MATARAM (LARGEST CITY IN LOMBOK): SIGHTS, TRANSPORT, THE SENGGIGI RESORT AREA

MATARAM

Great Mosque Hubbul Wathan in Mataram,

Mataram (west side of Lombok) is the largest city in Lombok, home to around 400,000 people. Most visitors to Lombok skip the town or stay briefly before heading straight to the Gilis or Senggigi. Sights in the town include the Museum Nusa Tenggar, with fine collection of kris dagger and gold-theaded cloth, and the Maura Water Palace, with some pavilions and a large artificial lake, and Pura Meru, the largest temple in Lombok. Nerany Matara, or Pura Lingsar, the holiest temeple in Lombok, with a Weku Telu shrine.

Capital of Lombok and the West Nusa Tenggara province, Mataram merges the towns of Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara and Bertais, that were once individual kingdoms and townships. In addition to serving as the provincial capital, Mataram is the center of the provincial government, education, commerce, industry and services. Public buildings, banks, post office, general hospitals, shopping malls, and hotels are found here, making it a perfect staging point before travelers explore the undiscovered splendors of Lombok Island and neighboring Sumbawa Island.

Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara and Bertaishave become the city’s sub-districts with their own distinct features. Broadly, Ampenan is an aging port city, Mataram is the governmental and office center for the province, Cakranegara is the major commercial center on the island, and Bertais is the overland center for public transportation. The four sub-districts are connected through a main road that stretches from Ampenan Street in Ampenan to the Selaparang Street at Bertais.

The Sasak people are the indigenous people of Lombok and form the majority of Mataram's residents. Mataram is also home to Balinese, Chinese, Chinese-peranakan (people of mixed Indonesian and Chinese descent) and a small number of Arab Indonesians, mainly of Yemeni descent who settled in the early port city of Ampenan. Although urban dwellers, the Sasak of Mataram still identify themselves strongly with their origins and the indigenous Sasak culture. The diversity of ethnic groups living in Mataram is a result of the city’s long history since the time of the ancient Laeq and Suwung Kingdom who once ruled part of the island, the arrival of the Javanese Majapahit Kingdom, traders from mainland Asia and the Middle East, the subsequent invasion of the Balinese Karangasem Kingdom, all the way to the Dutch and Japanese occupations in more modern times. For health care services, Risa Sentra Media Hospital is located at Jalan Pejanggik No. 115, Cakranegara, Mataram Tel: +62 370 62556.

Sights in Mataram

Mataram Central Mall

The legacy of the Balinese Karangasem rule over the Island can be found at the Pura Meru Temple at Cakranegara. Built in 1720 by AA Ngurah Gede Karang Asem, the temple is the largest and one of the oldest Hindu temples on the Island. The temple consists of three main buildings, with the center having an 11 tiered roof and a 9 tiered roof on the side building. As in all Hindu temples, the Pura Meru Temple is dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Across the Pura Meru Temple lies the Mayura Garden that was also built by AA Ngurah Gede Karang Asem in 1744. The garden is highlighted with an enchanting moat surrounding the magnificent palace island in the center. The garden was initially called ‘Klepug’ which was taken from the echoing sounds of ‘klepug-klepug’ coming from the spring in the pond. After its renovation in 1886, the garden was called Mayura, from the Sanskrit language meaning Peacock. It is said that, around the pond there used to be many peacocks thathunt and kill the snakes in the area. The influence of both Hindu and Islam are depicted in its buildings and statues.

The complete history of Mataram, Lombok and the West Nusa Tenggara Province can be discovered through the many valuable collections within the West Nusa Tenggara Museum. Among some of the exceptional collections are the golden handled Keris (dagger), 1.239 ancient scriptures written on palm leaves, hundred years’ old hand written holy writings, currencies from the time of the ancient kingdoms, and some of the traditional Sasak handicrafts. Other places of interest in the city are the tomb of Loang Baloq, the tomb of General Van Ham, the Rungkang Handicrafts Center, and the gold and pearl center in Sekarbela and Kamasan.

Getting Around Mataram

Blue Bird Lombok Taksi (+62 370 627000) is the most common taxi available in Mataram. Both the Bluebird and white colored Express Taksi have a radio dispatch system and both companies cars are equipped with meters which should be used by their drivers at all times. Taxis can be booked in advance either by calling them yourself or by booking through your hotel. Taxis may be hailed down on the street anywhere around Mataram with the exception of the dark blue Airport Taksi the use of which is limited to arriving or departing airport passengers only. Bemos are the name for minivan public transportation that run many set routes in and around Mataram, Ampenan and Cakranegara. They may be flagged down anywhere on the streets of Mataram. Bemos can sometimes be crowded and may stop and start frequently to pick up and set down passengers.

