After an exhilarating and exhausting 3 day trek on Rinjani, we headed South to Kuta Beach to the Novotel Lombok Resort.  Unlike Kuta Beach in Bali, this resort area was quiet and relaxing. We found Lombok to be the perfect place for us.  The south side of the island had yet to be developed, so we were able to enjoy nature and the culture in a laid back, quiet atmosphere.  To explore the area, we decided to rent a scooter.  Kate wanted a helmet and after finding one in a closet and dusting it off, the employee let us know helmet laws were rarely enforced on the island.  While exploring, we found several beautiful and uninhabited coves, making us feel like we had our own private island.

Eventually needing fuel, we stopped at a local stand where the fuel was kept in old liquor jars.  We only had a big bill (comparable to a $20 bill) and the young girl selling the gas looked at us and laughed, knowing that she couldn’t break the change.  Andy offered for Kate to stay behind while he found somewhere to break the change.  She insisted we take the fuel and come back later.  We did come back, with a large tip for her, as we were shocked and pleased with the easy-going attitudes of the island.

We also took advantage of the surfing you could do on Lombok.  You needed to take a boat to the spots, as the big waves broke further out.  Not knowing much about the surfing here, we thought it would be best to hire a teacher for an hour to take us out there.  He was a local surfing champion and we felt plenty safe with him.  We made our way by boat to Gerapuk bay, where we learned that there were a few different spots.  We chose the one in the middle that had smooth, large waves.  Just a bit further towards shore, the waves broke harder and were bigger so it was important not to go to far.  Andy and Kate both managed to catch plenty of waves, especially with the help of our guide yelling “paddle, paddle, paddle” at just the right moment.  The waves started coming faster and Kate realized she was about to get caught in a huge wave and when we heard the guide screaming “Holy &*(#”, Kate paddled fast to the boat where she could safely watch Andy finish surfing.  On the last wave, Andy landed hard breaking the board.  Once again, we were concerned with  the enormous fees we would need to pay, only to find out it was not a problem at all and they were sorry it broke.

Having had lots of adventure on the water, it was time to visit the cultural side of Lombok.  The island was mostly Muslim, so the Hindu aspects we saw around Bali were not largely absent.  Throughout Lombok, the Sasak culture was prevalent.  We visited a local Sasak community, Sade, where for a small fee they would show you around.  The people were very nice and seemed to enjoy having people visit.  We were able to purchase some of the tapestries as gifts from the local weavers.

The last day we were there we enjoyed a service the hotel provided, breakfast on the hill.  We had fruit, coffee, juices, and pastries on a rise just outside the hotel grounds, all with an incredible view of the quiet, pristine beaches.

On the way to the airport to go home at 4 am, we drove past a large group of men surrounding a television alongside the road. They were watching the final game of world cup.  This as a fitting sendoff to our trip.  Our driver informed us that the Lombok international airport was almost complete and the impending increase in tourism would change the island,  drawing comparisons to what had happened in neighboring Bali.  We greatly appreciated and enjoyed  the quiet side of Lombok and the friendly people of Indonesia.