The Other Lombok As parties rock and tourists descend on the Gilis in the northwest, the southeastern part of Lombok remains an idyllic hideaway. Nelissa Hernandez journeys to the island s Pemongkong peninsula where she finds an emerging ecotourism hub. Don t forget to write about shower. Mud splashes from all sides, navigate small roads half-covered in rice Lombok is not the new Bali, and it s the road! jokes Rahman, as we trundle along the rough tracks stalks sold by the bundles, or corn laid not like Bali 30 years ago. Lombok is like my driver, as I bounced in and are tossed about, subject to what out to dry. Lombok 30 years ago, explains Stephane the passenger seat while he Rahman euphemistically labels a Servin, chairman of the Lombok Hotel negotiated the car along the bone-rattling seven-kilometre dirt road. We are in the middle of an unidentified path as far as Google Maps is concerned in Tanjung Ringgit, a cape in Pemongkong peninsula in Lombok s southeastern coast. The vehicle rumbles against potholes, protruding rocks, and overgrown bushes still dewy with raindrops from the previous night s traditional massage. If the road is anything to go by, it s easy to assume that Lombok has been left to its idyllic agrarian state. There are no high-rises in the capital; horse-drawn carts can still be spotted along the main highways; and herds of passing water buffaloes sometimes bring cars to a halt in the villages. Drivers must carefully For years now, you d be hard-pressed to find any story about Lombok without a reference to Bali how it pales in comparison, how it lags far behind its glitzy neighbour. Each story hints of Lombok being frozen in time. In a place where vistas of green paddy fields are the norm, you ll be forgiven to think that it s a shadow of old Bali. Lombok, however, doesn t aspire to be Bali. Far from it. Association. Though tourism in the island began in the 1990s, it fell into a slump for several years due to lack of funding and inaccessibility for the most part. Its 350,000 foreign tourist arrivals, for instance, is a mere fraction of Bali s 3.2 million, but it continues to grow. The lean visitor numbers meant modest development plans for the island, but it 36 37
DAY TRIPS Travellers interested in saving the sharks can sign up for The Dorsal Effect s day tour, which departs from Kuta, Lombok. Founder Kathy Xu can customise the itinerary for groups of up to 20 people coming from Singapore. The trip begins with a visit to the area where the fishermen unload their catch of the day, and takes travellers to three snorkelling spots and to the cliffs overlooking the famous Pink Beach. The one-day boat tour starts at USD120. Visit thedorsaleffect.com to register for upcoming trips. is precisely Lombok s untouched, natural state that will perhaps dictate the way tourism will evolve over the next few years. With 40 per cent of the island regarded as a conservation area, it is not surprising that ecotourism here is on the rise, particularly in the island s southeastern side. THE FUTURE OF TOURISM Eco Regions, a property development company focused on sustainability and ecotourism, has earmarked 395 hectares in Tanjung Ringgit for an eco region, comprising ecotourism villages that will include hotels and resorts, retail outlets, restaurants, a marina, leisure and sporting facilities, as well as cultural centres. Indonesia is one of the last great paradises with fantastic nature that deserves to be developed sensitively and protected for generations to come, says Eco Regions CEO John Higson, who brought more than 40 sustainability experts to the area to examine the region and develop a masterplan, which will include renewable energy systems, sustainable fisheries and mangrove