the lombok times pocket by Artoio Gomes

lomboktimes

the

p o c k e t

Issue no.76 - August 2010

Free Honeymoon Islands The Sekotong Gilis The name of honeymoon island is heritaged its romantic nickname as the location, vista and atmosphere is seemingly teared out from a fake honeymoon leaflet.

Peresean Sasaknese Men The two fighters - will perform their strength and skills to show who the real fighter is. Each of them is armoured by a rattan stick (used to beat the cows on the crop fields) and a buffalo leathered shield

Lakey Beach A Heaven for WorldSurfers Lakey-Hu’u beach, in the district of Dompu, is well known for its consistent roll of waves and has made the area popular as “heaven” among world class surfers.

All about the outs and abouts in Lombok  culture  activities  shopping  dining  accomodation  Lombok whitepages

content The Peresean was originally performed as a martial art at former kingdoms, performed as an emotional release after winning the war. Apart from that, the performance also was a way to examine oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bravery, zeal and fighting skills.

Honeymoon

14 Island REGULAR 8 Contents 10 Letter from the publisher 12 Letter from The Governor of West Nusa Tenggara 48 Maps 59 Directory

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

The name of honeymoon island is heritaged its romantic nickname as the location, vista and atmosphere is seemingly teared out from a fake honeymoon leaflet. It however does exist. Just about 50km from the provincial capital city of Mataram, Gili Sudak is part of the upcoming Sekotong district.

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Lombok International Airport Bima, Tourism Golden Triangle In East Indonesia Dark Days Are Over Sekolah Nusa Alam Celebrates Ten Years Dragons Representing Indonesia In New7wonders Competition Grand Opening Of The Peduli Anak School The Art Of Stick Fighting Surfing At Lakey Beach Mount Rinjani International Climbing Competition Investment In Mandalika Tourism Resort Sail Indonesia 2010 The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Letter From The Publisher Welcome to the latest issue of The Lombok Times. While many of you won’t notice anything strange, regular readers of our publication will see a significant difference compared to our earlier editions. Since a long time we were preparing something big and small at the same time. Lombok is growing and so are we. More than seven years ago we were proud to bring you the first English newspaper in Lombok. Today we’re even more proud to bring you the fist monthly Lombok magazine.

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

p o c k e t

LICENSE SIUPP No. 187/TDI/MTR-22210/V/08 Issue 76 August 2010 Publication: every month PT. cikamedia Publications LOMBOK OFFICE Princess of Lombok business center Jl. Raya Senggigi - Senggigi 83355 Lombok Barat NTB - Indonesia Main Telephone +62 (0) 370 69 20 77 Fax +62 (0) 370 69 20 78 Sales Department +62 (0) 370 69 20 75 Graphic Department +62 (0) 370 69 20 76

BALI OFFICE Istana Kuta Galeria Block Techno #09 - Kuta 80361 Bali - Indonesia Main Telephone +62 (0) 361 88766 80 Fax +62 (0) 361 88766 81 Sales Department +62 (0) 361 88766 85 Graphic Department +62 (0) 361 88766 86

Publisher Ni Wayan Novriyanti - novri@cika.asia Editorial and Contributions: info@cika.asia

After 75 issues of innovation we just had to come up with something unique. Changing from the well known tabloid sized format into a more pocketable, trendy glossy magazine was not only the result of our never ending thrive to improve our print quality, but also just the right thing to do.

Distribution We distribute for a full 30 days Call us for top-ups and distribution requests at your restaurant, hotel or shop

Filled till the edge with news from Lombok and beyond, awesome footage by our house photographer Qwadru, an expanded map section and the first Lombok White Pages, one could imagine we’ve put all our beans into one bag. Nothing is more far from the truth though. We commit ourselves to announce even more exciting innovations over the next coming months. Because after all, it’s the innovation, creativity and honesty what differs cikamedia Publications from the rest.

