Mawun Beach, Visiting a Virgin Beach That Flanked by Two Hills in Lombok

Mawun Beach is one of beaches in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. First time you come here, you may think that the beach is a private beach with stunning panorama. It is not surprising because the beach so quiet and it seems you are the owner of its beach. Probably, the visitors here only 3 – 5 and most of them are foreign tourists that stay around Kuta Beach, Lombok. 

The contour of Mawun Beach is just like the beach around Komodo Island because the beach is flanked by two green hills just like teletubbies hill. When you come during summer or June to August, you will see blue and crystal water. Your experience here will be more perfect if you stay until dusk because the color of twilight is so amazing. The wave of water very calm and you can enjoy the beach by lie down on white sand or just play with water. 

Unfortunately you won’t be able to see the sunset because the beach will set at the right of beach, precisely at the west of the hill. But, you can see the tranquility and peace during sunset. 

Location

Mawun Beach is situated at Tumpak Village, Pujut sub-district, Lombok Tengah Regency, West Nusa Tenggara. The location is around 60 km from Mataram City and it can be reached by a car for about 1.5 hours. You can take a route from Mataram City – Cakranegara – Kediri – Praya – Penujak – Selong Belanak – Mawun. Or, Mataram City – Cakranegara – Kediri – Praya – Batunyale – Sengkol – Rambitan – Sade – Kuta – Mawun. 

The road the Mawun Beach is not adequate along 9 km from the beach. But, you will see the tobacco farming and wide plain. In certain day, the farmer will harvest the tobacco and sell it to the merchant.

If you want get easy traveling, you can rent a car and paying IDR 350,000 or US$35 per day, including fuel and driver. To enter the beach, you need to pay IDR 5,000 or US$0.5 if you come with the car. But after 4.30 pm, there is no guard and you can be free to enter the Mawun Beach.

Accommodations

There is no lodges around Mawun Beach. Most of visitors who come here will stay in Lombok or stay overnight around Kuta Beach Lombok because it becomes the center of lodges for tourists in East Lombok.

But you can find souvenir just like traditional clothes and so colorful. You may meet the seller who offers their traditional clothes, but if don’t intent to buy, don’t tray to bargain because they will angry if you just bargain and don’t buy it. 

Activities

The beach is part of strait and if you see if from above, it forms horse-shoe. There are two hills at the west and east of the beach with fine sand at the east, besides at the west the sand a bit rough. The topography of the beach more steep at the center with bigger waves.

Playing calm water that look like a lake become favorite activity in Mawun Beach. But you have to be careful because the depth of the beach can be deeper after you work 5 – 10 meters from the coastline. Although the water is so clean and clear, but you won’t be able to snorkel because the base of the beach is sand. After playing water, you can clean yourself.

The beach is suitable to relaxation and escape from the hustle. There are many huts and small posts along the beach that can be used to rest or put your stuffs. If you don’t like water activities, you can stroll along the beach or just sun bathe. After that, you can explore the beach by walking near the hills.

Pictures taken from www.worldtourismindonesia.blogspot.com

Beringharjo Market, Yogyakarta

Beringharjo Market is the most famous traditional market in Yogyakarta. The word itself is originated from the word Bering (from Beringin tree) and harjo (prosperity). Therefore, the place, which used to be beringin trees, is expected to give prosperity to the people around. This market is also famous as the central of batik, a Javanese traditional cloth, in Yogyakarta. The price offered is also very attractive and can be very cheap.

The location of Beringharjo Market is in Malioboro Street near Vrederburg Fort. The place itself is easy to find and if you are in Malioboro, becak operators will offer to take you there. The admission price is free but make sure to bring some money as there are lots of goods that you can buy there with interesting price. Even, you can bargain the price to be really low.

Because it’s a traditional market, you will find many local products there. On the first floor, you will find lots of batik and it is the main commodity of the place. There you can find clothes, bed sheet, and souvenirs made of batik. The price range of batik is from ten thousand rupiahs (about a dollar) to a million rupiahs (about a hundred dollars).

However, the price is altering so make sure you have a good bargaining skill to get a great deal. Moreover, most of the sellers are friendly and nice so you can also interact with local people and understand their cultures. The market is closed at 5 PM yet many food sellers are still there to offer traditional foods and snacks like gudeg, martabak, or klepon.

Besides batik, the market also sells bags, sandals, and shoes in very cheap prices yet the quality is maintained. Even, on the back side of the market, you will find groceries like vegetables, meats, chickens, and many other things. Also, you can find wedding souvenirs and traditional cosmetics near the groceries vendors.

On the front side, you can buy traditional snacks such as bakpia, brem, hunkwe, nagasari, and putu. In fact, the snacks sellers occupy the front part of Beringharjo market and their products are mostly fresh and still warm.

On the second floor, you will find casual clothes and bed sheet. The price is not very low and the quality is just so-so. Also, the prices are usually fixed so the chance of making it lower is very limited. On the eastern part of this floor, you will find many jamu (Javanese herbal drinks) sellers that causes the area to smell like jamu.  

On the third floor, you can find antiquities with good quality. There, you can find old stuff like typewriter and water jugs. Third floor also consists of flea markets that sell second-hand clothes, bags, and shoes with cheap prices. However, you need to be thorough to get good quality stuff.

