Lombok Island is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands or Nusa Tenggara which is separated by the Lombok Strait from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait to the east from Sumbawa. This island is more or less round with a kind of “tail” on the southwest side which is approximately 70 km long.
Here are few Interesting Facts about Lombok Island as a Popular Tourist Destination in the Nusa Tenggara Region that You Must Know
1. Comes from the Sasak language
The word Lombok itself comes from the Sasak language, namely “lomboq” which means straight. It is said that Lombok was given to commemorate the long journey of the ancestors of the Lombok people when they discovered this island.
However, over time, the word Lomboq became the word Lombok. In the end, until now the word Lombok is more popular and known by many people.
2. The majority of the population is Muslim
To note, the native population of Lombok Island is the Sasak Tribe, the majority of whom are Muslim. The Sasak population in Lombok reaches 80 percent.
However, the people of Lombok Island consist of various ethnicities. We can find Javanese, Arabian and Chinese ethnicities. However, the origin of the Sasak tribe itself is still a debate among scientists.
Some experts say that the Sasak people are the natives of Lombok Island who were married to immigrants from Java during the Old Mataram kingdom.
Meanwhile, others believe that the Sasak tribe originated from Ancient Java. Regardless of the various polemics that exist, everyone agrees that the Sasak tribe has inhabited the Lombok mainland for hundreds of years.
3. Mount Rinjani
On Lombok Island there is the second highest mountain in Indonesia, namely Mount Rinjani. Mount Rinjani is an active volcano with a height of 3,726 meters above sea level.
Administratively, this mountain is located in three districts, namely East, Central and West Lombok Regencies. Mount Rinjani is very famous among tourists and climbers because there are beautiful climbing spots.
Because it has a very beautiful charm, it is not surprising that Mount Rinjani is currently one of the most popular tourist destinations in Lombok.
4. There is an area where motorized vehicles are not allowed
Not many people know that in Indonesia there is also an island that is free from motorized vehicles, namely in Gili Trawangan, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.
There are no motorized vehicles allowed there. This regulation is enforced based on customary regulations which were then adopted by the local government, so that all residents must walk or use bicycles for their daily activities.
If the journey is too far, they can use a delman or horse-drawn carriage known as Cidomo.
5. Spicy cuisine
On Lombok Island, there are many typical foods, especially for spicy foods. Lombok Island has typical spicy foods.
Spicy foods typical of Lombok Island include chicken taliwang, beberuk terong, plecing kangkung, bulayak sate, rembiga sate.
The spicy taste of this typical Lombok Island dish is influenced by the native chilies on Lombok Island which have an extraordinary spicy reputation.