Island Hopping In Lombok

This year, the JC1 students of BBS KJ had a 3-day excursion trip to Lombok along with Mr. Willy, Ms. Rientha, Ms. Angie and Mr. Firhad. They took the first flight of the day and departed for Lombok at the 18th of January. As soon as they arrived, the students immediately took a small boat to go to the small islands surrounding Lombok. They departed to Pasir Island, Tanjung Cumi Island and Pink beach. Tangsi beach, more commonly known as Pink beach, is one of the most visited tourist spots in Lombok, famous for its magnificent view on top of the cliff and its sand, tinted with a pinkish hue. The students had lunchboxes there and enjoyed the beautiful view on top of the cliff. Afterwards, they went back to check in to the hotel, and finally went for dinner. The second day started as the students went to Malimbu Hill. There, the students could see the beautiful view of the ocean, along with Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno, two of the three most popular Gili (small islands) in Lombok.

They proceeded immediately to Gili Trawangan by boat. Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three Gili Islands and there were no motor vehicles on the island. The students had the opportunity to do water activities such as snorkelling and swimming, since the water around the island is not too deep. They also went around the island with bikes to experience more of the stunning view. One of the highlights in Gili Trawangan is the swing standing in the middle of the ocean called the Ombak Swing.

It is a breathtaking place to take pictures in. The students had lunch in a local restaurant there, and then went back to Lombok by boat. Next, they went to Mataram & Cakranegara to shop for souvenirs. They had dinner afterwards to end the day. On the third day, the students first visited Pura Lingsar Temple, Lombok’s most important religious site. Pura Lingsar is a Hindu temple, famous for a pool of water in the Wektu Telu area, sacred to the deity Vishnu. The students needed to wear a sash to enter the temple grounds, and some threw coins in the pool to wish for blessings. There was also an area in the temple where many stones were lined up, and if you can count the amount of the stones exactly, your wishes will be granted. Lastly, the students went to Banyumulek, Sukerare and Desa Rambitan where they got to see how pottery and embroideries were made. They ate lunch and proceeded to Lombok International Airport afterwards.

“I did not think I would enjoy the trip, solely because I am never an outdoor person, but truthfully, I really enjoyed my time in Lombok. Although there were a few mishaps during the trip like getting an outdoor bathroom, there were definitely many memories that I made in that trip. One of my favorite things that I did in Lombok was riding the bicycle around Gili Trawangan. It took a bit of time and a lot of patience from Ms Rientha for me to ride the bike again after 5 years of not touching one, but eventually I got the hang of it.

We are always so busy with school work, tests and our respective duties that I think the purpose of the trip is the school’s way of telling us to enjoy ourselves, relax our minds and have some fun, bonding time with our friends. I think it is safe to say that we accomplished the purpose as I had one of the best time ever in Lombok with all my friends.” Florencia, JC1 Cromwell