The idyllic boutique resort on Gili Asahan is set right at the beach and offers you an experience of a lifetime! 4 spacious bungalows with queen size beds, large open bathrooms, and a wide porch with swing bed to relax and enjoy the tranquility by on the ocean invite to indulge in yet another heaven. A unique experience!
Our dive sites reflect a good cross-section of what Indonesia has to offer. Dive in and be fascinated by turtles, reef sharks, cuttlefish, and many more. Our dive sites offer even the widely travelled and experienced diver a surprising, breathtaking experience, as well as fun diving for families and beginner. A highlight for photographers and scuba enthusiasts! Read more...
Welcome to Desert Point Lodge in the beautiful Southwest of Lombok. Besides the main touristic areas, such as the Gili islands and Senggigi, Lombok has way more to offer. Get off the beaten path and enjoy the authentic Indonesian way of life in the Sekotong!
Dive in - the diverse underwater world around the bay of Sekotong and find relaxed diving and plentiful macro life! As the sea is fairly shallow, visibility is never crystal clear but this doesn't affect the caliber of the dive sites. Our reefs are full of bright soft corals and colourful crinoids, which harbour an amazing variety of rare marine life, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses and more. You're in search of great scuba diving and a stress-free environment? You've found the right place! Read more...
The lodge is made up of comfortable, tastefully furnished Teakwood Bungalows. 2 free-standing with queen size beds, and 2 with a double and a triple room. The terrace invites to enjoy a relaxed post dive evening, and the bay offers pristine beaches for swimming and relaxing!
Around the rather remote bay of Belongas you'll find the dive sites "The Magnet" and "The Cathedral", where the seasonable sighting of schooling barracudas, tunas, and other pelagic life is fairly regular. Apart from the mobula ray season in September, hammerheads like to school around the Magnet in June until early November. As dive conditions can at times be quite challenging, we recommend diving "The Magnet" only to the more experienced diver! Read more...
Lombok - a spicy little island next to Bali!
Lombok is the Indonesian name for chili pepper,
and you'll find our spicy little island only 70km from Bali, and
about three-quarters its size. The two islands are separated by the
ecologically significant Wallace Line (the Wallace Line is the line
of demarcation, separating Equatorial Asia from Marsupial
Australia, which marks vast and immediately noticeable changes in
the flora and fauna of Bali).
Lombok lies only 375km south of the equator, and therefore you'll
find a tropical climate. Days are almost universally 12 hours long;
sunrise is approximately at 6:20 a.m., sunset at 6:30 p.m.
depending on the time of year. The average daytime temperature is
between 27° C to 30° C (80° F to 90° F) along the western coastal
area (the main tourist venue). The average inland temperature is
29° C to 34° C. And if you plan to trek onto Mt. Rinjani bring a
sweater along - with 3,726 meters it is Indonesia's second highest
mountain and it gets surprisingly cold up there.
Lombok's tropical monsoon climate has two distinct seasons: dry
(March to October) and wet (November to March). Monsoon refers to
the wind, not to the rain. However even in the wet monsoon season
the rain tends to be short-lived and localized.
South Lombok - the undiscovered pearl of Lombok!
Until recently, due to its challenging reef breaks at
BangkoBangko and Desert Point, south-west Lombok was only known
amongst surfers. Now this paradise has also been discovered by
scuba enthusiasts and vacationers searching for white beaches and
relaxation.
The roads in south-west Lombok are well maintained, and the scenic
drive from Mataram or Lembar is fairly relaxing. The price for
transport depends on your talent in bargaining and can vary quite a
bit therefore. If you calculate around USD 15, you should be able
to find a car with a driver without too many problems. In any case,
make sure you arrange the price before the journey starts.
Even though the clean white sandy beaches of Sekotong are amongst
the best on Lombok, you will not find many travelers on these
beaches. Here it's still possible to take relaxing walks along the
beach without meeting annoying sellers trying to sell their
watches, necklaces and so on. You also can experience the
underwater paradise by snorkelling near one of the beaches or one
of the many small islands in the bay of Sekotong.
South Lombok - discover, relax, and
experience!
The local people in south-west Lombok haven't been influenced by
mass tourism and are very friendly, sometimes curios. The language
spoken is "Bahasa Indonesia"and "Bahasa Sasak". Many people also
speak basic English and it's no problem for the traveler to
communicate his needs. The inhabitants' main source of income in
South Lombok is fishing and pearl farming (South Lombok's pearl
farms are the main exporter of quality pearls in Indonesia).
When the tide reaches its lowest level, you can watch women and
children collecting clams, crabs and other "treasures of the sea".
On Sundays, the traditional "off day" for the Indonesian community,
you can see families with their children enjoying and playing at
the beach. Join in the fun and laugh along with them
Lombok People and History
The majority of Lombok's population is Sasak. No one really seems
to know for sure where the Sasak people originate from - some
believe from India due to their darker complexions and curlier
hair. However, many believe that there was an influx of immigrants
to Lombok from Java sometime in the 14th century following the
collapse of the Hindu Majapahit when the Islam spread eastwards
from Sumatra to Java. Most Sasak today practice their own local
interpretation of Islam that has elements of Hinduism and
indigenous Wetu Telu beliefs mixed in. Almost ironically Islam was
introduced to Lombok through the spice trade by the Bugis' traders
from Makassar when the Hindu Majapahit was controlling most of
Indonesia.
The Dutch arrived and colonized the eastern part of Lombok in the
17th century, leaving the western part of the island to the
Balinese until 1894, when the Dutch took over the entire island.
However, while the Balinese ruled they put in a lot of effort to
create another "Bali", building numberless temples and water
palaces and introducing their particular brand of Hinduism. Even
today the most interesting tourist sites were built by the
Balinese. Visitors to Mataram, Cakranegara, Ampenan and Senggigi in
the western-most portion of Lombok may be forgiven if they think
that Lombok and Bali are similar. However, when going into the
interior the similarities end.
Lombok Etiquette...
Cultural etiquette has been described as the unspoken but assumed
behavior that conveys politeness. Therefore it is important that
you take the time to learn about and follow "local etiquette".
Also, for whatever reason, people on Lombok do not seem to be as
obliging by nature (often taken as not as friendly) as Balinese and
it takes more time to get to know them.
This means that on Lombok there are a few specific rules that
visitors should be sure to know about and follow. Never hand
anything to an Indonesian with your left hand. As in most Islamic
countries the left hand is considered "unclean" and thus insulting.
If this makes the action somewhat cumbersome by having to change
hands, take the time to do it anyway.
Handshaking is customary for both men and women on introduction
and greeting. Indonesians will frequently touch their chest with
one or both hands after shaking hands as a sign of sincerity. There
are a few differences in the use of hands and feet for indicating
actions or getting attention.
The proper way to summon someone is to use one of the Indonesian
words Pak or Mas, (for men) and Bu or Mbak (for women) and make a
scooping motion towards you with your hand, palm facing down.
Crooking the index finger, as it is common in the West, is not
polite here. Be also aware of where & how you position your
feet. Exposing the sole of your feet is considered as impolite as
pointing with your foot to indicate an object. Shoes should be
removed when entering mosques or, usually, when entering someone's
home. If you are unsure, just ask.
Women should avoid wearing halter tops or shorts as well as tight
fitting or revealing clothes in public - especially outside the
tourist areas.