Voyage to the dragon's lair

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 25, 2010 0 comments
Natalie Paris sails the islands where ancient reptiles rule.
Indonesia's vast archipelago has lured adventurers with tales of stormy straits, desert islands and man-eating dragons. European trading ships sailed here in the 16th century in search of treasures. These days the Spice Islands, now known as Maluku, have fallen off the charts of the average seafarer but, further south, legends of dragons live on. Here lie remote islands perfect for modern voyages of discovery.

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Lombok eyes 2012

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 13, 2010 0 comments

He speaks fluently English and Arabic and his clear way of talking makes a difference with some other Indonesians, rather shy when they have to speak in public. Muhammad Zainul Majdi is the current Governor of West Nusa Tenggara and belongs to this new generation of Indonesian politicians who start to give a new impetus to the World's biggest archipelago. One of Majdi's objectives is to turn Lombok into a major tourism destination, emulating Bali, its Western neighbour just 90 minutes away by high speed-boat. Lombok has been so far protected from massive tourism development. 

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Komodo, Indonesia: Into the dragons' den

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 12, 2010 0 comments
Indonesia's vast archipelago has always lured adventurers, with tales of stormy straits, desert islands and man-eating dragons. European trading ships sailed here in the 16th century in search of treasures. These days the Spice Islands, now known as Maluku, have fallen off the charts of the average seafarer, but farther south, legends of dragons live on. Here lie remote islands perfect for modern voyages of discovery.
 

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Volcano on Indonesia's Lombok Island spews lava, ash 4,000 feet into sky as eruptions continue

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JAKARTA, Indonesia — An active volcano on Indonesia's Lombok island has spewed lava and hot ash nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 metres) into the sky but poses no immediate threat to local villagers.
Surono, director of Indonesia's Volcanology Agency, said the Tuesday eruption followed four smaller eruptions on Friday.

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Maritime minister planning Sail Lombok-Sumbawa 2012

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 9, 2010 0 comments
Lombok Barat, W Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad has made Sail Lombok-Sumbawa 2012 part of his program to support development of the tourism sector in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province.

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Bring on the hammock

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Shed that urban stress on Indonesia's laidback Gili Islands
THE peeled-onion syndrome, whereby visitors instantly shed layers of stress along with their clothes, is a naturally occurring phenomenon on the tiny Indonesian island paradise of Gili Trawangan.

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Mount Rinjani Lombok

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File:Rinjani volcano satellite.jpgMount Rinjani or Gunung Rinjani is an active volcano in Indonesia  on the island of Lombok. It rises to 3,726 metres (12,224 ft), making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia, and similar in height to Mount Fuji in Japan. second in height among Indonesian volcanoes only to Sumatra's Kerinci volcano
The first historical eruption occurred in September 1847. The most recent eruption of Mount Rinjani was in May 2010 and the most recent significant eruptions occurred during a spate of activity from 1994 to 1996 which resulted in the further development of Gunung Barujari. (G.Baru). Historical eruptions at Rinjani dating back to 1847 have been restricted to Barujari cone and consist of moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows that have entered Segara Anak lake

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West Nusa Tenggara eyes international marine event

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West Nusa Teggara (NTB)  province has all the supporting facilities needed to host an international marine event dubbed Sail Lombok-Sumbawa 2012, a local tourism official said.

"We have all supporting facilities, we have potential, and therefore we want to host an  international marine event in the province,"  NTB  Culture and Tourism Office spokesman Lalu Gita Ariadi said in Lombok on Saturday.

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Enchanted on Gili Trawangan Lombok

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The second time my idle to Lombok, one place that always wanted me to go is to Gili Trawangan. Somehow, Gili Trawangan is always fascinating to me. Either the beach, or the atmosphere. First to Gili Trawangan at the year 2008, the first impression is the beautiful and bustling. Understandably then seasson peak, so the bule-bule much wandering along the road on Gili Trawangan. So seemed not in their own country. But my second visit this time happens to go low season, so the landscape is slightly different, because it is not too full.
I also get a slightly cheaper room at the Unique Hotel is situated near the main road.
 
If my first visit, I ride public transportation from the city of Mataram, the route of Mataram - Rembiga - Pamenang connected with public boat ride from the harbor to Gili Ward, this time I use my motorcycle in Ward Leave.
 