Ojek (Motorbike taxis): Prices are negotiable but a rule of thumb is IDR 10,000-20,000 for a short trip with a local motorbike rider if the destination is nearby, longer distances will require some informed negotiation.

Horse carts known as cidomo remain a common means of transport in Mataram and they are often found operating throughout the congested streets near a produce market. Public bemos and metered taxis are more commonly used for transport in and around Mataram.

Accommodation in Mataram

Traditional markets in Mataram City: 1) Kebon Roek Market; 2) ACC Market; 3) Cemara Market; 4) Sindu Market; 5) Cakranegara Market; 6) Karang Jasi Market; 7) Pagesangan Market; 8) Pagutan Market

Mataram offers a wide selection of accommodation options from star-rated hotels to modest inns: Granada Hotel Jl.Bung Karno No.8 Mataram Tel. 26015 2.
Hotel Handika Jl.Panca Usaha No.3 Mataram Tel. 33578
Hotel Kamboja Jl.W.R.Supratman no.10Mataram Tel. 22211
Hotel Kertayoga Jl.Pejanggik no.64 Mataram Tel 21775
Hotel Rinjani Jl.Catur Warga No.18 Mataram Tel. 31633
Hotel Tenang Jl.Catur Warga No.2 Mataram Tel. 23345
Hotel Chandra Jl.Panca Warga No.55 Mataram Tel. 23979
Mareja Sari Guna I Jl.Pariwisata No,26 Mataram, Tel. 21074
Mareja Sari Guna II Jl.Pariwisata no.9 Mataram, Tel. 21074
Giri Putri Jl.Catur Warga No.29 Mataram Tel. 23222
Wisma Nusantara I Jl.R.Suprapto no.28 Mataram, Tel. 23492
Wisma Paradiso Jl.Angkasa no. 3 Mataram Tel. 22074
Graha Ayu Jl.Ismail Marzuki Mataram, Tel. 35697
Pondok Wisata Griya Arsy Jl.Pendidikan no.56 B Mataram, Tel. 33098
Arum Jaya Jl.Pura Pancaka No.27 Mataram, Tel. 33098

Getting to Mataram

By Plane: As from October 1st 2011, the Island of Lombok moved its airport from the Selaparang Airport to the larger and better facilitated Lombok International Airport at Tanak Awu, in the Central Lombok District, some 30 kilometers or an hour’s drive south east of Mataram. The Airport is served domestically by Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Batavia Air, Wings Air, and Trigana, while internationally, SilkAir serves the Singapore to Lombok route. From the airport passengers can get to Mataram by public bus.

Sheararon at Senggigi Resort

The special buses serving the route have a capacity of 40 passengers and its visual designs are also aimed to promote tourism in Lombok and West Nusa Tenggara. The fare from/to Mataram’s Mandalika Bus Terminal in Mataram is around IDR 15,000 to 20,000 and from/to Senggigi around IDR 20,000 to 25,000. Taxis will also be available to take passengers around the fabled island of Lombok.

By Boat: The port of Lembar is situated 22 kilometers south of Mataram. There are ferries every 90 minutes or so, 24 hours a day, between Lombok and Padang Bai on Bali, the trip taking between 4-5 hours. Any volunteer "porters" who carry your bags will expect at least IDR 10,000. A hotel pick-up should always be arranged well in advance and preferably confirmed by email. An alternative is to negotiate a trip with a private car operator upon arrival. You can take a bemo from Lembar Harbour to Mataram during daylight hours. The fare should be about IDR 5,000-8,000 to the Ampenan-Mataram-Cakranegara-Sweta area, but you may pay more if you have a lot of luggage.

Senggigi Resort Area of Lombok

Senggigi (10 kilometers north of Mataram) is beach resort that extends along a 10-kilometer stretch of beach in western Lombok. Located on a series of bays, it is the most developed tourist area in Lombok and has a reputation for catering to well healed travelers but also has cheap guesthouses and lively nightlife. It went very quickly from being a quiet place to a trendy place to an overdeveloped a place with creature comforts for a good value. It soon may be eclipsed when the Mandalika resort area opens on the southern coast of Lombok

Oeroi Lombok is a fancy resort with gardens, massages and health spa and evening barbecues. Senggigi Beach has decent snorkeling. Most of the diving trips are done around the Gilis. In the dry season, there is an interesting variety of boats moored in the bay. The town of Senggigi spreads out along nearly 10 kilometers of coastal road. This road continues north to Bangsal, the port for the Gilis.

