Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3018977/good-bad-and-ugly-sides-lombok-gili-islands-komodo
Post Magazine/ Travel

Lombok, Gili Islands, Komodo, Flores – the good, bad and ugly sides to Indonesia’s Nusa Tenggara

  • World-beating beaches, volcanic lakes and deadly dragons – what else could a tourist wish for? The islands of Nusa Tenggara, east of Bali, have them all
  • Wait, those dragons have toxic saliva, and they can swim too
A Komodo dragon. The biggest lizard species in the world takes its name from its home, Komodo island. Photo: Alamy

The good

Indonesia is comprised of 17,508 islands. Or is it 18,307? Either way, now is the best time of year to visit the Nusa Tenggara archipelago, which lies to the east of Bali. While monsoon rains swamp much of Southeast Asia, it’s the dry season in this corner of the southern hemisphere. The Lesser Sunda Islands, as they’re also known, are home to volcanic lakes and deadly dragons, world-beating beaches and traditional villages buried in dense jungle.

Lombok attracts independent types keen to discover whether the island really is just like Bali 30 years ago. First stop is a trio of offshore specks known as the Gili Islands. Travellers rock up planning to stay for a day or two and end up hanging around for weeks. Gili Trawangan is the party isle; Gili Air the not-too-busy, not-too-quiet option, while laid-back Gili Meno is home to fishermen, coconut farmers and Hollywood actor David Hasselhoff, who owns a villa on the island.

For more palm-fringed perfection, hire a moped and set out for Lombok’s south coast and another string of stunning beaches. A potholed coastal road meanders west from Kuta to Tanjung Aan, Selong Belanak and Mawun – a succession of talcum-powder sands lapped by sapphire seas.

The summit of Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on the island of Lombok. Photo: Alamy
The summit of Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on the island of Lombok. Photo: Alamy

For a change from swimming and sunbathing, surfing and sipping cocktails in a hammock, Mount Rinjani tempts the adventurous and energetic into their hiking boots. The good news for tourists – and locals who’ve been unable to work as porters and guides since a major earthquake last year – is that some trails have partially reopened.

Encompassing a number of islands and islets, the starkly beautiful Komodo National Park is no place for the faint-hearted. All that stands between jittery visitors and the infamous dragons is a warden who keeps the prehistoric predators at bay with a flimsy forked stick. Still, count yourself lucky to be in such close proximity to the larger-than-life lizards. A country more obsessed with health and safety (or litigation) would fence the beasts into a zoo-like enclosure, or build a glass viewing tunnel for tourists to walk through.

The “spider web” rice paddies of Cancar village, on Flores Island. Photo: Alamy
The “spider web” rice paddies of Cancar village, on Flores Island. Photo: Alamy

East of Komodo and three times the size of Lombok, Flores Island is Nusa Tenggara’s crown jewel. Getting around requires patience but rewards those who persevere. The ambitiously named Trans Flores Highway spans 660km of sublimely scenic countryside but public transport is unreliable.

Instead, consider heading for the hills on foot. It’s a three-hour jungle trek to Wae Rebo, an isolated mountain village inhabited by indigenous Manggarai people and recognised by Unesco for the conser­vation of its cultural heritage. Visitors gain an insight into a traditional way of life and get to stay overnight in cone-shaped drum houses.

A former Portuguese colony, Flores’ predominantly Roman Catholic farming communities baffle linguists by each speaking a slightly different dialect. Equally intri­guing are the communal “spider web” rice paddies of Cancar village, which are divided according to family size and status.

Flores’ alpha attraction is Kelimutu, three volcanic lakes that change from turquoise to red, green and brown depending on atmospheric conditions and gas emissions. It’s possible to camp close to the crater and be in just the right spot to watch the sun rise over the rim.

The bad

People trying to leave Gili Trawangan after the earthquakes last year. Photo: AFP
People trying to leave Gili Trawangan after the earthquakes last year. Photo: AFP

The series of earthquakes and aftershocks that rocked Lombok in July and August 2018 left at least 500 people dead and tens of thousands homeless. Tourists hiking on Mount Rinjani found themselves stranded when the trails became blocked with debris and made it down to safety only after a huge search-and-rescue effort. The effects were also felt on the Gili Islands, where many resorts and businesses were damaged beyond repair and, for now, ferries are as likely to be carrying construction materials as tourists.

Petty crime is an issue at many of Lombok’s resorts. The theft of items from bungalows, or bags left unattended on beaches while the owners are swimming, happens on an almost daily basis, judging by the number of online warnings.

Then there’s the broken surfboard scam. The board looks fine when you rent it but breaks as soon as any weight is applied. You’ll be bullied into forking out for a new and expensive replacement. Good luck reporting the incident to the police. They’ll expect a small “donation” before writing a report for your insurers.

Beware the broken surfboard scam, where your rented board breaks as soon as you try to use it and you’re forced to fork out for a new one. Photo: Alamy
Beware the broken surfboard scam, where your rented board breaks as soon as you try to use it and you’re forced to fork out for a new one. Photo: Alamy

Unless you own a yacht, travel between the islands is by altogether less-luxurious boat. Finding a seaworthy vessel is some­thing of a lottery – as passengers realise when the engine cuts out for the umpteenth time. Some sight­seers swear by bigger, sturdier craft, others favour speedboats. Either way, the chances of finding yourself drifting aimlessly at sea awaiting rescue while a crew member bashes the motor with a hammer aren’t as remote as you might think. Check for life jackets before setting off.

You’d better hurry if you want to see the world’s largest lizard in its natural habitat. Pending a final decision in August, the national park will close for a year in 2020 as authorities step up efforts to foil poachers. (Dragons have been changing hands for about US$35,000 each and, in March, police arrested five Indonesians accused of smug­gling 41 of the endangered species out of Indonesia.)

When it reopens, indications are that visitors will be asked to stump up a US$500 entrance fee – foreign tourists now pay US$10. According to the provin­cial governor, “Those who don’t have the money shouldn’t visit the park since it specifically caters to extraordinary people.” “Extra­ordinary” meaning rich, it would seem.

The ugly

The Komodo dragon’s saliva is toxic and can be fatal, so it’s best to stand where the rangers, armed with wooden sticks, tell you to stand. Photo: Alamy
The Komodo dragon’s saliva is toxic and can be fatal, so it’s best to stand where the rangers, armed with wooden sticks, tell you to stand. Photo: Alamy

Being pursued through a Jurassic no-man’s land by peckish predators, toxic saliva dribbling from their jaws, certainly keeps tourists on their toes. Especially as they’re putting life and limb in the hands of a dragon whisperer – sorry, park ranger, armed with nothing more than his flimsy wooden weapon of choice.

There were 24 reported attacks on humans, five of them fatal, between 1974 and 2012. Both locals and foreigners have been savaged, including a Singaporean who ventured off a marked trail in 2017. Komodo dragons can swim for at least 500 metres, as two local fishermen discovered after they were attacked in open water off neighbouring Rinca Island. Fortunately, they were able to fend off the forked-tongued assailants with their … forked sticks.