Senggigi
Map
Senggigi
Facts
 Senggigi
Beach is located North of Bangsal, belongs to the most scenic
and most popular beaches on the island of Lombok with good
accommodation facilities. Coral gardens grow in the sea just
off shore. Senggigi is maybe Lombok's equivalent to Bali's
Kuta Beach, but is in many ways totally different.
It's far more quiet and peaceful, the nightlife here is also
more limited. The place is located north of Mataram and not
far from the airport, many tourists prefer to stay here the
first days before they explore the rest of the island, but
you can also use Senggigi as your permanent base.
Senggigi is clearly the most developed tourist area on Lombok,
but stretches over a wide area and is still not overdeveloped.
There are some large, expensive hotels here, but you can also
find accommodation of a more simple standard.
The number of restaurants have also increased in the last
few years, but there is still some time before Lombok can
compete with Bali. It is recommended to enjoy the sunset from
a restaurant by the beach, the nightlife is not as varied
as on Bali, but there are some pubs and nightclubs with live
music.
To explore the area outside Senggigi it is a good idea to
rent a car with or without a driver. Taxi is also cheap, but
don't trust them to come back to pick you up in remote areas,
if they get a better deal they tend to "forget"
you. If you visit remote areas keep the car the whole day,
that can save you a lot of trouble getting back to the hotel.
Motorbikes are dangerous, a lot of tourists have accidents
here every year, make sure your travel insurance is valid
and drive at your own risk. Except for some Hindu temples
and the beach there are not so many attractions here, but
as a base for exploring Lombok and for rest and recreation
it is an excellent place. Senggigi Beach is a few kilometer
long, and good for swimming and snorkeling.
It's possible to arrange diving trips to the Gili islands
or a trek to the top of Gunung Rinjani from here, but to a
much higher price than you have to pay if you go on your own.
The view towards Bali and Gunung Agung while hundreds of colorful
fishing vessels come back from fishing early in the morning
is an unforgettable sight, and the sunsets are as beautiful
as sunsets come. North of Senggigi is another beautiful coastal
area with a few hotels and lovely view towards the Gili islands
and Bali.
The tourism here has gone downhill after the riots following
the Asia crisis and the political turmoil in Indonesia since
1998, the terrorist attacks in New York 11th September 2001
didn't help either. But people do usually forget unpleasant
things quite quickly and now starts to return to Lombok. Still
it should be easy to get a hotel room here without ordering
in advance, at least in the low season.
Sukarare
This is a village of weavers south of Cakranegara. Lombok
is known for its brightly patterned songket cloth, people
have been making it on their handlooms for many generations.
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