Editorial & contributions 20 August 2010

Ni Wayan Novriyanti Publisher

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Deadlines Issue 77 (September 2010)

Advertisement 25 August 2010 Issue 78 (October 2010) Editorial & contributions 20 September 2010 Advertisement 25 September 2010 Although we encourage other media to spread our words, all articles, display and photographs remain the property of cikamedia Publications and may not be used or reproduced without prior written permission. Cikamedia Publications makes every effort to ensure accuracy but cannot be held responsible for any errors, changes or omissions that may occur. Selected Photography by Qwadru

Letter From The Governor of West Nusa Tenggara The province of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is one of the leading tourism destinations in nationwide Indonesia. Our region has great potential and offers a wide variety of tourism attractions. Fauna & flora, beaches, mountains, vistas, forests, lakes and marine parks are part of our natural heritage, but what makes this province truly amazing is its cultural uniqueness of customs, arts, crafts and its distinctive culinary diversity. All of these facts represent the West as the “Pearl of the Equator”. Did I mention that our province is also the best and largest pearl producer in Indonesia? If you see what a wealth of things our province has to offer, it is no surprise that the local government is committed to support tourism as one of leading sectors for the region. The result of these efforts is “Visit Lombok Sumbawa 2012”, a province wide program targeting to welcome one million tourists in the year 2012. A couple months ago, Lombok has organized the first Pearl Festival Indonesia Mice synergy with the implementation of the Corporate Travel Mart. Right in front of our shores, the Pacific Ocean flows into the Indian Ocean, rising nutrient values to a state where our waters become very fertile. Pearls cultivated in NTB marine waters are therefore widely recognized for their good quality. It is important to introduce the beauty of NTB to the international community. We need

cooperation with the media as a conduit of information to the public. The Lombok Times is, as the only English-language news magazine, very helpful to the provincial tourism development. A good cooperation with The Lombok Times will continue to materialize and help the government to continue improving all the needs associated with the tourism sector. Finally, I strongly hope the tourism NTB will be well developed. The Lombok Times, as one of the founding partners in raising the value added of Lombok tourism, remains the focus for working professionals and provide a positive impression to readers about the beauty of the West Nusa Tenggara province.

The governor of West Nusa Tenggara TGH. M. ZAINUL MAJDI, MA The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Honeymoon Islands

The Sekotong Gilis, A Romantic Escape

Even though most tourists connect the word ‘gili’ with the three upper most famous islands in the North of Lombok, the word means actually ‘very small island’ in the Sasak language still spoken by most of the island’s natives. It’s of course true that Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are currently Lombok’s most visited gilis. Less known is the fact that Lombok has hundreds of these gilis. Every single gili has its charms but only some ten

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

are constantly populated and even less of them provide tourism accommodation. The name of honeymoon island is heritaged its romantic nickname as the location, vista and atmosphere is seemingly teared out from a fake honeymoon leaflet. It however does exist. Just about 50km from the provincial capital city of Mataram, Gili Sudak is part of the upcoming Sekotong district. Sudak has an area of approximately 18

hectares and is adjoined by three other islands, Gili Nanggu, Gili Tangkong and Gili Kedis. With just 2.5 hectares, Gili Kedis is the smallest of the four islands in Sekotong. Seen from the Tawun village on the mainland, Gili Kedis looks like a fairy tale coral island with lush foliage. Gili kedis is the smallest of the four islands in the Sekotong. Surrounded by white sandy beaches, it’s no wonder that most visitors to these Gilis feel like on they’re on their honeymoon! On our exploration we meet the French couple Julie Laverdez and Vidre Wibowo. “We are just amazed! We’re very happy to visit these islands. The nature is so beautiful, peaceful and everything is still so pure,” said Julie.

Julie and Vidre are among a group of 10 tourists who came to witness this astonishing part of Lombok. According to Tohri, one of the tour guides, Gili Nanggu is a place where visitors can experience the nature and its marine life. The island is very suitable for those who enjoy snorkeling or diving. Various fish on Gili Nanggu shores gather every time there is food around, so visitors can see them close. Lunch is mostly enjoyed in Gili Sudak at the only restaurant on the 18 hectares big island. “We serve grilled freshly catched fish from the local fishermen,” said Toto, the restaurant owner.

