Around June 2017, some of my friends suddenly made a traveling discussion. They’re the same group that travel to Bali with me last year. Yeay, another traveling!!
The destination this year was Labuan Bajo / Komodo, whoa I was very exited back then despite a bit worry about the budget since Labuan Bajo must be pretty expensive as I know. After some thought and consideration, finally we made a decision, the trip will be 10 days long with Lombok, Bali, Labuan Bajo in it. For Lombok, it will take us 5 days, then Bali 2 days, finally Labuan Bajo 4 days. We’re 100% on our own in Lombok and Bali so we got arrange our hospitality and renting car as the need, but for Labuan Bajo, we had tour agency who will take care everything start from airport pickup to the return. We were 10 people many but gonna go separately in batch (here I’m 1 of 2 who got full 10 days). Let’s take the journey!!
Lombok (19th August – 23rd August)
Day 1
Me and Hendrik went to Lombok first together. We took 5 AM WIB flight from CGK and arrive at LOP at around 8 AM WITA. From LOP, we directly went to south part of Lombok and explore some beach there. Start from Selong Belanak, we go to east and meet Mawi, Semeti beach, then Mawun beach, Kuta beach, Aan beach, and last thing of the day was Merese Hill. Selong Belanak is one of the best beach we had due to its super clean white yet fine slope beach, there we could find many people do surfing and some snack/coconut store.
Mawi and Semeti also not tell to be less good, the beach is not kind of soft slope beach but filled by many big rocks, the tidal also looks scary there. It just another thing of scenery you can get in Mawi and Semeti. The next big thing is sunset gazing from Merese Hill, it was one of the best scene I ever felt upon my life to feel wind breezes and far from crowd. We also can hear water rippling from below of us. Done with the sky, we went to the north to Mataram city and met a friend who took night flight.
Day 2
In the morning, we packing our belonging and get ready to Gili Terawangan Island. we took taxi from hotel in Mataram and it price about 120k IDR. But there was a bad impression happened, we got tricked by local there. Right after we jump off from taxi, a local come and force us to took his Cidomo rides (a cart pulled by a horse) and price about 70k for 3 people (There were only 3 of us too), after some bidding, we got price lower down to 50k IDR for 3 people. Before we thought the rides will took some kilometres, but it was only about 700metres !! What’s on earth, we start to realize that we had been tricked. We got off in front off an office that admitted to be boat ticket seller. He asked a nonsense price to take a boat from Bangsal (name of our place) to Gili Trawangan. After some bidding, we got 400k IDR for 3 people. We felt something is off there because from I read in internet, it should be cost 80K IDR per pax or 240k IDR for 3 people. Step into the dock, then we found out that we had been tricked. the official ticket being sold there and priced 80k !!!! Nothing we can done, so we get into our fuckin expensive boat and take a rides.
In Gili Trawangan, we went to our hostel directly to get off some of our belonging then have a stroll around the island. It was very very hot that day, sun is shining so bright, walking made us exhausted, so we decide to take a snorkeling around 3 Gilis island (Gili Terawangan, Gili Air, Gili Meno). For me, the sea life wasn’t so good there, not so many fish/coral are there and the current were so strong that I almost get drift too far away from the boat ?.
Back to the land, it was around 5 PM, then we rushed to the west for sunset. There was a very famous place to take a sunset picture called Ombak Sunset. The view really was amazing, suitable for photography.
Day 3
Early in the morning, we go out and rent bicycle to circling the island. we successfully made a full round of it. It wasn’t so great unless to fill up our curiosity. Around 12 PM we took boat back to Bangsal, Lombok but we learned our mistake and didn’t do that anymore. One more thing is, never let any crew to put his hand to your luggage when entering or leaving the boat, they will ask for some money and that may cost up to 50k! You know that it’s hard to bid in that situation. Back to Lombok, we pickup by our another friends who just arrived in Lombok. We took our way back to Mataram also visit famous Senggigi beach in our way. But honestly, south part beach is much better than this. We also visit Pura Batu Bolong and see sunset from there.
Day 4
We start the day around 9AM and went directly to middle part of Lombok to see some waterfall. Benang Kelambu Waterfall become our destination, we can just follow google maps and ends up there. We choose the adventurous package and met 5 waterfall with Benang Kelambu on its end. Benang Kelambu does a superior waterfall I ever met. The water flowing down directly from the source and it have like 3 or 4 main flow. For those who worry with the track, the guard have official ride service so you will be get there by motorcycle. The trekking for 5 waterfall was about 1.5 – 2 hours long as I remember, but neverthless, it’s worth it !!
After took lunch, we went to South Part once again as we recommend it to our fresh arriving friends. So we went back there and took another amazing sunset view. That’s how day 4 ends and we back to hotel.
Day 5
In the morning, we go to airport to send some friends whose take airplane early. Then we have a lunch in central Lombok, Sate Bulayak, it wasn’t so worth it since the way is pretty far and the road is small. Bulayak is rice substitution and the satay still the same. The trip has to be end since me and everyone need to take flight to Bali on 5 PM. So that’s how I spent my vacation in Lombok.
Bali (23rd August – 25th August)
Day 6
Full day in bali, we had a good rest there and decided to not go too far since we had to Bali last year and explore everywhere. We just had some culinary, no more exhausting activities. But not forgot to mention, Bali’s food is definitely much much better than Lombok’s.
That’s how the first part end, for Labuan Bajo trip, I will served in the next post since it must be very adventurous and amazing. So make sure you read the post about it!
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