North Lombok

North Lombok is a region of Lombok, Indonesia

Townships

Bayan
Sembalun Walang
Gangga
Godang
Sambelia
Obel Obel

Other destinations

Mount Rinjani and one of the oldest villages on the island, Bayan
Senaru
Gili Pentangan, these three north western gili's all lie just a short distance from the beaches of the north east coast
Gili Islands Trawangan, Meno and Air of West Lombok are accessed from Bangsal or by speedboat from Teluk Nare.

Understand

North Lombok is dominated by the 3,726 m Mount Rinjani, an active stratovolcano. Rinjani is also the second highest volcano in Indonesia, second only to Mount Kerinci on Sumatra and is Indonesias third highest peak. The volcano last erupted at the Barujari site in May 2010 with active lava flows and ash projected high into the sky with ash plumes rising to an altitude of 5.5 km. Within its 50 square kilometre caldera sits the crater lake Segara Anak (Child of the Sea). Eruptions within the caldera have formed a small cone called Gunung Baru (New Mountain).

The Rinjani mountain and its the surrounding slopes form the Mount Rinjani National Park (Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani). The park is made up of 41,000 hectares within the park boundaries and a further 66,000 hectares of protected forest outside. In 2008, the Indonesian government proposed to UNESCO that Mount Rinjani be one of the world's official geoparks. If this is approved by UNESCO, Mount Rinjani will become the first such geological park in Indonesia. The highlands are forest clad and mostly undeveloped. The lowlands are highly cultivated. Rice, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, cotton, cinnamon, cacao, cloves, cassava, corn, coconuts, copra, bananas and vanilla are the major crops grown in the fertile soils of the island. The slopes are populated by the indigenous Sasak population. There are also some basic tourist related activities established on Rinjani primarily in or about the village of Senaru. Gunung Rinjani Observation Post Rinjani Sembalun is located in the village of Lawang, Sub Sembalun 12.5 km (4000 feet) northeast of G. Rinjani) in the District of East Lombok. Observers at this post monitor G.Rinjani, G.Barujari/G.Tenga within the Segara Anak Caldera.

The northern part of Lombok has deep traditions and still holds a repository of original Sasak beliefs and customs. The Waktu Telu people still have a strong presence in the north. Waktu Telu ("Three Prayers"), as the name suggests pray only three times daily, instead of the five times stipulated in the Quran. Many of the Waktu Telu beliefs are entwined with animism. Waktu Telu has influences not only of Islam, but also Hinduism and pantheistic beliefs. There are also remnants of Boda (people without a religion) who maintain Pagan Sasak beliefs in the north.
Please see the main Lombok article for more detailed information on the history and culture of Lombok.

Talk

In northern Lombok the people speak in local dialects of the indigenous Bahasa Sasak language of the Sasak peoples of Lombok. Bahasa Indonesian is spoken by many people especially the younger generations. In the tourism areas of Senaru some people may speak limited English. In areas catering to tourists there is slightly more likelihood of English speakers being available.

Get in

Public buses and bemo run to and from the west coast and the city of Mataram. northward via Tanjung to access Bayan. Similar services are available to connect through to the north of the island via Pusuk pass and on to Pemenang near the small Bangsal harbour that serves as the primary access point from Gili Islands. The northern hub for buses and bemo is in nearby Tanjung.

Airport taxis and other Lombok Taxi services such as Bluebird and Express travel into North Lombok and are available to arriving passengers at the airport. All taxis are clearly marked and use a meter, the charge is determined by both time and distance. A Rp 17,500 airport taxi surcharge is payable when departing the airport in a taxi. Coupons are available at the Taxi Service counter immediately outside the airport terminal doors.

Private cars can be rented with or without a driver to access this region.

Motorbikes are also a popular means of transport for visitors.

Get around

Rent a car
Rent a motor bike

It may be easier to seek a rental car or motorbike in Senggigi or Mangsit to the south as there are more suppliers based there.
Please see the main Lombok article article for more detailed information on driving in Lombok and ensure you obtain and use a helmet when riding a motor bike.

Metered taxis normally operate in the northern areas of Lombok however they will be hard to find in the more remote areas. Bookings can be made in advance by calling their radio dispatch service.
Bluebird * Lombok Taksi, ☏ +62 370 627000. 24hr service.
Express * Express Taksi, ☏ +62 370 635968. 24 hr service.

See

Senaru waterfalls
Gunung Baru in the caldera lake of Mount Rinjani
Desa Beloq, traditional North Lombok Sasak village, very traditional and non-touristic, best to have a skilled and knowledgeable local guide accompany you, nice walk to nearby waterfall

Do

Visit the waterfalls of north Lombok:

Tiu Tega waterfall
Sindang Gila waterfall and Tiu Kelep waterfall at Senaru
Jeruk Manis waterfall.