After lunch, the group headed to the real honeymoon island. The trip takes only five minutes from Sudak. When the tide is low, the island is actually accessible by crossing its 200m long, overlapping beach area. The Honeymoon Island honors its name, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. The islands can be reached by a 1.5 hour drive from Mataram by private car, taxi or motorbike. From the Tawun pier, motor boats can bring you to the islands without getting wet. A ride will take 10-15 minutes in a mostly calm bay. The gilis are frequently visited by very small groups of tourists. A tour with one of the motorboats will cost you approximately Rp 300,000. The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Lombok International Airport

TO BE OPERATIONAL BY THE END OF THIS YEAR The acceleration of the Lombok International Airport (Bandara Internasional Lombok - BIL) development has been continuously put into efforts. The airport was scheduled to be ready last June but some issues have hindered the actual finishing. At this very moment the provincial Government is working hard with all parties to get the airport operational by the end of this year. Most – if not all – technical problems will soon be solved. Even though there is no final solution for the road access problem, it is expected that the problem will solve itself during the time. Most of the planned routes are accessible as of today and will be able to handle the predicted traffic flows in the first years. Roads will get finished while traffic increases and therefore will avoid future traffic jams. During a meeting at the Indonesian Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Vice President Boediono stated that the opening of the

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

BIL and the extension of Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport were very important assets in the development of the two neighboring provinces. The meeting was attended by a number of stakeholders. Mr. Yopie Hidayat, Vice President Representative and Special Staff Mass Media, explained that some problems like the legal permissions for the land hand over for the road access are about to be handled. He continued with ensuring that there was no problem with the airport development. “We are at 95% today; we just need the finishing touch.”

West Nusa Tenggara Governor, Zainul Majdi, MA, reconfirmed that the land handover problem would be solved soon and roads will be ready by the end of 2010 or latest Q1 2011. The road access cost will be jointly burdened by the State Budget (APBN) and the NTB Regional Budget (APBD) of IDR 679 billion and APBD of IDR 150 billion respectively. Lalu Moh. Faozal - the speech representative of the NTB Provincial Government said that problems can be divided into three categories: the development of main infrastructure, the road access and social problems of those living next to the airport. The problems related to the main infrastructure, are about to be void. The management of Angkasa Pura I informed us that the physical work today is on 99%. This comes into account as the airport terminal

We are at 95% today; we just need the finishing touch

has been 95% finished, apron supporting equipment provision 96% and parking area 100%. By the end of July these figures should all reach 100%. The latter two problems are more serious ones. For the South connection towards Kuta there is about 15.2 hectares of land which should be hand over tot the local government to support additional road access. The 125 residential units on this area definitely donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the problem easier. The main part of this land has been cleared but the rest (4.7 hectares) still needs to be processed. Clearance cost is estimated on IDR 4.1 billion. Additionally, the land that should be cleared towards Mataram is about 28.15 hectares. There is about 4.8 hectare to be processed with a cost of IDR 28.1 billion. Funds are released or subjected to be released in the following months. On top of the access roads there is need for a supportive ring road around the BIL area, to avoid shortcuts by people living around the airport. Angkasa Pura is ready to build the ring road on their account, but the cost to clear the land must be handled by the Central Lombok and Provincial Government.ď ś The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Tourism Golden Triangle

In East Indonesia The Lesser Sunda Islands is the geographical name for those areas in Nusa Tenggara which cover Bali, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Provinces. Bima Regency, the most eastern area of Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara, has now declared itself to be the tourism â&#x20AC;&#x153;golden triangleâ&#x20AC;? area in East Indonesia. The term, which was introduced by the Regent of Bima, H Fery Zulkarnaen ST, is hardly nonsense. In a strategic location between the tourism areas of Bali and Lombok in the west, Komodo Island in the east and Tana Toraja in Sulawesi as the

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

northern apex this can have a significant effect for the Bima area. Tourism development in Bima itself is supported by various natural, religious and maritime tourism objects. This includes a long recorded history in this area, starting from the Sultanate of Bima era until now as a Level II region in NTB, providing an area rich in history and cultural tourism. Amongst others, a ritual known as Hanta Ua Pua, celebrates the Moslem religion when it entered Bima a long time ago. Some famous historical sites are Wadu Pa’a at Sowa Village, Soromandi District, and the Dana Taraha gravesite, a burial complex of the King and the Sultan of Bima located on a hill about one kilometer from the Bima Bus Terminal. Amongst the beaches in Bima Regency that could be choices for tours are two quite well known beaches, namely Kalaki and Rontu beaches, both of which have white sand, small ocean waves and are surrounded by exotic mountain panoramas. No less interesting is Snake Island, an island located in the middle of Wera eastern territory, which is also close to Gili Banta and Tolowamba islands. Snake Island has a variety of sea snake with silver white colour