Eric Weiner wrote in the New York Times: Senggigi Beach is “the site of Lombok's first hotels, built in the mid-1980s, and the closest thing to a resort town on Lombok. Senggigi's main strip consists of crafts shops, featuring weavings and wood carvings, as well as a string of restaurants and bars. I found myself at a place called, inexplicably, the Office. It's an open-air design, with pool tables and a projection TV showing black-and-white films. One guidebook describes the Office as a place "popular with middle-aged expats," mostly from Australia and Europe. “When the Australian owner of the bar, Howard Singleton, first read that description, he fumed. "But then I realized that it's basically true," he said. [Source: Eric Weiner, New York Times, September 24, 2008]

“From where I sat at the Office, drinking a Bintang beer, the only threat I faced was from the hawkers who circle mercilessly, offering "Rolex" watches, sunglasses, T-shirts, a massage, a manicure and the services of tour guides. Still, there's plenty of peace of mind to be found on Lombok. I spent a few nights at Qunci Villas, a minimalist, oh-so-Zen boutique resort that heralds the possible Bali-fication of Lombok. In the evenings, I nibbled on shrimp bruschetta while sipping a mojito and listening to electronica, which wafts through the air, fresh and inviting.

Getting There: There are few alternatives to get Senggigi Beach: Coming from Lembar harbour, you can go straight to Senggigi by Perama Shuttle bus, or any other Shuttle service available. Lombok taxi available on call for 24 hours of service. If you are coming by plane, there is a taxi service at the airport that will take you to your hotel destination for Rp35,000 (US$4.00) Public transportation or " Bemos " are available from 06.00 AM - 06.30 PM for about Rp. 1,500 (Ampenan-Senggigi, or Senggigi-Ampenan) one way Ojek (mopeds) service are available at night

Accommodation, Activities and Restaurants at Senggigi

There a lot of diverse range of hotel accommodations that you can choose to stay in Senggigi, from deluxe four-star resort properties to simple home-stays, Such as Holiday Inn, the Oberoi, Sheraton Senggigi, Melati Dua Cottage, Pool Villa Club, Panorama Cottage, and many more.

Qunci Villas (Jalan Raya Mangsit Senggigi; 62-370-693-800; quncivillas.com) Dubbed Lombok's hippest hotel and for good reason. The theme is minimalist serenity. The 20 rooms go for $70 to 90, private villas for $300 and up. [Source: Eric Weiner, New York Times, September 24, 2008]

Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort (62-370-693-333; sheraton.com). One of the first major hotel chains to plant a flag on Lombok. The Sheraton is relatively low-key, and with an ideal beachfront location. Rooms start at $178 per night, with bargains to be had in the off season.

Senggigi nightlife is low key when there are few tourists in town. It's busier on Friday and Saturday, when young locals come up from the Mataram area There are various foreign and local restaurants that offering international and local foods, cafes and entertainment venues. These all are available along the main Senggigi road and on certain areas along the beach. For inexpensive eating, try the food stalls along the beach, especially at the end of the road past the Senggigi Beach Hotel. For dining alternative you can try : Warung Menega grilled seafood, Jalan Raya Senggigi 6

There's good snorkeling off the point and in the sheltered bay around the headland. Several places rent mask-snorkel-fin sets, such as the beach near the Art Market or the Senggigi Beach Hotel. You can also do some canoeing here in Senggigi. Visit Pura Batu Bolong on a rocky point south of Senggigi. There are many souvenir shops along the main Senggigi road that offering you many kind of Lombok souvenir, starting from clothes, paintings, handicrafts, wooden crafts, etc.

Batu Blong Beach (south of Senggigi) has a Hindu temple by a big rock with a hole on it. The temple extended into the sea. There is cliff with fine views. According to legend a virgin was thrown off the cliff and locals claim the has event has attracted expectant sharks ever since.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Indonesia Tourism website ( ndonesia.travel ), Indonesia government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Japan News, Yomiuri Shimbun, Compton's Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Last Updated December 2025