Climb Rinjani with an overnight stay at the Segara like
Go for a walk in the Rinjani national park

Buy

In and around Sembalun Lawang and in Bayan you can purchase unique and high-quality hand-woven cloth.

Eat

The area has quite limited facilities catering to tourists and those are centred about Senaru and Sembalun and Tetebatu to the immediate south. Senaru has a few restaurants and cafes attached to the lodges and small hotels in and near the village. Nearby Tanjung township in West Lombok has plently of warungs and small local eating houses serving local traditional food. Also in nearby Tanjung are the upmarket Oberoi Lombok Resort, Tugu Resort, the new Lombok Lodge and the nearby medium priced Medana Resort, all have restaurants and cafes that provide food and drinks with western oriented menus and prices. Otherwise the region does not support tourism oriented dining and a trip to Gili islands or further south to the Senggigi region may be required.

Drink

There are few licensed premises such as hotels and some restaurants that serve alcohol in the north Lombok region. The north of Lombok is a quiet and often conservative area. Please respect local sensibilities by avoiding drinking openly in public whilst in Lombok especially in the north unless actually inside a tourist oriented establishment that serves alcoholic drinks. Local coffee, tea, fruit juices, coconut juice and softdrinks (sodas) are normally readily available.

Stay safe

Rinjani park access requires payment of a fee and climbing should not be attempted without registration and an accredited guide. Please see the Rinjani article for more information on this.

Try to keep off the roads at night and avoid travelling in the more remote areas on your own.

Lock up your possessions and never leave your luggage or personal items unattended.

Please see the main Lombok article for more details on health and safety.

Go next

Gili Islands a short distance off the west coast near Bangsal and Tanjung
South Lombok, Kuta, Tanjung A'an and the many remote surf beaches, Sekotong and Gili Gede in the southwest corner of the island
Central and East Lombok, traditional weaving, rice padi walks and forests on the slopes of Rinjani, Tetebatu on the southern slopes of Rinjani
West Lombok, Senggigi, Sire Beach with its 18-hole golf course and at Medana bay in Tanjung a boating marina
Bali
Sumbawa
Java
Singapore
Kuala Lumpur

Connect

North Lombok has varying terrain and land use from small towns to remote mountain peaks and valleys. Accordingly, mobile telephonary varies from to patchy to non-existent.

The towns and more built up areas sometimes have some coverage from the two main operators.

Telkonsel is operated by Indonesia's Telkom. They provide GSM 2G coverage and in some areas 3G reception and broadband wireless connections may be possible but are unlikely.
XL is also provides 2G coverage and in some areas 3G reception and broadband wireless connections may be possible but are unlikely.

Post office services are available in Mataram at the central post office. It may be prudent to use the main office in Mataram at Jalan Sriwijarya, Mataram, if required.

Post offices are described as Kantor Pos in Indonesia.

Cope

Hospitals

Please see the Lombok main article for a more comprehensive list of medical facilities available in Mataram.
Mataram Public Hospital (Rumah Sakit Umun), Jl. Pejanggik 6, Mataram, ☏ +62 370 638464. 24 hours UGD-Emergency room and admissions. The islands main public hospital with UGD (Unit Gawat Darurat)-Emergency treatment room, ICU and OR facilities, laboratorium, Specialist consulting rooms.

Medical clinics

Klinik Risa (Risa Centra Medika Hospital), Jl. Pejanggik No.115, Cakranegara (just east of Mataram mall on the right hand side of the road), ☏ +62 370 625560. 24 hours Emergency room. Full hospital facilities available on site
Puskesmas Tanjung (Local health Clinic Tanjung township), Tanjung, ☏ +62 370 623010. This is a local municipal health clinic rather than an emergency centre, but it does have a UGD (Emergency room) of limited scope.
Puskesmas Malaka, Jl Raya Malaka-Pemenang, North Lombok (On the coast al road south of Pemenang). This is a local municipal health clinic rather than an emergency centre.
Puskesmas Nipah, Jl Raya Nipah-Pemenang, North Lombok (On the coast al road south of Pemenang). This is a local municipal health clinic rather than an emergency centre.

Emergency service

Ambulance +62 370 622254, +62 370 623489
In emergency dial - 118

The reality is that unless within the confines of the main city of Mataram/Ampenan/Cakranegara an ambulance is normally too far away to provide prompt transport in the case of a true emergency. Most often a taxi, police vehicle or a private car is used to get someone requiring urgent medical attention to a hospital. The ambulances in Lombok are more often used in the role of assisted patient transport rather than for first responder/paramedic supported emergency assistance and transport.

This region travel guide to North Lombok is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.