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Lombok Wildlife Park
Since it first opened in 2017, Lombok Wildlife Park has become one of the most popular attractions in North Lombok – delighting guests and earning rave reviews on sites like TripAdvisor.
The Park spreads over 4 hectares with two hectares filled with gardens and animal enclosures designed to be as natural as possible.
Many of the creatures who live at the park have been rescued from circuses and zoos, and arrive at the park abused and in poor condition, physically and mentally.
Owners Fellicia and Ketut now dedicate their time to giving them a safe and comfortable place to heal and live out their days happily
The resident Sumatran Elephants are the stars of the show. Both came from a notorious zoo in Java, where they were forced to perform circus tricks and offer elephant rides for up to 8 hours a day.
Now they live in safety, and are healthy and happy. Elephant rides are not available. Instead, visitors to the park can meet the elephants up close and feed them fruit and vegetables from the fruit baskets available for purchase.
The Park also offers the chance to join the animals in their daily bath and give them a scrub in the mud bath; an activity the elephants obviously love.
The Park’s resident Orangutan from Borneo is a larger-than-life character who loves to put on a show, grabbing fruit from visitors, cuddling and playing with the guests like an overgrown child.
The Park is home to Sun Bears, Orangutans and Gibbons, Proboscis Monkeys, cute Pygmy Hippopotamus, and more.
A large walk-through bird enclosure contains a variety of pretty birds including peacocks, while the nearby snake enclosure houses lizards and large pythons, which are happy to drape themselves over guests for a photo.
The restaurant has a great selection of meals and snacks, cold drinks, juices and milkshakes, as well as serving a delicious afternoon tea.
Lombok Wildlife Park is a “must visit” on your Lombok itinerary… families with kids will love it too! lombokwildlifepark.com
Paragliding
Imagine soaring high in the sky, legs dangling below your body, as you gaze down on aquamarine waters, long deserted white beaches, and lush green rice paddies. It is like flying over paradise!
Lombok offers exactly that experience, regardless of whether you’ve ever taken to the skies before.
For tandem jumps, head to Prabu Hill in Kuta. This popular take-off spot is visited by thousands of adrenaline seekers every year and jumps are offered by trained experts who will control everything, allowing you to simply enjoy the sun in your face and the stunning views below. For the fearful, the view more than makes up for it as the glorious Mount Rinjani creeps into view.
The picturesque hills of Are Guling is another great jump-off option, as it leads to a bay nestled between lush green forests and rolling hills.
Bukit Lawang and Bukit Pegasingan on the eastern slopes of Mt Rinjani are some of the other popular paragliding spots around the island. Soar above lush green landscapes and valleys surrounded by the ancient mountain ranges.
The best part about paragliding in Lombok is that it’s possible almost all year round. While the occasional rain shower may dampen plans, such is the weather on the island, you won’t have to wait long for the next dry afternoon.
Paragliding groups are located near Kuta on the south coast and Sembalun in the northeast. Experienced teams are waiting to assist you experience the flight of a lifetime. They offer all needed equipment, safety briefings, a tandem jumper and, yes, that little push we sometimes all need!
World-Class Diving
With so many islands, Lombok offers a myriad of diving opportunities. The best-known locations are around the Gili islands – Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan – where the diving is amongst some of the best in Southeast Asia.
All three islands are well served by professional dive operators who offer certification courses, day and night dives and specialised courses, as well as live-aboard adventures to exotic locations.
The “secret islands” of southwest Lombok are an undiscovered diving paradise, boasting 19 uncrowded dive sites brimming with vibrant and healthy reefs and a diverse variety of marine life just waiting to be explored by those who prefer off-the-beaten-path adventures.
Likewise, diving the south coast from Kuta is a rewarding experience for divers looking for something different, with challenging dive sites off the south coast and around the largely unexplored southeast coast.
Regarded as one of the best diving spots in the region, “The Magnet” at Belongas Bay is a challenging and glorious deep dive popular with experienced divers. Offering unique flora and fauna, Belongas is home to schools of white- and black-tip reef sharks, squid, barracuda, eagle rays and, at certain times of the year, hammerhead sharks.
Handicraft Villages
Lombok is famous for its traditional earthenware pottery made from local clay with distinctive designs, as well as hand-woven sarongs and fabrics (ikat).
Pringgasela in Central Lombok is a small village which is steeped in tradition and is a major centre for weaving ikat. Visit the small houses and shops here to see the old traditional looms being used to create intricately woven, colourful fabrics.
Sukarara is 5 km to the west of Praya, heading south towards Kuta. This is another weaving village where quality ikat and traditional cloth is displayed and sold. Weavers work outside many of the shops, using antiquated “back strap looms” to painstakingly produce works of art.
Some of the larger pieces can take several months to weave and collectors from around the world visit these villages to purchase the blankets, sarongs and cloth produced here.
Banyumulek, easily reached on the road south to Lembar Harbour, is an important centre for pottery on Lombok. The small village has many shops selling pottery produced in the area, as well as from the other main pottery-making villages such as Penujak and Masbagik. Lombok pottery, with its distinctive terracotta styles, is famous internationally and is exported throughout the world.
Dirt Biking in Lombok
For those who don’t mind getting down and dirty, why not sign up for a day riding a motocross bike around southern Lombok? The best off-road tracks can be found close to Kuta, with a range of companies all providing equipment, and some even offering island tours of up to seven days.
A typical day of dirt biking includes pick up from your hotel, getting comfortable on the bikes and riding three tracks in the morning, before stopping for lunch. The afternoon flies by in a whirlwind tour of exhilaration along hidden tracks before being dropped off back at your hotel in the late afternoon.
From beach routes to jungle treks to steep hill climbs, there is a dirt-bike tour or trail to suit everyone’s tastes and skill level.
Getting around Lombok is easy by car or motorbike and you can hire these in all the main tourism areas, with an International Driver’s License. The roads are generally in good condition and traffic is light. Alternatively, hire a car and driver for exploring.
Or take part in the tours and day trips offered by the many tour agencies on the island; just do an internet search for the title (e.g. “dirt bikes Lombok”, “paragliding Lombok”, etc.)