Home & Away with Robert Walshe
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Holiday Hotspot – Tugu Resort & Spa Lombok Indonesia
Bali’s neighbouring island, Lombok, though much less frequented, offers remarkable scenery, culture and fine beaches with luxury resorts. A new international airport the Bandara Udara opened in 2012, as part of an effort by the Indonesian government to promote islands other than Bali to the outside world. The island’s major highlights, like the 12,000 foot Rinjani volcano and beach resorts at Senggigi and Kuta, are already well into the tourism development phase, making them popular destinations. Most visitors come to
Lombok to enjoy the warm weather and lovely beaches. Swimming, snorkeling, diving and surfing are all big activities here, and the picture perfect postcard Gili Islands a mile offshore provide even more tropical paradise. Traditional crafts such as pottery, textile weaving and basket making are practiced with skill and finesse, and a visit to a traditional Sasak village is well worth the effort. Lombok’s people are an eclectic mix of religious and ethnic groups, with the majority being the indigenous Sasak Muslims. There is also a sizable Hindu Balinese population, and significant numbers of Chinese and Sasak Buddhists. All of this means
n Sire Beach Lombok at Tugu Hotel.
n Sunset Cocktails at Tugu Hotel Lombok.
a lively festival calendar. The largest and most colorful festival is the Bau Nyale or Sea Worm Festival. Every February at Kuta beach (that’s Kuta beach, south Lombok, not to be confused with its famous Bali namesake), the Sasak people commemorate a mythical princess who drowned herself in these waters rather than enter a politically vexatious marriage. The festival is timed with the spawning of marine worms, which are eagerly caught and eaten — often after being wrapped in banana leaf and roasted — and the celebrations last for four days. Accommodation in Lombok comes in all classes, from five-star luxury spa resorts, to chain hotels and rustic beach bungalows. Located on the pristine white sand beach of Sire, on the
(074) 9131018 northwest coast Tugu Lombok is by far the finest on the island. In typical Tugu style this property is individual in design reflecting a forgotten history. The Aloon Aloon villas are sumptuous units each in individual buildings with their own garden, outdoor dining and lazing areas, and spacious oversized copper sunken bathtubs opening onto a plaza n Tugu Hotel Lom of tropical gardens. bok. They come with king-size bed, ultracomfortable mattress, rustic collector Anhar Setjadibrata. bamboo lamps, iPod, DVD He built his first hotel in Maplayer, large flat screen tel- lang, East Java, in 1990, in a evisions, and custom-made similarly eclectic style. Over rain shower. There is also a the years, he opened further large, freshwater swimming hotels in Blitar, Java, and on pool and an 18-hole golf Bali at Canggu beach, as well course within walking dis- as restaurants in Jakarta. tance of the hotel and yoga Romantic and atmospheric, and meditation in the open this funky-fantastic, antiqueair spa “temple.” chic hotel, with a restaurant, The fine buildings, art, bar, and spa open to outside sculpture and furniture at guests, is a living museum of the resort are a reflection of Indonesian antiques and fasthe passions of the owner, cinating artworks and rates the Indonesian businessman as one my favourite in the and major art and antique world. www.tuguhotels.com
www.keeshotel.ie
Turkish airlines fly daily from Dublin to Jakarta via Istanbul. Internal flight providers from Jakarta to Lombok include Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air & Air Asia. For great fares visit www.turkishairlines.com Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q a network of seven radio stations across all of Northern Ireland. He is also Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles on the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe.com