regeneration. Construction, which would take years, is set to begin this month. Upon completion, Higson envisions an area where the tourism experience will be a commune with nature. GOING OFF THE GRID While Eco Regions is still in the early stages of development, an eco-friendly resort also tucked away in a quiet corner of the cape has already been luring travellers seeking an escapist experience that bears minimal impact on the environment. Lombok is the place to be if you want to switch off from the world, adds Servin. Agus Harianto Photography And this I took to heart by staying at Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp, possibly the most remote resort on the island. The hotel is not accessible by public transport, and getting there requires passing along the aforementioned bumpy dirt road. It goes without saying that there are no TVs and Internet connection, and phone signals are a rarity in this part of the island. Jeeva Beloam s isolation 11km away from Sekaroh village, where the main electric power grid ends means it has only one option: adapt eco-friendly practices in order to operate. It relies on solar power there are solar panels attached to all the berugas (a small house in Sasak culture) on the property and is supported by a backup diesel generator. Water supply comes from rain catchment basins and a reverse osmosis machine that converts seawater to safe drinking water. In the absence of technology, a day at Jeeva Beloam is a rendezvous with mother nature. You can easily sunbathe Opening spread: Picturesque outcrops and rugged landscapes dot the Tanjung Ringgit cape. Facing page, from top: One of Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp s berugas, a small house in Sasak culture; a typical idyllic scene in Lombok s countryside. Above: Climb on top of cliffs to take in a panoramic view of the Timor Sea for hours on the 250m sandy beach, or go mountain biking and trekking in the nearby forest. Sometimes the monkeys come, warns one of the staff as he points to the trees behind the beruga, where I spent the night. The beach camp is backed by a 55-hectare forest reserve and enjoys unobstructed views of the Timor Sea and Alas Strait, which separates Indonesia is one of the last great paradises with fantastic nature that deserves to be developed sensitively and protected for generations to come. If you prefer roughing it on land, Lombok 4x4 Tours (4x4lomboktours. com) offers trips around the island. Jump on a 4WD and travel from Senggigi to the beaches of south Lombok, visit fruit orchards and waterfalls, or join the surf tour to famous Desert Point. Lombok from neighbouring Sumbawa. The monkeys proved elusive to me but some tiny snakes shyly evade my steps on my way to the dining tent every morning. At night, chatting with other guests over a barbeque under the stars while the waves roar and crash onto shore is, quite possibly, after-dark entertainment at its best. SAVING THE SHARKS My decision to skip a laid-back time at the beach camp during my stay, for a one-day excursion into another part of Lombok, opened a window onto a side of the island I knew little about. A lot has been said about the island s beauty and environmental conservation, but an ugly reality reared its head in Tanjung Luar fish market, over an hour s drive away from 38 39
