INDONESIA - LOMBOK 2012

I had three and a half weeks in Indonesia. I booked the flights and one night in Legian, Bali. Apart from this, I wasn't certain as to where I would go in Indonesia.

The surf reports showed Ekas, Lombok to be the most consistently offshore windwise with a reasonable sized swell. I arrived in Bali, walked over to the domestic airport and purchased a flight to Lombok for the following morning. I stayed at Heaven on the Planet Resort and wandered between that and Ocean Heaven Resort. They are owned by the same person.

Besides the surf, I met lots of nice fellow travellers from various parts of the world.



The local people are very nice and helpful. I was there at the end of Ramadan and so met lots of locals at the beach. Everyone was in a great mood!



The next day, i was in Lombok and by mid morning I was out surfing.



this second surf video is of additional footage I neglected to upload previously. It was on my last day in Lombok. a good sized swell had hit. great waves all day.



The waves just kept coming for the next three weeks with off shore winds.






The area is very quiet and isolated. I hired a motorbike to get around to the various surf breaks and countryside. It was lots of fun riding on the dirt roads/tracks/dry river beds along the coast of south east Lombok. There were a few villages dotted around the area.



I visited Ekas village and walked along the pretty white sanded beach and pier. A pretty place.



A few of us went on a day trip to Tetebatu. We walked to the waterfall, had a freezing swim in the waterfall pool and walked the jungle track back to the car. At the end of the walk, we stopped for coconuts



I also did a bit of snorkelling between surfs. There was coral and some fish.



One of the attractions in the area is monkeys. Around the resort, on the beach and on the roads/tracks.



After Lombok, I flew back to Bali for a few days and stayed at Balian. The surf there was okay.




Though I didn't write much, the trip was excellent and I am now waiting patiently for return trip to Indonesia.

indonesia - Lombok - ekas 2012

Lombok 2012

We arrive at the ‘wherethefxxkarewe’ wharf at Lombok from Sumbawa. There were a number of locals standing/sitting around the end of the wharf as the car from tropical took the remaining guests from the boat to the new airport. It was pretty quiet after they left and we sat there for awhile before the car from ‘Heaven on the Planet’ (HOTP) resort turned up.

The drive to ‘Heaven on the Planet’ was excellent. We drove along quiet roads and through small villages until we finally reached the dirt/mud/quagmire road that turned off the bitumen to HOTP. It had been raining a few days ago and the road was wet, slippery, and muddy rutted with pools of water. The car slid this way and that with mud spraying everywhere.  To me, a great car trip!

We arrived and settled into our rooms then went for surf. The waves were excellent. Later, we met the other four guys staying there. Amazingly, the four guys were the same guys from Melbourne that I had met there two years previously. They had arrived the day before but the road was unpassable when they came so they were shipped in by boat.

We/I spend the week, surfing, walking and cycling. The weather was very ugly for about four days with the wind blowing ferociously.

Commenting on the week, I decided that dividing it into the dark and bright side was the best way to describe my experience at Heaven.

The dark side of HOTP

The owner Kerry wasn’t there when we arrived. He stayed a few days then left again for a few days. Consequently, nothing actually got fixed or worked on while he was gone or not watching.

There were a lot of things to be fixed as the resort had been closed for the last few months. The beach was strewn with rubbish. This was partially cleaned up and the rubbish burned sending a plumb of smoke over the resort.

The pool was filthy with a resident frog population living there happily. It was worked on partially each day but after a week it was still unusable.

As time drew on other problems beset the place.

No water – water tank had a crack – so a water truck had to deliver water…remember the road!!!

The staff went on strike just before breakfast was ready for Paul and I so we had to cook our own breakfast. The only time I ever get seriously pissed off is when food is involved.

We asked for mountain bikes and they arrived after ½ day with no brakes on one bike. More bikes arrived the following day but Paul had left.

I asked for the windsurfers but they never arrived.

The roofs partially blew off a number of buildings.

Local repair work was hopeless and caused more mess/problems.