The most beautiful areas while traveling from Mataram to the ward, according to me is when we enter Pusuk forest, famous for the number of monkeys that roam. If using public transport I can not stop, this time I can freely stop in some beautiful spot.
 
One hours drive from Mataram to the ward, rather make my body a little tired. Arrive at the Hall, the existing public boating accident that will progress towards Gili Trawangan, so I do not have to wait too long and avoid the merchants who have sometimes disturbing degree.
 
After 30 minutes passed, our boat arrived at Gili Trawangan. I hurried down, again happy to be touched again Gili Trawangan beach water. Impressed childish perhaps, but enatahlah, magnets what can make me have always been interested in this one island. But this time was a few local tourists have to register himself at the security post, located not far from the ticket counter dyke. Strange, my first visit did not have to go through procedures such as this, but yes've been, you just follow the rule.
 
Apart from the postal survey of visitors, I hurried to find cheap lodging. But really inns in Gili Trawangan is still in its early stages rather expensive, for the size of puppy travelers like me. I could actually stay at the guard post or at beebrapa beruga in the west of Gili Trawangan, but this time it felt like a little spoiled bermanja-for business lodging. I also get a slightly cheaper room at the Unique Hotel is situated near the main road (it is definitely a bit expensive), but its most important Internet access, hehehehe ... ..
 
Done business check-in and loading and unloading, I went to the beach to just enjoy the weather leyeh-leyeh a slightly overcast afternoon. There are few foreign tourists who casually opened her boss (topless) and then sunbathe on the beach. Different scenery he-he-he .... Initially I wanted to snorkel on the west coast, but because it had never been to snorkel here, I too was discouraged. And without any felt I finally fell asleep in a beachside Beruga until late afternoon.
 
Unfortunately the weather was again overcast, so I can already predict you will not see a beautiful sunset. I went back to the lodge for a shower. On Gili Trawangan, I could at any moment to take a bath. In addition to its hot weather, also supported the water we use to shower is salt water, so that will be felt sticky and hold in this body. So much so that I often chuckle to myself if it was walking on Gili Trawangan and meet the drinking water bucket Cidomo towing horses, which turned out to contain fresh water and only intended for the horses. It turns out here, holding horse power, he-he-he ...
 
One that I like to Gili Trawangan is the night life. Here, for the affairs of the café to café was quite entertaining. And for every night, there's only beach party. In contrast to the café-café in Kuta Bali, which always provides evening entertainment at the same time, there is a turn on Gili Trawangan for their time, so that each day would be different from the café which will hold a beach party. Unfortunately this time I was less interested in enjoying the nightlife in Gili Trawangan, so after dinner, I decided to use the internet facilities of the inn.
 
The next day, before noon, I was leaving Gili Trawangan. A bit too fast indeed, but it is because I still want to visit some places in Lombok. Maybe then I would like to visit Gili Nanggu, which is currently being discussed because of the beauty of a crowded beach. (Johan Sobihan)
 
Translate from Kompas.com

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Lombok, Sumbawa set to attract more tourists

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 5, 2010 0 comments
West Nusa Tenggara's Lombok and Sumbawa Islands, which are renowned for their marine tourist attractions, are set to attract more visitors in the coming years as they gear up for Visit Lombok-Sumbawa 2012 campaign.

Director general for marketing at the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Sapta Nirwandar, said in Jakarta Thursday that West Nusa Tenggara, a province located adjacent to Bali, would be the focus of the ministry's tourism programs in 2012.

The Visit Lombok-Sumbawa 2012 campaign will be launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Lombok by the end of the week to mark the beginning of West Nusa Tenggara's campaign to double its number of visitors to 1 million in 2012.

"We want to sell tourism in West Nusa Tenggara. We want to make Lombok an established center for the pearl trade and ecotourism," Sapta told a press conference.

Often dubbed a more pristine and tranquil, some also say more beautiful, version of its neighbor Bali; Lombok and Sumbawa are home to a range of white sandy beaches and turquoise seawaters, as well as a rich variety of underwater life.

