Indonesia Cultural Trip. Day 3: Mataram

- May 05, 2017

Interesting views on the sea cliff

We actually didn't draft any plans for the itinerary while we were in Lombok. So, we solely relied on Pak Ibrahim's recommendation. Once we arrived at Teluk Kodek, we met him at the jetty. That was the first time we met, as he couldn't welcome us at the airport for some reason.

We were discussing the Sasak culture, and one aspect that caught our attention was the concept of 'kahwin lari.' It's actually a tradition in which the girl will be 'kidnapped' by her bride-to-be. While the girl is hiding in the village head's house, the man's family will negotiate the wedding agreement with her parent. Three days passed; if the girl's family still has not accepted the proposal for any reason, the wedding will still be performed by the village head.

Before we checked in at our Golden Tulip Hotel in Mataram, Pak Ibrahim stopped at several intriguing places. The windy road on the Sengigi's banks offered a stunning view of Bali's sea. Little did we know about 'Villa Hantu,' but according to Pak Ibrahim, it's pretty well known to most Malaysian tourists. The owner abandoned the halfway-built villa on the Pantai Setangi cliff. Though the name was scary, the place was the best spot to take postcard-perfect pictures.

We stopped at the Teluk Nipah lookout point.

The abandoned villa was filled with graffiti.

A spellbinding view from the villa's rooftop

Spooky isn't it?

A postcard-perfect of Pantai Setanggi

I believed this will be a lovely villa if it had not been left abandoned

This one was much spookier!!

Pura Batu Bolong, which literally means 'rock with hole,' was our next stop, which was about 10 km from Pantai Setangi. It was a Hindu temple that served the minority Balinese who live here. It's probably best to visit in the late evening to view the sunset.

It was said that there were 14 altars on this rocky volcanic outcrop

It's not the grandest temple as compared to Tanah Lot Bali

A short visit was just enough for us

A small yet an appealing temple to serve the minority

We stopped for souvenir at Sasaku Ole-Ole Lombok

This was among the best restaurants; we made a comeback on the other day

We again had been upgraded to the bigger room when checked-in. We were upgraded to the Executive Suite from the Junior Suite. Whoaaa!! It comes with a living hall and a giant bathroom, and the front-desk personnel escorted us all the way to the room. After a short doze, Pak Ibrahim picked us up in the late afternoon to visit the traditional woodcraft village. After a brief stop, Pak Ibrahim took us to the historical Taman Mayura. The Balinese and Dutch fought fiercely here. The Bali government built it in 1744.

En route we stopped at one of the woodcutting cultural villages.

Their handwork was very fine and beautiful

Thinking of the hassle of handling this craft, we just don't bother to get one

There was a charity dinner that the lake was decorated with floating candle

A small bridge leading to the center pagoda

About 10 km from Mayura, we visited another Balinese Hindu Temple, Taman Narmada. It was actually a Royal Palace of Mataram King turned into public park. Located in the Lembuak village, the park is actually a replica of the Rinjani Mount, as the Anak Agung Anglurah was not able to hike the real mount to sacrifice to the Hindu God.