Amongst the beaches in Bima Regency that could be choices for tours are two quite well known beache combined with shiny black skin. Uniquely, those snakes are tame and friendly to people and tourists who visit the island. The island can be reached by land transport of about 45 minutes from Bima, then crossing to the island by boat from the nearby community, which takes about 15 minutes. With these potential items in mind, some innovative and creative ideas keep on being

developed by the local authority, the Regency of Bima, to realize economic development, which later on could help prosper Bima communities. One of the factors which became a main priority is the development of communication services such that the area is no longer isolated. Some airline companies now service the flight route from and to Bima

on a regular basis, but usually the visitors are just transiting Bima, and they rarely stay for a long time. “At this time, only Trans Nusa serves the flight route to Bima well,” said Branch Manager of PT Trans Nusa Air Services for Denpasar District, Fajar Asmara. Trans Nusa operates a daily flight service to Bima. The Administration of Bima Regency is serious about improving the facilities at Salahuddin Airport with an extension of the runway from 1650m length to its present 2250m at a width of 45m. According to Fajar, with a number of sectors involved, the tourism sector in this area could increase rapidly, as expected by the Regent of Bima when inaugurating the daily flight to Bima some time ago. The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Facts

is 72 Mw with 112 generation of Lombok The consolidated power e of minimum 40 rtag sho a g ncin erie is exp Mw peak load. The island rly turn off sevula reg to PLN , which forced megawatts of electricity was old equipson shortage. The main rea eral grids to overcome the ing back to the dat re we s ine eng e ce; som ment and poor maintenan to temporary ers tom cus uested heavy load 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Previously, PLN req this, the Mataram ng doi By . nts pla er n pow install and use their ow receive incentives in as & Resort in Senggigi Mall and The Santosa Vill the form of discounts. sel by about 30%, increase the usage of die The new machines will year. The 30-40 to a mere 18,000 tons per from 16,000 tons of diesel ugh Singapore thro ai Dub from was shipped tons heavy equipment onal capability rati ope e has 6,000 hours of and Jakarta. Each machin before maintenance. likely happen. Even engine burnouts will less With the extra capacity, uts, as other encko bla in lt resu probably when it happens it will less acity. cap of ch up the temporary loss gines will be able to cat machines is that chartering these new space to Anang Widjayanta states ing ath . It will give enough bre a only short-term solution power plant am ste led fue l coa of the new wait for the completion of this 2 x 25Mw bok. The groundbreaking in Jeranjang, West Lom be ready within to led edu sch is and started project has already been ed a sufficient cat allo PLN , extra equipment 18 months. To rent the Regional Budâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s , the equivalent of Lombok budget of Rp. 800 billion get (APBD).

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Sekolah Nusa Alam CELEBRATES

TEN YEARS!

Lombok’s own national-plus school, Sekolah Nusa Alam, is celebrating its tenth birthday. On 10th June, 200 of Lombok’s best and brightest gathered for a gala Benefit Dinner Party to celebrate the occasion at Café Alberto in Senggigi. Thanks to sponsors from the local business community, and with the addition of some private donations, enough money was raised from ticket sales to purchase an interactive white-board to complement the school’s growing technology program.

The night was calm and dry, a cool breeze off the water keeping spirits up. The food was excellent. Entertainment was provided by a local band and some of the school’s senior students put on a lively dance performance. The school’s principal, Gregg Renneberg, gave an inspiring speech which stressed the pride the school community feels in

creating and sustaining Lombok’s only truly international school. Two of the school’s founders described the early history of the school’s conception and birth, and how after ten years the ‘baby’ has ‘grown up’! Ibu Ace, Head of the School Board, released a pair of beautiful Thai-style candle ‘balloons’ into the night sky, and teachers, parents and students got down to the serious business of partying. The event was followed by a two-day celebration for students and their families on 17-18 June; parties, games, house sports, music and a family assembly were all included. And there is plenty to celebrate! The school opened in January 2000 with six elementary (SD) students and five

Close to the beach and surrounded by green fields, the Sekolah Nusa Alam is situated in Montong

