Bamboo – called bambu locally or bambusa vulgaris botanically – is one of the most versatile plants found in Lombok and is used extensively for everything from furniture to building construction.

Bamboo is actually a sub-species of grass and over 1500 varieties have been identified around the world. The plant can grow up to 60 centimetres (23.6 inches) in one day and reach a height of 18 metres (or around 60 feet).

Because bamboo is fast growing and readily available throughout the island, it has traditionally been used for centuries as a building material. Houses, huts and shelters are built using strong bamboo poles for the framework, while the outside walls and inner partitions are made from split bamboo lengths woven together into panels, called bedek.

The roof is supported by bamboo “beams” and thatched with coconut palm leaves or long alang alang grass where available (although corrugated metal and other materials are now becoming popular).

Outrigger fishing boats and canoes utilize bamboo for masts and for the outrigger floats.

These floats of compartmentalized bamboo filled with air create stability in rough seas and keep the boat buoyant, even if it is swamped or fills with water.

Bamboo is very strong, with a tensile strength superior to that of steel, meaning that it can bear longitudinal stress better than steel of a comparable size. For this reason, it is often used in building and construction to provide support framework for poured concrete pillars and beams.

These days we are also seeing bamboo being revamped to create beautiful and environmentally-friendly building designs. The flexibility and strength of bamboo allows it to be curved and shaped to create exciting structures, such as Milky Wave Restaurant and Xeno Fit in Kuta.

Another beautiful example of modern bamboo construction can be seen in the curved bamboo building at Pearl Beach Lounge on Gili Trawangan.

On a smaller scale, bamboo can be found in almost any of the small villages in Lombok, being used for furniture, baskets, trays, chicken and bird cages, hats, fans, sieves, ladders, mats, fences and livestock enclosures, masts for television antenna, and water pipes leading from streams or wells.

The village of Gunung Sari, around half an hour’s drive from Senggigi or the cities, is well-known as a bamboo centre in Lombok and there are many small open-fronted workshops lining each side of the main road through the village.

These workshops produce an amazing variety of products including chairs, tables, woven panels used for lining walls, room dividers, lamp shades, floor mats, wind chimes, bird cages, fence sections, and baskets and bags of all shapes and sizes.

Furniture production accounts for a large slice of bamboo usage here and is popular among local residents, as well as being exported around the world.

Many people visit Gunung Sari to have furniture made to order. Beds, wardrobes, bedside tables and lounges can be made in a variety of styles and sizes to suit the buyer. Likewise, bamboo is an economical solution when buying tables and chairs for restaurants.

Plain bamboo is generally used, but the rarer and more expensive “tortoise shell” bamboo is used in some furniture and can be made to order.

These days bamboo is being combined with other natural materials such as rattan (a jungle vine) and sea grass to create stylish and modern products.

A browse in the shops along the main road in Gunung Sari gives a good insight into the creative ways in which bamboo is used here. The shops display an incredible variety of goods from traditional bamboo floor mats to durable sun lounges.

One product that is very attractive is the fish trap made from woven bamboo. The finer ones can be bought as a stand-alone art piece and are often converted into lampshades by adding a light bulb and wiring.

Bamboo cages to hold fighting cocks and chickens also make attractive lightshades and can be lined with materials to create different colours and effects.

Many people love the thin bamboo blinds which can be used to cover windows and make a screen for outdoor areas to block wind and rain. The sturdy blinds use a simple cord rolling mechanism to raise and lower the blinds as needed.

Bamboo and rattan baskets are also very popular and come in a huge variety of styles and sizes. Useful in the kitchen for storing fruits and vegetables, larger baskets make lovely laundry hampers; and some are just beautiful as decoration in the home.

Whether you are looking for original handicrafts for your home or wholesale furniture for your business, a visit to Gunung Sari is a fun and rewarding experience… you’re unlikely to leave empty-handed!