AYGMyJune2015

PHOTOS: Marie Bar

Bieri

we topple overboard and, within seconds, coral

gardens glow. A boldly striped triggerfish parades

above a parrotfish excavating the coral floor as

swarms of yellow and blue fusiliers flash by. And

above, are schools of blue needlefish fracturing

the sunlight that spears the waterline.

The balmy waters soon reveal why Lombok

is hailed “the turtle capital of the world”. We spot

two loggerhead sea turtles, with their recognisably

large heads and heart-shaped carapaces; a shyer

hawksbill, with its characteristically long neck; and

three green turtles. One is super-large, thought to

be around 70 years old. This bountiful region is also

home to tuna, reef sharks, leopard sharks, dolphins

and manta rays.

We plant footprints in the sand on Gili Meno,

as colourful cidomos (horse-drawn carts) jingle

by. Heeding the growls from our hungry bellies,

we lunch at the idyllic beach-planted Mahamaya

Boutique Resort. Indonesia is renowned for its

marinated cuisine, but I lose myself over their

satay skewers – clearly crafted by a skillful chef!

Waterfall time

Post sunrise, we journey north towards active Mount

Rinjani (Indonesia’s second highest mountain at

3726 metres). The drive is a lesson on fertile Lombok,

taught partly via the car window’s verdant slideshow,

and partly by knowledgeable Hassan.

“Lombok has six permanent and around 20

seasonal rivers,” he tells us. “Our fertile island

produces rice, corn, maize, onions, peanuts,

coconuts, rambutans, mangosteens, papayas,

agar-agar and kangkong (water spinach).”

We visit food markets where locals lunch by their

cidomos as kampung chickens run wild. After a two-

hour culinary lesson, we decant from the car and

begin the lush descent to Tiu Kelep waterfall.

Local guide Edon points out the Arenga palm.

88 “From this tree we obtain red sugar... and strong

may/june 2015

yogajournal.com.au

travel

experience

Clockwise from top: traditional

Gili island shores; Tiu Kelep

Waterfall’s raging magnificence;

an indonesian outrigger boat;

a traditional lumbung in Sade.

yj43_86-91_travel.indd 88 31/03/2015 11:08 am