HISTORY OF LOMBOK

Until the XVII e century, we know not many things of the history of Lombok, it is at this period that the Balinese state seizes the power on the west of the island. The remainder of the Sasak aristocracy took refuge in the east, reduced with the function of collectors of the taxes, the population reduced to the state of serf. Rebellions were done against the Balineses with the assistance of Dutch when the Balinese rajah giving up, a part of the royal family was offered to the shootings of Dutch in a collective suicide. Several famines devastated the island to the XX e century.

In 1965, the island knew of many massacres of Communists and Chinese. Since, Lombok is stabil, but did not know the development of Bali, the economy there is slower and prosperous, but offers tourist residences of quality.

POPULATION OF LOMBOK

Lombok forms part of the province of Nusa Tenggara Barat. 80% of the inhabitants of Lombok belong to the ethnic group of Sasaks. The remainder of the population is made of Balinese, Javanese, Chinese and Arabs.

In Indonesia, the 2 millions people who are considered Sasak have the picture of Moslems excessively pious people. However, a minority of Sasak still practise a form of islam called wetu telu, it’s mean they have observance from only three of the five daily prayers of islam. The wetu telu is a syncretism in which are involved in islam with the beliefs and rites former to islam, pantheists as well hindouists. Lastly, one counts several thousands of Sasak Boda.

Like many areas of Indonesia, Lombok is characterized by the beauty of its landscapes, of its climate, originality of its cultures. The seaside resort of Lombok is Sengigi which is in the north of Mataram. Are on the southern coast: Kuta, Mawun, Selong blanak, Tambah.

For the divers, there are also the islands Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan In fact, of many aspects of the culture sasak have nothing Moslem but belong to pools with the various indonesian ethnic groups. Autonomy of the areas results in a will of the local authorities to promote the culture sasak. The authorities thus try to promote traditions like the music of gendang beliq (”big drum”), combat of cane or traditional poetry.

Lombok is animated less than Bali, but offers to you the occasion of a few days of calms and the possibility of bathing you on pretty white sand beaches; to make you discover the beauty of sea-beds of the Gili islands.

GEOGRAPHY OF LOMBOK

The island of Lombok forms part of archipelago Probe. It measures about 80 km east to west and 70 to 80 km of north in the south. In north, the landscape of Lombok is dominated by the Rinjani volcano (with 3 726 m, the 3e top in Indonesia after Puncak jaya in Papua and Kerinci with Sumatra). The last eruption of Rinjani goes up at 1994. This one carries on its side the lake Segara in the shape of crescent, from where emerges the smoking crater of Baru. The volcano and the lake form part of the national park bench in 1997.

The strait of Lombok marks the passage of biogeographic division between the fauna of Bali and Lombok and the ecosystem indomalaysian and Australasian. It bears the name of Wallace line, named by Alfred Russel Wallace, which it first noticed the differences between the two zones.

DIVING

Lombok and in particular the islands gili are known for their sites of diving close to the shore (plunged free). One finds there centers of diving qualified.

ARTS OF LOMBOK

Lombok is known for its potteries and its basket making which you will be able to discover at the time of your excursion.