In short, you should certainly go to Beringharjo market when you are in Malioboro. The vendible are attractive and you can interact with local people by shopping there.

Rontu Beach, A Calm and Relaxing Beach in Lombok

Lombok Island has many beautiful beaches, and one of them is Rontu Beach. For those who never travel to Lombok may never heard of this beach. The beach is indeed not as popular as other beaches in Lombok, such as Senggigi or Kuta.

However, when you travel to Lombok, include this beach to your destination plan. This is because the beach has an amazing panorama, just like those popular beaches. The beach is not too crowded, so it is suitable for you who want to find peace. You can have a good time in the beach. The beach is so calm that you can play in the beach without any disturbance. You can enjoy the blue sea water and the clean sand of the beach.

         

Location

Rontu Beach is one of the beaches in Sumbawa Island. Precisely, it is situated in Tangga Baru Village, Monta District, Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara. It lies in the southern part of Bima City, and faces directly to Indian Ocean. Although the beach is too popular, the infrastructure of the beach is adequate.

The roads toward the beach are in good condition. All kinds of vehicles can pass through the roads. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours driving from Bima to the beach. You can start your journey from Bima towards the airport. When you find a T-intersection, you must turn left and then continue to the south until you arrive at the beach.

You can go by taxi or rent a car if you don’t drive your own car. You will have to pay for about Rp400,000 to Rp600,000 (US$41.00 to US$61.00) per day.   

Activities

          Rontu Beach is so calm that it is the right place to refresh your mind. Many visitors just sit down on the beach to enjoy the calm sea waves and feel the breeze of the sea wind. Some others play or swim in the beach. Children usually love playing water in the edge of the beach or play with the sand.

The sand has various colors, from black to white. The colors of the sand is so beautiful, especially when you see it closely. Children can play in the sand and in the beach safely. The water is so clean, almost no garbages are found in the beach. Thus, it is really safe to swim in the beach. Otherwise, you can simply take pictures with the background of the beach.

Accommodations

         The beach doesn’t provide enough accommodations such as hotels or resorts. It is better for you to stay in Bima when you visit the beach. You can come to the beach as early as possible and then go back to Bima in the evening.

Also, you should bring your own equipment if you want to do water activities, such as snorkeling. The beach has no rental equipment. The beach is so beautiful, but unfortunately the facilities are inadequate. However, it shouldn’t stop you from visiting the beach.  

          The beach has unique panorama. If you have a travel plan to go around lombok, you should never miss Rontu Beach.

Lawar Beach, The Beautiful Beach In Lombok

Lawar Beach is one of beautiful beaches in Sumbawa. The beautiful of the beach is so fascinating and you may not want to leave the place when you visit it. You must want to play and stay long in the beach. Lawar is not as crowded as many other popular beaches like Kuta or Senggigi. Hence, the atmosphere is quite peaceful and refreshing. 

If you feel stressed because of your tight schedule and busy work, relax your mind by visiting the beach. You will find comfort and peace. Enjoy the beautiful panorama, then you can refresh your mind and go back to work with clear mind. Lawar offers you panoramic view that can be some kind of antidote for your stress.

Location

          Lawar Beach is situated on the west coast of Sumbawa Island. Precisely, it lies in Sekongkang District, Taliwang, West Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara. The exact coordinate of the location is  8°57'49" S and 116°43'34" E. The nearby cities include Rempung Village, Praya and Puyung. The beach is quite far from the capital city of West Nusa Tenggara, i.e. Mataram.

You don’t need, though, to worry about the transportation. You can go to the beach from Mataram crossing Sumbawa Island through Kayangan Port in East Lombok. You can go by ferry for about Rp18,000 (US$2.00) per person. It will take about two hours crossing to Sumbawa. When you arrie at Poto Tano Harbor, you can continue your trip to Sekongkang, and that is the place where Lawar lies.   

Activities

          You can explore Lawar Beach once you have arrived. Lawar is one of the most beautiful beaches you can find in Sumbawa Island. You can enjoy the beautiful panorama, along with the white fine smooth sand in the beach. The beach has panoramic view, with large rocks in the beach. You can take pictures in the beach, and these rocks can be a good background for you.

You can also highlight the blue sea water if you want to take pictures. The beach also has hills in its surrounding. This adds the beauty of the beach. You can do various things other than exploration. You can swim, hike or bike around the beach. This is fun activities since the beach is not too crowded. Enjoy your beautiful moment in the beach.

Accommodations

          If your decide to stay in the beach, you need to prepare all things carefully. You will not find any hotels, resorts or lodges in he beach. You can spend the night in the beaches by setting a tent with your friends and families. However, you must bring enough equipment to do this. First aid, good tents, enough food and drink are all need to be considered.

If you succeed to spend the night in the beach, this will be your most challenging experience. If you want a safer visit, you can spend the night in nearby cities, like Rantung. Spend the night in lodges available at Rantung. Rates of lodges range from Rp200,000 to Rp400,000 (US$21.00 to US$41.00) per night.  

          If you want to find a great adventure and challenge, Lawar Beach can be the best alternative. The nature and its surrounding area provides the things to support your exploration. 

Picture taken from www.backpackerakhirpekan.blogspot.com