Indonesian and international teachers. Since then it has grown to its present size of 130 students and 15 teachers. Junior secondary classes (SMP) began in 2004 and in 2007 the first graduates topped the district in the national examinations and were accepted into two of the most selective senior secondary schools in the province. Many other children have gone on to top-level international schools overseas, including in the USA, Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the Philippines. Then, in 2009 the school commenced senior secondary (SMA) classes and adopted the highly acclaimed Cambridge International Examinations curriculum; IGCSE and A levels. This curriculum is recognized internationally and prepares students for the rigors of further study, as well as the real working world. The school was recently accredited as Lombok’s first examination centre for IGCSE. The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

A new building has recently been constructed to provide four new classrooms for Years 7-11 and an open area for secondary students. The school plans to construct more specialist rooms including a new science laboratory and music room. An Early Childhood Centre is under development and a kindergarten program for three year olds will open in July. The library and ICT centre are being upgraded. All classes have

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

access to computer technology and internet. New administration and teacher facilities are being developed and an English Language Centre is opening in July. Starting this month, a specialist from Australia will manage the English language program for students along with the new centre.

What started out ten years ago as the dream of a few parents has become a reality. Sekolah Nusa Alam is Lombok’s only genuine bilingual, national plus school. Using the latest active-learning approaches, highly qualified Indonesian and international teachers from Australia and UK teach an integrated international and Indonesian curriculum. The school offers high standard internationalstyle education for both expatriate and Indonesian children from the ages of three to sixteen. Close to the beach and surrounded by green fields, the Sekolah Nusa Alam is situated in Montong, only a short drive from Ampenan, Mataram and Cakranegara to the south and Senggigi to the north. ‘Are you proud that your school was judged the best in Lombok and NTB?’ asked Gregg Renneberg. ‘Are you proud that your school has been licensed as the first and only Cambridge examination centre in Lombok and NTB? Are you proud that your children are receiving the best education in Lombok? Are you proud of our achievement over the last ten years?’ The answer? Yes! The success of the school so far is due to the hard work of many individuals, including the staff, parents and

founders, who have given in time and in other ways to enable the school to become so well-established. Happy Birthday Sekolah Nusa Alam!

Dragon Representing

Indonesia In New7wonders Competition The third phase of the New7Wonders world competition, the New7 Wonders of Nature has begun. The Official New7Wonders of Nature campaign started in 2007, immediately after the campaign to elect the man-made New Seven Wonders of the World, in which more than 100 million votes were cast. From over 440 participants representing over 220 countries and through a national qualification and race to become one of the Top 77, as well as the recommendations of the Panel of Experts lead by Prof. Federico Mayor, the list of 28 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Official Finalist Candidatesâ&#x20AC;? has been determined. Voting is underway and will continue throughout 2010 and into 2011. During this time, the New7Wonders World Tour is planned to visit each of the finalists The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

to allow them to present themselves to the voters across the globe. The Official Declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature will be in 2011. Komodo Island, the only Indonesian representative in the event managed to end within the total group of 14 finalists. Pulau Komodo has passed the two previous phases successfully. The first phase, lasting from December 2007 until July 2009, was to select 77 nominations. Out of this shortlist, 28 candidates were nominated. The finalists will be selected by a public, worldwide voting system. Announcement of

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

the Seven Wonders of the World will be held on November 11, 2011. Komodo has a comparative advantage to other locations, as the island is the habitat for the Komodo Dragon, a rare specie believed to be the last living dinosaur on earth. The Komodo National Park includes the island of Komodo, Rinca, Padar and other micro islands and is the original habitat of the Komodo dragon. The National Park was established in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon and its surrounding waters.

Additionally the program protects a variety of wildlife found above and below sea level. According to the Chairman of the New7Wonders, Bernard Weber, there are about 1 billion of people expecting to participate in the voting. Apart from the Indonesian representative there is the Amazon River, the Dead Sea, the Grand Canyon, Halong Bay, Jeita Grotto, Puerto Princesa, Angel Fallas, the Galapagos, the Great Barrier Reef, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, the Maldives and the Vesuvius.ď ś

The Grand Opening Of

The Peduli Anak School

Happy summer holidays, Lombok Times readers! My family and I just wrapped up our European traveling and life’s now back to its routines. During our stay in the Netherlands, I took the opportunity to ask a school teacher and good friend Melanie to arrange a visit to her school. I wanted to meet the teachers and students and learn about their class rules, which I could apply in the new Peduli Anak School. This is important for us because we’re dealing with children who used to live on a place where there are no rules, the streets. Children being exposed to this kind of chaotic environments will need more guidance and attention compared to ‘home’ children. I visited several classrooms from grade 2 to grade 6. I talked about Peduli Anak and The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Next year we schedule the opening of secondary level grades 7 to 9, still free of charge Lombok. Even though many kids never heard of Lombok, all were very enthusiastic to know more about our projects at the Peduli Anak Foundation. When I raised the question about their class rules, most students eagerly explained

