INDONESIA LOMBOK -HISTORICAL TOUR

HISTORICAL TOUR

It is suggested to begin your visit to Lombok from Mataram City. The city reflects a lot of historical information, especially those from the Dutch colonia era. It is reflected by the existence of some old buildings constructed during the Dutch regime in Lombok that remain in Ampenan – a district in Mataram.The district is located 8 kilometres from downtown to the west. You also can hire a Cidomo (translation: Lombok’s traditional horse drawn carriage) to go around or go straightaway to the Ampenan Harbor. To find a more satisfying impression, you may take a walk around the old city.

In Ampenan, you can see the ruins of a dock from the oldest harbor in Lombok, came from era of the Dutch Colonial in Indonesia. All the way to the harbor, you may see a series of old buildings (nowadays becoming shopping complex and houses). In the past, Ampenan was the capital city of Lombok and a trading center for Mujarat traders (Arabic and Chinese). It also served a function as a gateway to and from Lombok. Nowadays, Chinese and Arabic descendants inhabit the old city. The 2 different ethnic groups live side by side with such a lofty tolerance, never been in any inter ethnics conflict. Decades later,not far from the two dwellings, a Balinese  dwelling ( Hindu community) was built. But, not even small inter ethnic incident has ever happened in this business area.

Mataram has 2 full day traditional markets. One of them is quit big market located in Ampenan, known as Kebon Roek market. It is about 1 kilometer to the west from Mataram or about 2 kilometers in the south of Sengigi Beach. To reach the market from Sengigi, you can take a local transportation service from Batulayar to Ampenan.

The other biggest traditional market set in the east of the downtown i.e Mandalika Market located in Bertais Sweta  Cakranegara . It is biggest traditional marker in Lombok. Here many vendors all around  Lombok are seeing each other . Before distributed to the smaller markets, all commodities are assembled in this place. People may get bit cheaper prices in this market compared to the other markets in Mataram. To reach the location, it takes about 10 minutes from Mataram using a public transportation service ( bemo kuning  yellow small minibus)

To feel another sensation, you may take a trip by using cidomo. Local people call it cidomo for it was created by combining components of cikar (horse –cart) , dokar ( a cart with a hood), and montor ( car) . Typically, a cidomo looks like a delma ( in Java) or an andong ( in Jakarta).

Mataram is also one of destination cities to seek for education by students and colleges from various regions in Indonesia and some other countries. In Mataram, people can attend a local, national or even an international standardized education services. All levels of education are available offering competitive educationists compared to some famous cities in Indonesia. Graduates from Mataram are considered to have adequate qualification and achieve many accomplishments in other cities. Likewise the formal education, foundation and non-formal education institutions are also developed sophisticatedly.

There are also some education institutions specifically offering religious study( Islamic boarding schools and religious proselytizing of Islam tenet) . One of the most famous boarding schools in Mataram id Darul Falah, located in Kelurahan Mataram, 1 kilometer in the south of the downtown of Mataram. Likewise, in the north, there are also boarding schools offering various programs of Islamic study.

Overall, Mataram is not enriched with natural attraction, as spread in other regions or cities around Lombok and Sumbawa. Recently, the local administrative of Mataram constructs an amusement facility for public near Loang Baloq beach, in the southern area of the city. You can enjoy witnessing the sunset in the evening. Another sunset spot in Mataram is in Ampenan Beach.

Besides becoming the center of administration and business,Mataram has a historical museum, located in the sixth of Jalan Panji Tilar Negara. This museum has various historical collections, including archaeological, numismatic and ethnographical stuffs, as well as the fine arts, etc. There are about 7546 collections kept inside this conservation building. Fifteen thousand to 20 thousand visitors come to this governent’s museum every year .A significant increase occurs since the government declared the year of museum visit in Nusa Tenggara Barat.All officers of the museum keep their best efforts to improve the number of domestic and international visitors

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Recently, to support the vision of Mataram as the center of business build shopping center ( malls). The 2 malls are located in the heart of Mataram i.e Mataram Mall in Cakra negara at Jalan Cilinaya and Lombok Epicentrum Mall at Jalan Sriwijaya, Mataram. Various domestic and imported commodities are well distributed in the city, sold in some shopping centers and plazas.

People are better to end their visit to Mataram with a culinary tour and buying souvenirs. A center fir culinary vendors is located in Jalan Sudirman, at the downtown and in Cakranegara at night. People can find various distinctive foods of Lombok in the 3 locations, such as seafood, toasted  chicken ( ayam Taliwang) , as well as other Lombok’s special culinary menus. Before leaving the city, you would better go to some souvenir shops spread over Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara and some other spots.You may choose various Lombok’s unique kinds of souvenirs or gifts such as T shirt, woven , fabric, snacks and sweetmeats , dodol ( translation : kind of taffy made of sticky fruits of other ingredients), salted egg, honey etc