Lombok particularly is a renowned center for the production of pearl jewelry and is also home to Mount Rinjani, the second highest mountain in Indonesia and one of the best trekking spots in Asia.
 
Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

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Lombok, Sumbawa eying 1 million tourists by 2012

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Lombok and Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara have set a target of wooing one million tourists to visit the islands by 2012, says an official.

"We are confident of reaching the target," West Nusa Tenggara culture and tourism agency head Gita Ariadi said Tuesday as quoted by Antara state news agency.

Gita said the agency recorded nearly 620,000 tourist arrivals in Lombok and Sumbawa in 2009, up by 13 percent from a year earlier, thanks to a comprehensive tourism strategy through Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE).

This year, the agency is expecting 700,000 tourist arrivals in the two prominent islands, Gita added.
 
www.thejakartapost.com

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Potentials Tourism in South Lombok tilled Soon

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 3, 2010 0 comments
Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the middle selecting investors who will soon work on integrated tourism potential in the southern island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). "Scheduled to begin next July already laying the first stone construction of an integrated tourism area," said the Governor of NTB KH M Zainul Majdi, in Mataram, Monday (12/04/2010).
 
According Majdi, quite a lot of investors who have expressed interest to develop an integrated tourism in the island of the south or in the location that originally wanted to build an integrated tourism zone by the company of Dubai, Emaar Properties LLC.
 
Investment interest of foreign investors was raised when the parties had not yet realize Emaar Properties plan to invest trillions of rupiah in that location until the investment license expired, in June 2009.
 
While the potential of integrated tourism in southern Lombok it should not be allowed to "idle" so it needs to be selected for other investors who are interested.
 
BKPM then opened opportunities to other investors so that many who expressed interest, but must still pass a series of administrative processes.
 
"The information is from March until April, some investors have clear and is currently in the process of signing the MoU which is scheduled this coming May, so that there lay the first stone on July day," he said.
 
Governor from among the scholars claimed to have not received any official notification from BKPM of investors who will be working on the tourism potential in the southern part of Lombok. "No, may still be focused on investors who would invest," he said.
 
One foreign investor being facilitated BKPM namely Indian investors in February and then had time to explore investment potential in tourism businesses in the island, including in areas that previously worked on the company to Dubai, Emaar Properties, LLC.
 
Delegation of Indian investors has been reviewing the potential for an integrated tourism zone in the village of Kuta, Lombok Tengah regency, which is full of charm of natural beauty.
 
Translate to: TravelKompas.com

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Selong Belanak: The remote charm of southern coasts

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 2, 2010 0 comments

Unlike the western coasts of Lombok, Selong Belanak and Lombok's other southern coasts are still unexplored. That is just one of the many reasons to go there.

Kuta beach of Lombok offers white sand and fewer tourists.Kuta beach of Lombok offers white sand and fewer tourists.

When my friend Anin suggested we visit our friend Ana in Selong Belanak, I did not take it seriously and responded immediately because I thought that Lombok was just Senggigi and the famous Gili Islands.

But when she said that the area we would visit was remote (there is no cell phone signal), I quickly said yes.

Holiday without technology intrusion is heaven on earth.

It was luck knowing that Ana's schedule and mine aligned. To make things short, we finally met in Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport to fly to Lombok together. While the Bali-Lombok flight was only about 20 minutes, it took about two hours to reach Selong Belanak from Selaparang airport, Ampenan.

The April sun scorched on the road, but it was cool inside the car. The ride passed along paddy fields and hills that flanked the road. At certain areas, the road was bumpy and steep.

When the car was climbing another hill, Ana turned her head to me and said, "Hey girl, get ready for the view."

As the car reached the peak, we were stunned by the blue azure water that sends waves to a pocket-shaped white sandy beach enveloped by lush green hills. A small island was popping out in the middle of the bay, just like a beauty spot.

The area is still relatively untouched by tourists. The only accommodation in the beach's vicinity was Villa Sempiak, Ana's workplace. After getting our bags into Ana's room, we headed to the beach. The white sand was smooth carpet on our feet and the water pleasant.

At night, the ocean sounded a special kind of music with waves hitting the shores. Sounds of nocturnal bugs were amplified in the peaceful atmosphere. The area was free of pollution, including noise and light pollution and a good place to become more familiar with the map of astronomy.