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

about the rules that were important to them, the rewards and consequences. Packed with this useful real life information I returned to Lombok. At my arrival back home there was no time to unpack my bags. Every single soul on the Peduli Anak compounds where busy with the preparation of one of the most remarkable events in our history: The Grand Opening of the Peduli Anak School. The event, which also marked the first official day of school, was attended by several government officials, community leaders and of course the main school sponsors; the

Koper family and Ash Day. Where the Koper family donated the school building, Ash Day is sponsoring the teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; salaries. The fresh new students of the Peduli Anak School assisted the formal opening with a musical presentation about how their school life in the new Peduli Anak School would be. The performance was followed by a speech by the Lingsar District Secretary Drs. Pramubinawan, who expressed a warm welcome to the efforts being made and the hope that the new school would help to improve the quality of education on the island.

Next on stage was Mr. Koper. He explained that helping children brings joy to his family. Completely unpredicted he surprised us with the fact that he would contribute the salary for the teachers for the whole next school term. Amazing news that was of course applauded by all spectators! Having its own primary school is a great achievement for Peduli Anak. When we finished the construction of the building, we began to feel a bit worried about the future of the school in the long term. Raising buildings from the ground is relatively easy but surviving as a school is a whole different matter. Nevertheless, I believe that there are a lot of kind people out there who will help us to produce future 21st century leaders in our school. With our new school now being fully operational, no less than sixty Peduli Anak children - who used to go to school outside - will now attend our very own elementary school. Next year we schedule the opening of secondary level grades 7 to 9, still free of charge. Our school is now the first and only school for underprivileged and/or street children on the beautiful island of Lombok, a new era of education for all of us.ď ś

peresean sasaknese men

the art of stick fighting

As one of the world’s richest habitats of cultural activities, Indonesia is a country full of heritaged traditions, ceremonies, spiritual beliefs and religions. Described in ancient transcriptions or by mainly English and Dutch explorers between the 18th and 19th century proved that culture is not only currently, but always has been an important reason for foreigners visiting Indonesia. Sad but true, culture is often the first thing that fades away to make space for trade and commerce. In the West we tend to call it ‘progress’. The Indonesian government however, knows as no other that retaining cultural heritage is an important asset for their citizens in general but maybe even more important for tourism development. World explorer Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) once said: “Wealth & poverty, light & dark skin colours and religions can be found at every corner of the world. We’re all human beings. It’s the culture that separates us from the rest.” Even though his intentions were eurm… let’s say ‘less cultural’, he was absolutely right on that. The cultural activities in Lombok are no difference. Maybe they’re a little less famous but they share roots with the Balinese and eventually with the Javanese Majapahit traditions.

This article is part of many where we try to dig in the culture of the Sasaknese, the dominant habitants of the island Lombok. In the Sasak culture, the Peresean is a way of proving braveness and fighting techniques. The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

History The Peresean was originally performed as a martial art at former kingdoms, performed as an emotional release after winning the war. Apart from that, the performance also was a way to examine oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bravery, zeal and fighting skills. Spectator or participant? As in every fight, spectators join up to support the fighter of their choice. What makes this tradition unique though is that participants are generally not prepared beforehand. After a game it is one of the spectators who enter the ring to challenge another spectator. It is your level of braveness which separates you from your fellow spectators. The Pepadus The two fighters - will perform their strength and skills to show who the real fighter is. Each of them is armoured by a rattan stick (used to beat the cows on the crop fields) and a buffalo leathered shield. The rules are simple, but are bound by respecting the judge and opponent. The

