An attractive, alternative destination
Andrew Charles, Contributor, Canggu, Bali
Bali is suffering from the effects of the latest bombing -- not as badly as after the attacks in 2002 -- so I was curious as to where people are going now.
I recently visited Lombok, which is just a 25-minute flight east of Bali, and stayed at the magnificent Oberoi Lombok Hotel.
I cannot hope to give a full description of the Oberoi's excellent facilities in a short article but my partner and I spent four days being pampered and served in a manner that almost defies belief.
Our beach front luxury villa was very comfortable and we had an amazing view of the local beach and of Gili Air, one of the three famous islands off Lombok's north-western coast.
My partner went on a trip to Gili Trawangan and tried snorkeling for the first time, returning with some great stories about how enjoyable it was. The Oberoi's PADI-certified Beach Club staff made this all possible and the packed lunch and expert guides provided by the hotel enhanced the experience.
We tried the Oberoi Spa by Banyan Tree and opted for facial treatments. It was just amazing; we both fell asleep during the treatment so this was an indication of how relaxing it must have been.
Island's tourism strengthening
I was interested in finding out whether Lombok had increased in popularity since the attacks on Bali so I asked a couple of hotel general managers for their opinions.
Sheraton Senggigi's Stephan Winkler said he found the situation very positive and the additional flights to Lombok, such as Garuda's direct flights from Jakarta, Silk Air's flights from Singapore, plus a direct flight with Lion Air from Jakarta, had all helped to put Lombok on the map.
Stephan says that 2005 was an "anchor" year for Lombok, with business levels increasing by 10% over 2004. There is certainly great confidence in the future of the island as both a national and international destination.
Holiday Resort in Lombok general manager Stefan Leu says that business in Lombok has improved; he feels it is not as a result of what happened in Bali and suggested it might be more due to an increased awareness of Lombok.
He says his hotel is receiving bookings from both the domestic and Asian markets, from people who want to experience the unspoiled nature, clean air and quietness that Lombok offers. He also agrees that easier access from major Indonesian cities has been very helpful, adding that the Eastern European market has become very significant.
This was my first visit to Lombok in 10 years and I couldn't believe how much the island has changed. Of course there are a lot more hotels and the development on Gili Trawangan is amazing; there are now places to stay and good restaurants but the last time I was there, they did not even have electricity!
Locals more tourist-oriented
Another change I noticed throughout Lombok is that the local people seem a lot friendlier now than they were 10 years ago. We took a tour around the island and visited Kuta (the other one) in the south east, where the beach is just stunning and we also did the tours of the potteries and Songket weavers.
We bought a lot of pottery and the housekeeping staff at The Oberoi did a great job of packing it for us so nothing was broken on the return trip to Bali.
The choices of accommodation in Lombok are wide and prices range from very cheap to very expensive. A return flight from Bali to Lombok on GT Air will cost you only Rp 548,000 and I would recommend this rather than the Merpati flight, which costs more and uses older aircraft.
The Oberoi Lombok is undoubtedly the most luxurious place to stay on the island. With employees who really care about you, restaurants providing exceptionally good food and a location that must be the best on Lombok, what more could you want?
Even checking out was an incredible experience; the hotel staff collected our luggage a few hours before we were due to leave and took it to the airport; they also took our tickets and checked us in.
When we arrived later, the Oberoi representative, Taufik, handed us our boarding passes and escorted us to the Oberoi Lounge where we were offered drinks and snacks while waiting to board the plane: No queuing, no hassle -- just perfect!
The Oberoi Lombok is justifiably the proud winner of the 2005 Best in Asia & Pacific -- Commitment to Quality Award given by the organization Leading Hotels of the World, after a strenuous and anonymous inspection of all its member hotels.
As a resident of Bali, I sincerely hope that we will continue to receive visitors here but Lombok is certainly a very interesting alternative and highly recommended.
The Oberoi Lombok
Medana Beach
Tanjung
PO Box 1096
Mataram
West Lombok
Nusa Tenggara Barat
tel. (0370) 638444
fax. (0370) 632496
e-mail: Reservations@theoberoilombok.com
website: www.theoberoilombok.com