Sitting there at two o'clock in the morning, I tried to find Crux constellation of the southern sky and one that I'm most familiar with, but to no avail. With so many stars in the night sky, they flickered as if they were in a blinking competition.

In the morning, I took a walk on the beach with my friends. There is a fishermen's village just near the beach and it is was teeming with activities at five o'clock that morning. A group of men pushed boats to sea.

A couple of black storks flew around, trying to catch small crabs or fish, oblivious to the stray dogs that ran around barking. The sun rose from the hills, a sign for us to start our exploration on Lombok's southern area.

For the journey, Ana asked her friends Amak Susi and Amak Kasturi to accompany Anin and I. Amak is the local word for common men. For men of noble birth, the word is Lalu. Public transportation in Lombok is rare and tourists usually rent a motorcycle or a car in Mataram to get around.

Our first stop was Sade, a traditional village of the Sasak tribe. The village has 150 houses and is inhabited by  about 700 residents. Our guide said that usually residents intermarried among their cousins because there was a fine of three buffaloes if the men married with women of other villages.

Selong Belanak beach seen from a hill nearby reveals a refreshing 
azure water and greeneries.Selong Belanak beach seen from a hill nearby reveals a refreshing azure water and greeneries.

There are three types of buildings in the village: houses, rice barns and beruga (Lombok traditional gazebo).

According to our guides, only women are allowed to enter the rice barns. Legend has it that the men would become ill if they entered them.

The houses have low roofs so that guests honor the house owners by bowing before entering, the guide said. The house has two floors. The first floor is for parents and the sons, while the second is allocated for the daughters' room and the kitchen.

From Sade village, we headed to Kuta beach of Lombok, which was quite deserted. There were only three teenagers who approached us to sell us bracelets.

As we walked along the beach, our feet stumbled on the shells washed ashore. We gathered them and it did not take a long time to find a handful of beautiful shells.

While we were at Kuta beach, several boats were coming in. A group of men and women were closing in on a boat that had just touched the beach. While men were pulling the boat ashore, the women were handling the catch of the day. The women hauled baskets of fish out of the boat and carried them on top of their heads. A basket of fish were left on the sand, tempting the children to play with them.  

Another deserted beach to visit is Mawun Beach, which also haspocket-shaped terrain. Unlike Kuta Lombok, a free beach, there is parking fee at Mawun Beach.

It was noon when we got there and the sun was scorching mercilessly. Fortunately, there is a big tree just a stone's throw away on the shoreline. We sat there, sharing the shade with a group of foreign tourists with surfboards.

Nothing needs to be said when nature exercises its charm.  The waves move back and forth, the wind blows an airy breeze and leaves rustle. Time seems to stop. But when the sun tilts to the west, it is a sign for us to get on our feet and head back home.


— Photos by Tifa Asrianti

Tifa Asrianti, The Jakarta Post, Mataram, Lombok


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Mt. Baru in West Nusa Tenggara erupts

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Mount Baru, also known as Child of Rinjani, in West Nusa Tenggara erupted again last week, forcing authorities to continue the ban on climbing activities on the Rinjani peak and Segara Anak Lake.

On Friday, the 2,376-meter-high mountain erupted four times, spewing gases up to 1,600 meters to the north.

On Sunday, there was an earthquake near the mountain, kompas.com reported.

Authorities are still allowing climbing activities near Pelawangan.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta


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Mount Rinjani proposed as UNESCO global geopark

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Mount Rinjani on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, may soon be classed as a geopark, a nationally protected area containing a number of geological heritage sites of importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal.

An official at the province's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Heriyadi Rahmat, said UNESCO had accepted nominations to include Mount Rinjani in the global geopark network.

The UN body has also accepted similar nominations for Mount Batur in Bangli regency, Bali; and Mount Sewu in Pacitan, East Java.

Heriyadi, who is also the coordinator of the team that proposed Rinjani's inclusion into the network, said they are currently preparing to complete the application form.

He said the form includes information that identifies Rinjani's region, geological description, economic situation (from population, infrastructure and manpower), natural landscape (climate, biology and habitat) as well as human activities (archeological and cultural heritage).