Certain foods ran out.

The usual spiders, scorpions and centipedes were in the rooms.

You had to firmly ask and persist for the boat to take us out to the breaks as the boat guys preferred to sit on their arse all day.

The laundry took a few days to come back and when it arrived it was still damp.

Okay, okay… what was I doing there if it was so bad??? Well that was the darkside and every darkside has a brightside

The bright side of HOTP

The owner, Kerry is a really nice guy. I like it him and despite the problems I consider them to be part of the indo experience. Kerry had me in stitches the way he would go off at the workers and later talk so fondly of them. He loves the place, his staff and locals. He treats them with the respect of a father-figure and they treat him like disobedient naughty children. I liked the way the good, the bad and the ugly blended together so well. Though I was pissed off about breakfast!!

The scenery at HOTP is very, very beautiful. The coastline, beaches and jungle are so pretty. There are so many paths/tracks leading all over the place. The walks along the beaches and through the jungle are an adventure.

When the mountain bikes finally arrived, I went on a long cycle ride through fields, villages, along the coastline and over flooded roads. It felt so remote yet safe, adventurous and fun.  Early in the ride, I nearly tipped over and fell on a local lady. Her friend was laughing but she was clearly unamused. She called me ‘bodoh’ ‘idiot’ and gestured for me to go far away from her. I was very apologetic but I think it lacked true sincerity. At once stage, the road had disappeared under a lake. Luckily, an enterprising local solved my problem with a raft.  He swam the raft with myself and the bike on top across the water for 10 000 R to where the road continued.  At this point, I had started to have lots of talks with locals (not many people around for the first hour) – where are you from, why are you here, etc. I also had three marriage proposals. My wallet was very attractive, I think or am I wrong and it is just my natural charm and babe magnet techniques… nah it’s the wallet.

The surf can be okay to really good and lots of fun. The first two days were excellent – glassy with sizeable sets.  There were only 6 of us surfing there in total. At the other break, there were only two of us out and when everyone had left there was only one out (moi). On the last day, the surfing was big and a bit scary with drowning a possibility. It was that big that the boat that normally motor out in tranquil waters barely made it through the shore break! The boat peaked over one wave at a 45 degree angle and landed with a thump that I thought would break it in two. They sit on their arse but they did a good jog ‘kerja baik’ that day.

There were people there for a while but most of the time I was there by myself. I quite enjoyed that time. It gives one time to be introspective and do the things you want to do when you want to do it.

Kerry gave me two free nights at a later date due to ‘problems’ that occurred.

This was my second time at HOTP and despite the problems ‘I’ll be back’. The first time there were no dark side problems. Luck of the draw like anywhere. The time on my own gave me the time to start feeling the Indo experience and adventure - talking with the locals and doing things that were different.

My trip was changing!

Indonesia - Ekas Lombok to Medewi Bali - May 2010

The surf was looking its best this morning. I just didn’t have time as I needed to sort out my bill and drive to the airport at Mataram for my flight to Bali.


I pay my bill, said my farewells and arrived at Mataram half hour earlier than I expected. The drive was great, especially, when we passed through a market in pone town. The traffic slowed and it was very interesting sitting on the inside looking out and the daily market happenings.

The check in at the airport was quick but the plane was delayed, it was well over an hour before it finally left. It was a bit annoying as I really did have time for surf.

Nyoman, my driver in Bali was at the domestic airport waiting. We3 stopped at a bakery and continued our journey though cloud and then rain to Medewi. The ride was relatively free of traffic though just at Medewi we experience delays due to a truck and car colliding.

At Medewi, in the pouring rain, I met up with Ross. We stayed at a no name losman with clean cheap rooms amongst a number of families.

Domestic airport to Medewi 400 000 rupiah

Room Medewi 70 000 rupiah

Indonesia - Lombok, Ekas - scuba diving - May 2010

The opportunity arose for a scuba dive at Ekas. I have never been before and they had an introductory dive available.


