April/May, 1998
No. 034/VI/98
cover story
Ground Breakers
Bali's top corporate
women
Out of the Frying
Pan
The legacy of widow
burning in modern Bali
beyond
bali
Cycling around Lombok
regular
features
Sidelines
The cultural
value of
Indonesia textiles
Adventure
Off-road trips by Land
Cruiser
Home Grown
Bali's surf hero of
nineties, Rizal Tanjung
Health and Beauty
Mandara's many
Bali
spas
Books
The Butterflies of Bali
Food
Four delis that have
survived the crisis
Photo Gallery
F.X. Marit captures nyepi
on film
Jungle
Drums
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SENGGIGI AND MONKEY FOREST CHALLENGE
The tropical sea in the north-west of Lombok provides some of the best
bathing and snorkelling opportunities on the island. Here, the hilly coastal road runs
through broad palm lined peaceful coves. A beautiful coral garden is easily accessible to
snorkellers two kilometers south of Pemenang on a quiet beach undisturbed by tourist
development. It is reached by a well tarmaced road all the way around the island or cuts
back to Mataram through magnificent rainforest along the ‘Monkey Forest Road’.
One morning taking the climb up this road to the to the Pusak Puncak (Pusak Summit) I stopped to cool off at the top of the pass. Locking up my bike I followed a footpath running north-west of the hill-top restaurant. At the end of this track, set amongst thick trees and overlooking rainforest covered hills and the Gili Islands sparkling in the aquamarine sea, stands a Hindu shrine. Four men dressed in traditional Hindu costume invited me to join them in worship. I put on my sarong and joined in the ceremony, offering lotus petals and meditating in silence amongst the peace of moss covered shrines.
The climb to Pusak Puncak is rewarded with a freewheel through rainforest overlooking breathtaking views of the sea and Gili Islands. The route roller-coasters back towards Mataram along the coast and sparkling sea.
Although the entire route is tarmaced, the steep hills make it a challenging cycle for which you should have well functioning brakes. The coastal road has little shade and is extremely hot so should be avoided in the middle of the day. Time your ride to cycle this stretch early in the morning or afternoon perhaps ending your day with spectacular sunset views overlooking Mt. Agung on Bali.
Illustrations, text and photos by Jo Zaremba, except for main photo by F.X. Marit.
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