"The form includes management plans and structure, policy strategy, sustainable development and action plans," said Heriyadi, who is a member of the Indonesian Geologists Association.

JP/IRMAJP/IRMA

"Rinjani meets physical requirements to become a geopark."

His team has recently met with Director General of Tourism Destination at the Culture and Tourism Ministry to discuss the proposal.

UNESCO's assessment team, comprising members from China, France, Italy and Malaysia, is expected to arrive and verify the Rinjani proposal in April.

The UNESCO team will also verify two other sites, Mount Batur and Mount Sewu.
The world heritage sites are part of an integrated concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

As of August 2009, 64 national geoparks in 19 states are members of the Global Network of National Geoparks assisted by UNESCO.

Southeast Asia only has one, on Langkawi Island in Malaysia.

Once included in the network, Rinjani's management responsibility will be shared and UNESCO will assist in its promotion.

Heriyadi said the proposal to include Mount Rinjadi as one of the geoparks under UNESCO was put forth in mid-2008.

The process is ongoing, including with the team's presentation at the 11th Geo Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June last year.

"Rinjani meets physical requirements to become a geopark," Heriyadi said.

The 3,726-meter mountain is a unique site, with the presence of crescent-shaped Segara Anak lake on its crater and active volcano Baru Jari nearby.

Mount Rinjani is the second-highest volcano in the country after the 3,800-meter Mount Kerinci in Sumatra. Its peak is located on the eastern park of the caldera, where a new active volcano has emerged.

Based on research, the mountain had several major eruptions, which formed extraordinary natural stone morphology within the Mount Rinjani National Park area.

The mountain, as part of the national park, is currently managed by Rinjani Trek Management Board, a body comprising members of the government, NGOs, the community and tourism businesspeople.

Since managed by the board, the mountain has received several awards, locally and internationally, including the 2004 World Legacy Award and was finalist of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in 2005 and 2008.

Apart from its extraordinary scenery and unique flora and fauna, the region is also home to rich traditional customs, traditions and communities.

Last year along, the park was visited by 4,800 foreign tourists and 3,500 domestic ones.

"As a volcano, Rinjani has great geotourism potential with its scenic caldera, lake, crater, waterfall, hot water spring, its eruption history and many more," he said.

However, he noted low support from the provincial administration on the proposal, saying it was maybe because the idea being put forward by the professional organization,   not the geologists association.

Other proposals, both in Bali and East Java, came from the local administrations.
Head of Tourism and Culture Office Lalu Gita Aryadi, was hopeful the proposal could be realized.

"If it was named the world's geopark, more tourists would come."

Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Mataram


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Get into niche tourism

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AS MALAYSIA enters an era of transformation in line with the New Economic Model (NEM), the time is now ripe for some sectors like tourism to go more into niche tourism products and services.

Take your report, "Love is in the air for newlyweds," (Sunday Star, April 18) as a lead, we are now beginning to go for various modes and means to fulfil the lifestyle needs of our tourists.

We have heard a lot about people who are willing to fly to the romantic island of Bali just to have a wedding "made-in-heaven". But what is so great about Bali that we don't have on our many paradise islands of Langkawi, Penang, Redang, Tioman, Pangkor Laut, Mabul, etc?

To sum it up, I can simply say that the two winning points of Bali are the culture and arts scene. The whole island has an air of festivity day in and day out. Ours on the other hand, is a seasonal affair while some are just put together for the benefit of tourists. Bali also has all the trappings in terms of niche tourism products and services, which we sorely lack.

Talking about weddings in Bali, tour operators walk the extra mile by providing things like air tours in which one can arrive in style, or a lovers' tour of the island and beyond.

Surely, we are not short of all these trappings and the icing-on-the cake stuff. Our tour operators should be more creative and come up with itineraries that can attract this particular segment of people.

For example, we can offer a helicopter ride for a bridal shoot to nearby Fraser's Hill, our Little England, or to Bukit Tinggi, our "Petit France", or to honeymoon retreats like Pangkor Laut and Langkawi, just to name a few.

We can save a lot in foreign exchange if Malaysians holiday at home instead of going to places like Bali, Bandung, Koh Samui, Ho Chi Minh City or Hong Kong like these places were their second home.