We caught a boat to a coral reef in the centre of the bay and while on the way I was explained equipment use and safety instructions.

Into the water we went and slow sank into the depths. The visibility was poor on the surface but at 3 metres it was clear. There were heaps of corals and fish.

The best part was being under the water for so long skimming just above the various coral formations.

I was a bit disoriented when I finished but it was well worth it.

indonesia - Lombok - Ekas - HIKE - April 2010

I left the resort just before sunrise for a walk through the jungle and back along the coast.

I walked through the resort and down the hill to the beach. Halfway down the path there is a turnoff to the left. I followed this track through the jungle which joined up to a dirt road. I followed the dirt road to the home of the resort owner. The view from the hill was pretty spectacular.

I then followed another track through the jungle which led down to the beaches on the other side of the headland. This track was steep and slippery, especially, in the section just before the beach.

The beach was white sand surrounded by steep cliffs. A short distance along the beach I surprised a huge goanna which quickly scurry along the sand to the rocks at the base of the cliffs. The end of the headland at the far end of the beach wasn’t passable due to the slippery rocks and the incoming tide.

I returned along the beach and around the base of the headland I walked over previously. The incoming tide made it difficult to pass due to slippery and numerous rocks. Eventually, I worked out it was easier to walk through the water on the flat of the reef, which was about waist deep. I got a little wet but it was quicker.

Upon reaching the beach on the other side of the headland I was treated to a sight of a pack of monkeys. They made it clear they didn’t like my presence so I stayed in the water wading along the edge of the beach until there was a safe distance between them and me.

At the end of the beach, the local guys were preparing the boat. At this point, the steep stairs lead from the beach and back to the resort.

Indonesia - Lombok - Ekas - Heaven on the Planet Resort - April/May 2010

Heaven on a Planet resort is situated at Ekas in the south east of Lombok on a hill overlooking a wide bay. It is an isolated place with a few nearby small rural villages.

The resort has a large entertainment and eating area. The menu has a large choice of meals. Down the hill from this level is another entertainment area with chairs, television and sound system. Below level is the small but nice swimming pool.

The rooms are situated in the gardens or overlooking the bay.

My room had a large double bed with mosquito net, television, DVD, various pieces of furniture and a bathroom.

 

 

The gardens have paths leading in various directions. At the bottom of the hill is a nice white sand beach with reasonable swimming at high tide. There are chairs and tables. The resort boat is moored on the beach.

The staff are westerners and locals. All are friendly and very helpful.

Power is provided by generator, which is turned off during the night. On a few nights, the lack of fan made the room extremely hot and uncomfortable. The roof is thatched so the nets are to keep out mosquitoes and critters from the roof. Scorpions are around and they search for damp places so shake your towel and costumes well before using.

There are other inclusions in the package deal stay or one can opt for the no package deal.

 

Overall, it is a great place to stay but expensive by Lombok standards. Drinks and certain activities are in addition to the package cost.

indonesia - Legian Bali to Ekas Lombok - April 2010

 

 

After a night’s rest in Legian Bali, I was ready to move to other places.

The day before, I checked the web for surf conditions then I booked flights to and from Mataram in Lombok. After that, I rang heaven on a planet resort in Lombok Ekas and booked accommodation and pick up at Mataram airport.

I caught a taxi to the domestic airport in Bali for 50 000 rupiah. I checked in at the Merpati counter then went to another counter to pay 52 000 rupiah for my surfboard. The domestic flight tax at customs was 30 000 rupiah.

The flight was very quick with no problems. The flight is so quick that they give you a snack box and water as you are boarding the plane.

Mata ram airport is well organised and I quickly got my bags and went through customs.

I met four other guys from Melbourne who were going to Heaven on the planet resort. We travelled about 2 hours in a van to get to Ekas. The journey was great passing through towns and countryside. People were busy doing work or nothing at all. The last part of the drive was through rough roads to a bumpy track.

I quickly settled into HOT planet resort. The entertainment area looked great, the room was excellent and the views awesome.