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Lombok, an ecotourist's paradise
Lombok lies just 35 km east of Bali, across the Wallace Line. Slightly smaller than Bali, it features spectacular white sand beaches, stunning dive sites, and some of the world’s best surf spots. Lombok is the home of the Sasak people, predominatly Muslim, who have kept vibrant traditions and spectacular rituals. Hinduist Balinese, who ruled Lombok for about 150 years, form a strong minority in Western Lombok.
The island is dominated by the Rinjani volcano (3,726 m), one of the best hikes in Southeast Asia. Developed with the New Zealand government assistance since 1999, the Rinjani Trek Center is a unique partnership between the Rinjani National Park, the local tourism industry and communities, manageing and protecting the mountain's environment. The Rinjani Trek Center has received the International Legacy Award sponsored by Conservation International and National Geographic. Stroll the forested slopes of Mount Rinjani to spot silver leaf and black monkeys, and parrots birds.
Another natural wonder of Lombok is the Gili Islands: Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Gili Meno in the north west, where you can spot marine turtles, and maybe encounter a manta ray or a shark – or Gili Petangan, Gili Bidara and Gili Lampu in the East, where you can admire pristine coral reefs.
To discover the unique culture of Lombok, walk around Tetebatu, Segenter or Senaru to discover the Sasak rural life and traditions of pottery and weaving, visit the old mosques of Bayan and Rembitan, remnants of the ancient Wetu Telu religion, or attend local festivities to observe the colorful and rarely performed Sasak dances, music and rituals.
How to get there
Mataram, Lombok airport, is deserved by daily flights from Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, and international flights from Singapore (4 times a week) or from Kuala Lumpur via Surabaya. Local flights connect Mataram to eastern islands.
By sea, it takes 4 hours to cross the Lombok Detroit by public ferry (departs every two hours) from Padang Bai in Bali to Lembar harbor, south of Mataram. A ferry links also Labuhan Lombok, eastern Lombok, to Sumbawa island (departs every two hours) and other eastern islands.
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Ecotourism Tips in 
