saput poleng) that covers statues, and which is also draped over trees, symbolises that sorrow is part of happiness, and that the world holds binaries and contradictions, as it must. By the light of the setting sun, the altars, the pagodas and the carved rock look particularly resplendent.

The temple of Pura Lingsar is next on my list. As places of worship go, it’s the great equaliser. Built in 1714, this multi-denominational marvel is as sacred to Lombok’s Hindu community as it is to the local Muslims, Buddhists and Christians who come together to pray. Wearing a sash and a sarong to enter any of the shrines is the local respect code.

Despite the draw of Lombok’s cultural side, a majority of travellers happen to crave nature’s abundance here. Hikes through the rice fields of the interiors appease adventure-seekers. Then there’s the syrupy brilliance of the coastline, which remains free of narrative and provides strong counterpoint to the bustling Bali. Kuta Beach — a perfect composition of sand and surf — is good for quiet evenings with sketchbook, or for a spot of soul-searching, or just to reset the internal rhythms to a clock where everything flows at a leisurely pace.

Island by food
Another good way to let Lombok in is through its food. Finding a secluded beach food-shack is rather effortless. If you want a meal that pairs perfectly with the landscape, order sate ikan tanjung — pieces of fresh snapper or tuna mixed with coconut milk, lemongrass, garlic, chilli paste, and spices, wrapped onto the sate stick and grilled. They are instant crowd-pleasers.

This chilli is as omnipresent to local food as Gunung Rinjani — the second largest volcano in Indonesia — is to the landscape. Boiled spinach seasoned with chilli sauce (made from fresh chilli, tomato, salt, grilled coconut, roasted shrimp paste and lime) is another dining welcome mat. Ribs of goat that are cooked in soup and served with plain rice, lemon and chilli are also popular. That the chilli can be served separately is the way everyone can access the meal, no matter his or her spice-tolerance level. And that’s just it about the place — things are flexible; the spirit is laid-back.

You may have planned to use Lombok as a quick stop before you respond to the siren call of the coral reefs of the nearby Gili Islands. You may have itchy fingers to test your underwater camera on the selection of sharks, rays and turtles that you know you’ll see there. But give Lombok a chance, and you’ll find the other Eden — a place where people have time for you, craftsmen are appreciated, beaches are deserted, and experiences — for some part at least — are still driven by and for the locals.