Ultimate Lombok guide for backpackers
1. Introduction
2. Lombok 101
I'm assuming you've heard great things about Lombok from fellow travelers, and you want to check it out for yourself. You're probably wondering: is it really worth the hype? Let me tell you, I was in the very same spot a few months ago, and after receiving positive feedback from a billion fellow backpackers, I finally booked my flight to Indonesia. Safe to say, if I'm writing this guide, it only means one thing: it truly was worth the hype, and I did fall in love!
Lombok is part of the West Nusa Tenggara province; it's located east of Bali and west of Sumbawa; the Gili Islands lie just off its northwest shore. The capital of the province is Mataram, and the total population of the island is around 4 million people.
The predominant ethnicity is called Sasak, and it's been inhabiting the island for almost a thousand years, surviving invasions from the Balinese, the Dutch, and later the Japanese. Sasak people make up around 85% of the population today, with their religion being Islam and their language being a Sasak dialect of Bahasa Indonesia.
Lombok is often referred to as "Bali's unspoilt little sister." I personally dislike this definition because Lombok definitely has its own personality, and it's not just like Bali but lesser known or developed. I hope the tourism here can develop in a more conscious, less harmful way compared to Bali.