Above and below: Catsharks and thresher sharks are found in the waters off Lombok. Right: A cidomo (horse-drawn cart) trundles along a palm-tree lined road in the eastern side of the island Kuta. Here, an estimated 400 sharks are slaughtered and sold for their fins daily there were even baby thresher sharks and catsharks the day we visited. This is where Kathy Xu, a Singaporean who founded ecotourism company The Dorsal Effect, is trying to change people s mindset about shark fishing. sand tinged pink from the corals. The highlight is a climb to the top of the majestic cliffs that overlook the famous Pink Beach. On a clear day, Mount Rinjani even looms in the distance. Through The Dorsal Effect, Xu advocates conservation by conversion she organises boat trips to provide an alternative livelihood to shark fishermen by engaging them to take travellers around the island instead of using their boats for fishing. My ultimate dream is for all the fishermen in Lombok to stop catching sharks, she says. And she s taking baby steps towards reaching that goal. Since September 2013, she has organised over 14 trips to Tanjung Luar and rented fishing boats to bring travellers snorkelling or beach-hopping along the island s southeastern coast. I joined one of the trips, and it turned out to be awe-inspiring and eye-opening. Xu took us to three snorkelling spots with varying depths and brimming with pristine corals and colourful fishes. Lunch was on secluded Segui beach, postcard-worthy with its pretty Back in Mataram, the capital, Servin suggests I try the island s speciality, ayam taliwang (chicken grilled and fried, and coated in chilli). This is predictably Lombok, I remarked; most souvenir shirts would have an image of a red chilli to denote the meaning of the word Lombok in Bahasa. Servin is quick to correct me. In Sasak language, he clarifies, it actually means straight ahead. With change agents like Kathy Xu and the exciting prospect of Eco Region s environmentally friendly masterplans coming to fruition, it would appear that Lombok is, afterall, true to its name as it heads towards a straight course to preserving its pure environment. SilkAir flies five times weekly between Singapore and Lombok STAY A member of Secret Retreats, Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp has 11 thatched berugas designed after a Sasak small house, complete with a terrace offering great sea views. Being an eco resort, energy conservation is a priority here, thus electricity only runs from 6pm to 6am. There s only one restaurant in the property, set in an open-air tent with a sunbathing deck. The beach camp is full board, and offers sunset and sunrise treks, mountain biking, beach volleyball and barbeques on the bonfire pit by the beach. secret-retreats.com; jeevabeloam.com shutterstock; Getty images 40
一日游想尽一份力拯救 Tanjung Luar 鱼市里的鲨鱼, 参加 The Dorsal Effect 生态旅游公司的一日游 行程路经渔夫卸下当天收获的地点, 再到三个地点浮潜, 最后是在山崖俯视著名的粉红海滩 thedorsaleffect.com 4x4 Tours (4x4lomboktours.com) 的四驱车则载您从圣吉吉 (Senggigi) 一路到龙目岛南部的海滩, 沿途可参观果园 瀑布或选择到 Desert Point 冲浪的配套 龙目岛的另一面 当印尼龙目岛西北部的吉丽 (Gili, 印尼语 小岛 的意思 ) 迎接热闹派对和众多游客时, 东南部仍是幽静的一角 随我们探索岛上日趋蓬勃的生态旅游业, 踏上一趟绿悠游 译 :Main Ching 别 忘了描写路的状况哟! 司机大哥 Rahman 见我在车里快被震得五脏混乱的样子, 开玩笑说道 我们正在印尼龙目岛东南部 Pemongkong 半岛 Tanjung Ringgit 海角, 一条七公里长又不知名的小路 ( 谷歌卫星地图就只能告诉我们这么多了 ) 上颠簸行驶 坑洞 突出石头 丛生矮树和一路的烂泥四溅害得我们在车里忍受翻来覆去的折腾, 弄得骨头都快散了 Rahman 却委婉地称之为 传统按摩, 真是个乐天派 显然, 龙目岛仍处在纯朴农村状态 首府里不见高楼, 马车依旧在公路上踢踏作响, 看见成群水牛时, 车子还须恭敬停下来让路 此外, 驶过小路时得格外谨慎, 以免碾过摊在路边晒干的稻秆或玉米 多年来, 当人们提起龙目岛时一定会与邻近的巴厘岛相提并论, 说龙目岛是多么落后, 比不上它那五光十射的姐妹岛 这些比较不是毫无根据的, 因为龙 目岛上延绵的稻田可能会让人想起巴厘岛未成为旅游热点前的朴素模样 不过, 龙目岛并不想成为另一个巴厘岛 龙目岛不是 新巴厘岛, 也不像 30 年前的巴厘岛 现在的龙目岛一如 30 年前 龙目岛旅店协会主席 Stephane Servin 说 岛上旅游业于 1990 年代开始, 不过由于缺乏资金和岛上多处无法通行而陷入低迷状态 龙目岛每年外国旅客人数达 35 万, 远远 Agus Harianto Photography; THE DORSAL EFFECT 不及巴厘岛 320 万的旅客人数 不过其旅游业仍继续增长 旅游业前景 Eco Regions( 生态区 ), 一个注重可持续性发展和生态旅游的产业发展公司已在 Tanjung Ringgit 指定了 395 公顷土地发展 生态环境区 区内的生态旅游村将设旅店 度假屋 零售店 餐馆 游艇停泊处 消闲和运动设施以及文化中心 印尼是世界仅存的绿色天堂之一, 处处是值得世世代代去细心开发和保护的天然宝藏 印尼是世界仅存的绿色天堂之一, 处处是值得世世代代去细心开发和保护的天然宝藏 Eco Regions 总裁 John Higson 分享道 他的公司聘请了 40 多名专家拟定发展总蓝图, 其中包括再生能源系统 可持续增长的渔场和红树林再生计划 工程在这个月开始, 预计多年后才能竣工 Higson 认为这个生态环境区将为游人提供一个亲近大自然的旅游体验 另类享受 如果想与世隔绝, 来龙目岛准没错 Servin 说 因此, 我选择了捷瓦贝罗亚马海滩度假村 (Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp) 这个呼吁环保的度假村可能是岛上最偏远的一个 连公共交通都无法到达, 只有沿着我之前所描述的不明小路才可抵达 没电视机或互联网, 连电话信号也难得一求就是生活在海岛这一端的写照 离捷瓦贝罗亚马海滩度假村 11 公里的村子是总电网覆盖范围的尽头 换言之, 海滩度假村一切日常运作都必须回归原生态 村里每一间 berugas( 龙目岛萨萨克土著的小屋 ) 都设有太阳能板, 由一架柴油发电机辅助 食水来自雨水集水盆, 经反渗透仪器将海水转化为能安全饮用的水 42 43
