Lombok, Indonesia

When I returned from the USA, I found that the Larger (Tiger) brewery next door (from where we get all our utilities) was shut down for maintenance. We could do no brewing, no packaging, no cleaning, - almost nothing + we had a long weekend coming up. So, bo pian (I had no choice), I went on Holiday.

My friend James had decided the week before that he was going to Lombok island in Indonesia - So I just tagged along. Lion Air had special going - and it was as easy as that.

Lombok is the lesser know island next to Bali, and being lesser know is not as frequently visited and not as touristafied. The people of Lombok could not have been friendlier, and the island was beautiful - the picture speak for themselves ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/55592119@N00/ ) . We rented a car for two days and drove around the island. Then we took a boat out to the Gili islands and spent a few days there. The Gilis are a bit more touristy and not as nice as the main island, but still it was nice and not that crowded.

And the beer - the beer was good and cheap (although a bit harder to find than in Bali as Lombok is predominately Muslim) . Beer Bintang and Ankor beer were the most available (I preferred the Ankor) and the cost for a big bottle sitting on the beach - about 19,000 Rups (or $2 USD).

My recommendations for those visiting Lombok are A) stay cheap - the lower priced hotels are nice and clean, B) rent a car and tour around, get to places you normally would not and see the scenery, C) if you take a boat buy the cheapest local ticket and don't be talked into buying any other kind of ticket, D) walk around and meet the people in the towns or villages - I met dozens of friendly people who were excited to practice their English and I got to practice my Bahasa Indonesia (great fun).

It was a great trip - very enjoy.