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

fighters are not allowed to beat either thigh or leg but have to focus to beat upper body parts like head, shoulders, and back. When fighting each of the five rounds, both fighters must be topless. It is a true fight. One looses the game when either his head or parts of his body are bleeding. The game is led by the Pekembar Tengaq, the referee. He leads the game whilst the Pekembar Sedi, his assistant, looks for prospective fighters. As in most of the traditional events, there is musical support with Gongs, Kendangs, cymbals and flutes to encourage the fighters to dance while performing. The dances are meant both to distract the opponent and to be able to take a resting breath. Between the rounds, the referee usually gives a fighting break. At that time, the fighters dance whilst learning their opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strength. Nowadays, the Paresean is performed to welcome foreign guests visiting Lombok. As you can imagine, unprepared guests might encounter the fights somewhat barbaric. It is purely just a game though and after the bloody fight, the opponents hug each other as if nothing happened!ď ś

Lakey Beach A Heavenfor World Surfers

Lakey-Hu’u beach, in the district of Dompu, is well known for its consistent roll of waves and has made the area popular as “heaven” among world class surfers. As a result, every day many international tourists, especially surfers, come to try to the challenge of the four different surf breaks at this beach, named Lakey Peak, Cobble Stone, Lakey Pipe and the Periscope. These waves bring a rush of adrenalin and urge the surfers to quickly dive into the sea. According to the Head of the Culture & Tourism Service of Dompu, Drs H Abdul

Haris, regularly every year Lakey-Hu’u beach plays host to a world class surfing competition. “The Lakey-Hu’u beach can be reached in one hour and 45 minutes from Kota Dompu and is within 10 minutes from Hu’u Bay. Along several kilometers of the nearby beach can be found the famous roll of waves commonly known as Periscope and the most consistent and great wave, Lakey Peak,” he explains. He says Lakey Peak is one of the greatest surf breaks in Indonesia where surfers can ride both from the left-side and the right-side.

The left-side of the peak forms a long and intense tunnel, while the right-side can form a perfect barrel wave. “The peak can reach as high as 8 feet, but it is going to be very heavy when it reaches more than 6 feet high,” says the Head of Human Resource and Product Development of the Culture and Tourism Service of Dompu, Abdul Kadir. Other than the beautiful white sandy beach, Hu’u beach, or Lakey, is also surrounded by small bays that can be use as swimming and snorkeling areas. And during

periods of low-tide, one can walk on top of the coral reefs and observe its diverse ocean life from the water surface. “What is most important is that one can easily find accommodations near Lakey Beach with a variety of prices,” Abdul Kadir says. He also mentions that not far from Lakey there is a Japanese cave located on top of the hill and this cave has a direct view to the ocean beyond Lakey beach. There is also the Nangasia site, which is estimated to have existed since 4500 BC. This site explains that since a very long time ago the ancestors of Dompu had developed a civilization with quite high technology levels. Apart from that, a stone chair (Wadu Kadera) which is used during the coronation of a leader (Ncuhi), and footprints of the Ncuhi and a sitting tomb were also discovered. Another interesting site is Pantai Ria, on the west-coast of Campy bay, Desa Riwo, Kecamatan Woja, around 27 kilometers from Kota Dompu. “In this remote, calm, and white sandy beach we can relax and escape from our exhausting daily routine. At present the local government is speeding up the building of public facilities and infrastructure for the sake of visitors’ convenience and safety,” Abdul Kadir concluded. The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

internationalclimbing mount rinjani

COMPETITION 2010

Volcanic Activity Puts Race Schedule In Question

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

An international climbing competition on Mount Rinjani has been postponed to later July. The organizer, the Directorate General of the Ministerial Forest Protection & Nature Conservation (PHKA) was worried as Lombok’s highest had been spewing volcanic ash since the last few weeks. At first the organization thought to be pulling off the event, but it seems that the event will just be postponed to a later date. “In such conditions, of course we have to delay the event,” said board secretary Comm. Haryadi Himawan. Haryadi said his office would continue to coordinate with the Institute of Volcanology to monitor the level and duration of activities. According to the head of the Rinjani National Park, Hall H Sihabuddin, the Mount Baru, situated in the middle of the Crater Lake is still in standby state and could restart to spew red matter any time. The situation is however believed to be within reasonable limits, and there is definitely no reason for worries. In the mean time, residents in the surrounding areas continue to live their life as normal and seem not to be disturbed by the small but potential danger. Therefore, the climbing competition is likely to be still carried on and sponsors have

reported to be ready to roll out of the race tracks. The Mount Rinjani climbing tracks have been closed for the general public after the activities of Mount Baru increased last May. Even though the brown volcanic ashes where spewed hundreds of meters high, this didn’t seem to affect the mind of several groups of climbers in their determination to conquer the sacred mountain. Since a couple of weeks the government re-opened a limited track to the Segara Anak Lake. The Provincial Department of Culture & Tourism is still optimistic that the race will be held in July. Head of Culture & Tourism, Gita

