Bali Echo Visitor's Guide

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February/March, 1998
No. 033/VI/98

cover story

Galleries Galore
The boom in
contemporary Balinese
art

A Matter of Taste
Why bourgeois Balinese
are collecting art

beyond
bali

From Toraja to the
Togians
Sulawesi's most seductive
parts

Treading Lightly in
Lombok
Tips to being a green
tourist

regular
features

Weekender
The Saltmakers of Amed

Home Grown
Legian's Legend,
Made Kasim

Health and Beauty
The Ubud-based
Bali Utama Spice

Books
The search for the Great
Bali Novel continues

Cuisine
Bumbu Bali cooking
school

Fiction
Marni's Ride by
K. Landras Syaelendra

Jungle Drums

advertising index for
Bali Echo web site

Is eco-tourism really green? As Jo Zaremba discovered, in Lombok it is.

A van stops on an empty and dusty road flanked by a shining bright blue cove and green tumbling hills. The door swings open and a hand reaches out, pulling at weeds growing in the broken verge. Before she has even stepped out of the vehicle, Ibu Hartati has discovered several plant species suitable for eating, feeding livestock or fertilising fields. "Here, try some," pipes Ibu Hartati, chewing happily at the leaves she has collected. As we enter the seaside village I can see her keen eyes scouting for any opportunity to develop new resources.

Paradisiacal Lombok may seem an unlikely place for development work. From the air, it shimmers like a golden disk in the royal blue sea. Lush green in the rainy season, it is an idyllic island, lined with golden sandy beaches from which plumes of palms climb into the jungle. Volcano Rinjani towers over fertile plains that spread electric green blankets across the lowlands. These deep blue seas, rolling hills and dizzying mountains offer everything from culture to nature, adventure to relaxation. Splash, snorkel, surf or dive deep blue seas; hike up Mt. Rinjani to see a live volcano and crater; watch splendid sunsets from long empty beaches or shop in handicraft villages. This beautiful countryside is made easily accessible to tourists through a well paved road-system and a string of comfortable and friendly accomodation.

But against the beautiful scenery lies a harsher side to Lombok. It is hard to believe that, tucked away behind the palm trees, smiling greetings, and colourful temples, lies a dry, poor island. Parched earth, debts, low income, large families and minimal education contribute to a plethora of development problems . Lombok has the highest rates of infant mortality, divorce and women's illiteracy in Indonesia. Deforestation, destruction of coral reefs, over-fishing and construction have played important roles in the depletion of natural resources and the build up of waste. To address such problems a number of local non-government organisations (NGOs) have set up poverty alleviation, welfare provision and resource conservation projects.

Diving, not destroying
Arriving on Gili Air by narrow wooden boat, tourists are welcomed by plastic bottles bopping gently in the sea. Suspended from these re-used water bottles is a new cash-crop: sea grass. Used by cosmetics and food industries it is a source of income which has replaced bombing, breaking and collecting coral that was sold as construction material. The local community has moved from destroying the reef to guarding it against intruders.

Ernest and Kath, who run Reefseekers dive centre on Gili Air and helped set up a sea-grass growing project confirmed the results: "Since the programme began nine months ago we have witnessed visible increases in the wealth, health and general welfare of the community. This (1997) was the first year that the end of the fasting period was celebrated with new clothes, presents for children and plenty of good food including meat."

Reefseekers assists local development and environmental projects. Most communities are not so fortunate in finding support for the many protential projects . Unlike organisations in western countries, Lombok's NGOs are faced with limited local financial sources. Most communities are too poor to contribute to their own social welfare provisions or economic development. There is little opportunity for raising money locally and competition for international aid is high. However a few NGOs are tapping into the tourism market with ingenious income generating schemes.

Alternative tourism
Alternative Tourism Lombok offers an off-the-beaten- track experience of the island. Staying in traditional homes, eating home-made foods and learning about local issues by meeting with Sasak communities and their leaders is a rewarding experience for both guest and host. The profits from such tours are distributed among the hosting groups who invest the money in development projects.

Locally generated development work often proves to be most effective, as an effort in East Lombok has shown through a water sanitation project. As the summer months beat down the ground hardens, rivers run out and an eerie quiet replaces the usual activity of dish washing, laundry, bathing, cooking and children splashing. Women and children carefully balance buckets of water on their heads, returning the precious liquid to their homes without spilling a drop. A single vessel is used for the entire household's needs - from cooking to cleaning. Ironically, water is available on Lombok. "But because it runs so deep underground, it's too expensive for local communities to access," explains Ibu Rohan, a local development worker.

Although International NGOs have set up sanitation projects in Lombok these have not reached all communities. However one village was recently delighted to learn of private interest which their plight had stirred. A guest of alternative tourism Lombok offered US$2,300 to dig three wells, install latrines and build mandis (traditional style showers.) "To ensure sanitary supply and disposal of water the locals have taken outside advice on the technicalities of the project while the community itself is planning, organising and implementing the work," outlined Ibu Rohan.

Lombok's people delight in sharing their island, welcoming any visitor with a warm reception and a wealth of experience. No matter how small their resources, they will offer refreshments. Few tourists step of the beaten track but those who do are rewarded. "There is a whole side to Lombok which most visitors don't see," commented Sue, an English teacher working in Japan who took part in one of the alternative tours. "It's not only an experience not to be missed, but a way of directly helping Lombok's people."

Alternative Tourism Lombok
Tel/Fax: + 62 370 25508 or + 62 370 31574
Reefseekers
Tel. : + 62 370 36341