Advertorial 上顺时钟 :The Dorsal Effect 生态旅游公司一日游带您看多彩海洋世界 ; 捷瓦贝罗亚马海滩度假村 (Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp) 地点偏僻, 是远离城市的佳选 ; 海滩度假村里的特色 berugas 小屋 ; 在龙目岛 Tanjung Ringgit 海角的一处, 水牛在烂泥里嬉戏 ; 第 42 页大图 : 著名的粉红海滩 ; 小图 :The Dorsal Effect 用渔船载旅客到岛上各处游览 Business Connections 没有科技的日子, 在捷瓦贝罗亚马海滩度假村的时光当然与大自然共同欢度 到 250 米以外的沙滩享受日光浴或玩沙滩排球 去邻近的森林远足或骑越野自行车也很刺激 小心猴子出没! 海滩度假村一名职员指了指我入住的 berugas 屋后的树林, 好心提醒 海滩度假村后面是 55 公顷的森林保护区, 放眼望过去是分隔龙目岛和附近松巴哇岛的帝汶海和阿拉斯海峡 我与猴子无缘, 我只在去用餐帐篷途中遇见一些小蛇而已 夜幕低垂时, 与海滩度假村的其他住客一起在点点星空下烤肉 闲话家常 聆听海浪, 十分写意 拯救鲨鱼隔天, 我暂时抛开捷瓦贝罗亚马海滩度假村的悠闲时光, 参加一日游到龙目岛的另一处体验岛上不一样的风情 虽然岛上有许多保育项目和工作, 离库塔 (Kuta) 一小时车程的 Tanjung Luar 鱼市上演的屠鲨情景却令我们毛骨悚 然 这里每天遭宰割而其鱼鳍被变卖的鲨鱼约有 400 头 我们到访那天还看到了小长尾鲨和猫鲨 来自新加坡的 Kathy Xu 是救鲨勇士, 她在当地成立的 The Dorsal Effect( 背鳍效应 ) 生态旅游公司倾全力试图改变人们捕杀鲨鱼的观念 我最终的梦想是要龙目岛渔夫停止杀害鲨鱼 通过 The Dorsal Effect,Xu 正朝目标循序渐进 她主张的是 改变观念, 进行保育 的理念 自 2013 年起, 她已主办超过 14 次出游到 Tanjung Luar 鱼市参观 她也会租用渔船载旅客到岛上各处游览 我参加了 The Dorsal Effect 的一日游, 实在振奋人心又令我大开眼界 我们到三个不同地点浮潜, 闪烁的原生态珊瑚礁和七彩鱼群让我们频频称奇 最难忘的是攀爬雄伟高峰, 鸟瞰被珊瑚礁染成粉红的 Segui 海滩 在晴天之日, 还可望见林贾尼 (Rinjani) 活火山呢! 回到龙目岛首府马塔兰 (Mataram), Servin 盛情邀我品尝岛上的特色菜 ayam taliwang( 烤鸡或炸鸡配咖喱酱 ) 难怪很多纪念衬衫都印上辣椒图案, 难道辣椒就是印尼语 龙目 的意思吗, 我大胆猜测 Servin 解释说, 龙目 在岛上萨萨克土著的语言里是 正前方 的意思 谈及生态旅游业, 有了像 Xu 这样的环保先锋和 Eco Regions 的环保总蓝图, 龙目岛的保育自然环境事业的确是一条迈向光明的大道 住宿身为 Secret Retreats 集团成员之一, 捷瓦贝罗亚马海滩度假村 (Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp) 的 berugas 小屋以岛上萨萨克土著的房子为设计灵感 由于是环保度假屋, 所以节省能源为优先考量, 电源只在傍晚六点到清晨六点之间供应 这里提供全食宿 黎明和黄昏远足 越野自行车活动和只有在星期五举行的营火烤肉会 secret-retreats.com; jeevabeloam.com SHOP, DINE & SAVE Singapore Changi Airport offers roundthe-clock comfort and convenience for business travellers. Passengers with long layovers can catch up on offi ce work with free WIFI. There are also business centres which offer printing services. From now till 30 September 2014, eligible passengers who transit through Changi Airport on Singapore Airlines or SilkAir can redeem Changi Dollar Vouchers during their layover, which can be used at selected outlets across all three terminals of Changi Airport. The vouchers can also be redeemed for one-time access to the Ambassador Transit Lounge at Terminals 2 and 3 for up to four hours. For redemption of Changi Dollar Vouchers, simply produce your passport, e-ticket and boarding passes at the ishopchangi Collection Centres in the transit area of Terminals 2 and 3. E-ticket numbers must begin with 618 or 629. Other terms and conditions apply. Stopover in Singapore at Great Value RETAIL AND F&B HIGHLIGHTS Enjoy the vibrant sights and sounds of Singapore with a Singapore Stopover Holiday from S$59*! Inclusive of accommodation, return airport transfers and admission into 15 major attractions, it s a great way to explore the Garden City en-route to your fi nal destination. Green Market Green Market in Terminal 2 is a modern, casual Japanese restaurant serving up value for money, set menus. Check out the salad and appetiser buffet as well. Location: Terminals 1 & 2 TCC The Connoisseur Concerto Serving quality coffee and an extensive range of gourmet delights including sandwiches, pastas and desserts, TCC is a casual café perfect for a relaxing meal during a business trip Location: Terminals 2 & 3 Times Travel From books and gifts to travelling needs, Times Travel stocks the widest range of travel fi ction, language guides and travel necessities. Location: Terminals 1,2 & 3 胜安航空每星期 5 次从新加坡飞往龙目岛 ANDREW LIM Find out more on singaporeair.com Image credit: Singapore Tourism Board 44