Aryadi stated that it will help to coordinate with the stakeholders and hopes that organization will be realized. “Our Mount Rinjani is one of the most popular tourism objects on the island of Lombok. The National Park trekking entry points are spread over two districts, North Lombok and East Lombok. We are planning a cable car, starting from ground level in the North Regency, over the tropical rainforest Pusuk right to the summit of the Rinjani. In the East district there are plans to enhance driving paths to higher areas following the current Sembalun Pass trekking path.

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

INVESTORS SHOW STRONG INTEREST TO INVEST In Mandalika Tourism Resort

The Capital Investment Coordination Board (BKPM) informed us lately that the new mega tourism resort project at Mandalika Bay keeps attracting investors. After the resignation of Dubai based Emaar Group, other investors have shown their interests in taking over the multi million development contract in South Central Lombok. Head of the Board, Gita Wiryawan, said that there are five investors in the running. “Some of them are from India and the Middle East, others have asked not to disclose their

The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010

Some of them are from India and the Middle East, others have asked not to disclose their origin yet origin yet,” he informed us when we met him in the Office of Coordinating Ministry of Economy. Gita was however very chary of further information, but wanted to express that current negotiations were not done with just anybody; “There is a huge group – and I

mean a super one - but I can not inform you just yet”. As informed before, the Emaar group planned to develop a resort and integrated tourist destination in Aan Beach, Kuta, Central Lombok. Even though the main

project itself will ‘just’ needs USD 600 million, the area will attract multiple other smaller and bigger investments. The resort expects a mere 2 million visitors annually. However, due to the global financial crisis, the Emaar Group suspended their investment plans, to focus more on finishing current projects rather than create new ones. The government had to look for other investors. It is a public known fact that Emaar itself actually still shows interest in the area and have submitted a new, modified offer to develop Mandalika. Gita confirms this but explained that they should respect and follow the new contract parameters openly offered. This new contract is considered to be stricter towards deadlines and to bring more benefits to the Government. He further added that the new contracts are subjected to be ready within the next two months. Furthermore, the Head of the provincial BPKM, Yaqoub Abidin, said that a number of investors had already met him and proved them that they mean serious business. To be continued…

FACTS

SAIL INDONESIA 2010

Will Moor in Medana Bay Marina North Lombok

Sailors are expected to arrive in Lombok from early September Sail Indonesia is the biggest sailing regatta in Asia and one of a series of world regattas attracting cruising sailors from around the world. This year Sail Indonesia 2010 – Sail Banda will start from Darwin on 24th July with entry points in both Kupang

and Banda. Some 110 yachts are already registered to participate. For the second year in a row, the Medana Bay Marina (MBM) in the North of Lombok is one of the official stopovers. Sailors are are expected to arrive in Lombok from early September onwards and

Medana Bay wa s selected as an ideal spot to develop a m arina since it m eets the requirements fro m both the mar ine and landside develop ment aspects. Th e bay is a natural safe harbour, protecte d from the prevailing m ajor winds and waves, beside the prefe rred sailing rout e to the eastern isles, ye t within an easy day’s sail to the Gilis. The marina basin has twenty _ve mooring buoys in mor e than 5m of wa ter for 35ft to 45ft vesse ls and anchorag e space for another twen ty vessels in de ep but sheltered wate rs. Ace stated that she plans to put in a slipway next year so that boats can be cle aned down and repaired on the hardstand . Toilets and fre sh sh available 24 hour ower facilities are s a day with a ho se pipe on the end of th e jetty to replen ish fresh water stocks on board. No electr icity supply is available fo r boats yet, but there is a 220V supply fo r chargers and th e like at the boatshed.

will leave by the 22nd of September. MBM is proud to be the Lombok host for Sail Indonesia 2010. Managing Director Ibu Ace Robin says that MBM is very happy to be the first privately run facility to host Sail Indonesia

in September 2009 when over ninety yachts called in during the month, enjoying a break on tranquil safe moorings. Some choosed to stay several weeks and tour the island or made side trips to Bali, leaving their boats in her care. The Lombok Times Pocket August 2010