According to Tourism Malaysia, our tourist arrival figures have already surpassed the 20 million targeted mark. But then what is the quality of these visitors? Are they mere sightseeing tourists on packaged holidays or are they long-stayers with money to burn?

I suppose we must not be contented with the multiplying numbers achieved every year. If we want to raise our standard of living, we should also explore the top-notch tourist market.

I have just come back from an anniversary holiday in Lombok, Indonesia. With our strong ringgit, we were able to stay in a five-star hotel there. On the whole, Lombok is poor in terms of income and infrastructure but they are simply rich in tourism products.

By comparison, we were there for only four days and three nights while a middle-aged British couple whom we met were able to stay there for almost 20 days. Imagine, they were spending the pounds by the thousands to the benefit of the local community.

These are the visitors we should pursue. Tourism Malaysia and the local players should take the cue and lead the way in ensuring that in-bound visitors are not just day-trippers but are in the real sense of the word tourists with much disposable income to part with.

ZARI MALAYSIANA,
Petaling Jaya.

thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/22/focus/6094665&sec=focus


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Cidomo drivers told to clean up or face suspension

Posted by Hikarivoucher.com May 1, 2010 0 comments

Cidomo - horse drawn carriages - drivers have been urged to keep the region free from dung, or face suspension.

The West Lombok regency administration has been enforcing a regulation requiring cidomo drivers to install bags to hold horse droppings.

"We have started inspecting cidomo in Gerung and Kediri, two of the 10 districts in West Lombok. We are pushing for public awareness about cleanliness, and unruly drivers will face sanctions," West Lombok Transportation Office head M. Djunaedi told The Jakarta Post recently.

Cidomo is a local mode of transportation in Lombok, one of Indonesia's most popular tourist destinations. It resembles delman, or dokar, in Java. The transportation office records at least 1,200 cidomo carriages operate in West Lombok.

Cidomo is regarded to be very effective to meet the transportation needs of the local community, especially those living in rural areas where the carriages usually provide transport services to markets. Besides relatively cheap fares, a cidomo holds more passengers than public vans or ojek motorcycle taxis.

However, their commuting causes concerns, with the horse droppings often dirtying the roads, leading to bad odors, because a large number have not installed bags to contain the dung.

At a market in the regency capital of Gerung, cidomo line up on the roadside, unperturbed by their droppings below them. Passers-by often pinch their noses to avoid the smell.

"Some have installed their cidomo carriages with used rice sacks but they are not effective because the droppings quickly pile up and spill over," Djunaedi said, adding that during the campaign in the past week in Gerung and Kediri, the local administration distributed 100 dung containers to the drivers.

In the near future, he said, they will distribute more than 1,000 containers made of plastic tarpaulin, designed specifically by the transportation office. The West Lombok regency administration will also distribute shovels, coconut leaf-rib brooms and buckets to the cidomo drivers.

"The funds will be derived from the local budget and we expect to have distributed the items in a month's time, so when the dung drops on the street, the driver can go down and scope it."

Amaq Ripah, 45, complained about the dung bags, saying the dung container bothered his horse's hind legs.

"It's harder to steer the horse if it uses the bag, especially when the material is thicker than a normal sack."

He added the dung held in the bag would also make passengers uncomfortable due to the smell.

Ripah hopes the government would also provide a place to dump the droppings.

"It's impossible for us to bring it home or dump it in the dumpster, so we need a place that is easily accessible."

Cidomo is a source of livelihood for Ripah and other residents. Ripah said his brother-in-law took turns to operate the cidomo.

"The income is quite reasonable. We can take home Rp 35,000 *US$3.50* from a half day's work," Ripah said.

With the recently implemented regulations, the administration seems to have refrained from stern sanctions, restricting themselves to reprimanding or having the drivers pick up the droppings.

"But in the future, when everything has been in place, authorities will confiscate the driver's seat and suspend them from operating for a few days," Djunaedi said.

The transportation office is currently filing data on cidomo drivers for administrative regularities. Besides the driving licenses, places of origins are also scrutinized to avoid trespassing in operations.

The case of those from Mataram city operating in West Lombok, for instance, should not happen again, Djunaedi said.

"The inspection and registration is aimed at maintaining cleanliness and road safety in the area."

Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, West Lombok


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