Renting a Motorbike to Get Off the Beaten Path in Lombok
Lombok is not as big of a tourist destination as Bali or the Gili Islands. This was honestly by design as I wanted to get off the beaten path in Lombok and spend some time enjoying a quieter island experience after all of my time on some of the most touristy islands.
Getting from Gili Trawangan to Senggigi
Lombok is a short 45 minute slow boat ride from Gili Trawangan to Bangsal. I took the 8am public boat for 15,000 RPH, and it turns out the majority of the boat between Gili Trawangan and Bangsal is locals headed back and forth for work or trade.
Taking a Bus or Shuttle from Bangsal to Senggigi
Upon arrival at the Bangsal port, a number of touts were trying to sell their services. The specialty? Horse-drawn carriages to the bus stops which they claimed were a long ways away. Now, I had purchased a ticket including boat and shuttle service to Senggigi (Total of 75,000 RPH although listed as 100,000 – it’s Indonesia, you need to bargain!) so I was not buying their spiel about how far away the bus stops were. I believe the agency I bought the ticket from would have mentioned something…
I found another guy having the same problem, and we started walking. As soon as we were further away from the port, the road opened up to a local village. Here the people were very helpful and honest that the bus stop was just a little further, definitely walkable. Through the help of multiple locals, I found the café my ride would be coming to and had a seat with another guy waiting to go to Kuta.
Apparently, if you’re sitting with someone it means you must be going somewhere together. Or, it means you should be going somewhere together in the future. First, they tried to convince me to go to Kuta with this random Finnish guy who was also waiting (it’s further, more money for them), and then, they tried to convince him to come on a four-day boat trip to Komodo Island I had booked for later on.
Eventually, the shuttle came and off we went to Senggigi. Unfortunately, the driver also tried to sell me on Kuta, stopped to try to pick up more people, and then tried to sell me a different hostel once we arrived in Senggigi. Tired of dealing with it, I was relieved when we arrived at my homestay. As I got out to go grab my bag from the back, the van started to drive onward so I banged on the window because hellooooo, you still have my backpack!!!
Exhausted from dealing with the money grubbing people, it was refreshing to walk into my homestay. It was a beautiful oasis including a small but glimmering pool. I checked-in to my private room, which was exciting having been traveling with people constantly for weeks, and set out to check out the beach and the town of Senggigi, which was just a mile away.
Getting to Know the Town of Senggigi
The town of Senggigi was really quiet… It’s not much of a tourist destination apparently, or at least not this time of year (December) as everything was empty or abandoned. It definitely counts as “off the beaten path in Lombok”. Those working in tourism were eager to sell anything from transportation to food to clothing in the Arts Market, the only real destination in town.
I had interest in finding the best way to get around Lombok island as I wanted to check out its natural beauty. Sadly, I found there were no public transport or group tours, it is either rent a motorbike or get a private driver and tour. Ugh! I weighed these options for a while and enjoyed a low key evening at the pool at my homestay and meeting some of the other guests.
Exploring Lombok by Motorbike
The next morning, I made up my mind and rented a motorbike to explore the island. My main destination being the waterfalls about 2.5 hours north of Senggigi. Having only driven a motorbike once before in the Philippines, and driven on the left side only in New Zealand, I was slightly hesitant. Fortunately though, this bike was automatic unlike the manual one I had in the Philippines. Within five minutes I was headed off the beaten path in Lombok.
The road follows the coast line for the first half hour or so going up and around the cliff sides looking down on the palm fringed beaches. From there, it gives way to rice paddies and vibrant green fields stretching to the base of the mountains. The views alone were definitely worth the drive!
Visiting Papas Waterfalls
After an hour or so I found a sign that said Papas Waterfall, so I veered off the main road behind two other motorbikes. This side road took me through a remote area with kids yelling hello as I passed. This was much to the amusement of the girl on the back of the motorbike in front of me.
Eventually, we pulled up to a tiny parking area and a guy came out to greet the five of us (the other two motorbikes and I). He assured us the bikes and helmets were safe (for the small fee of 5,000 RPH) and suggested I follow the others to the waterfall as it is kind of hard to find the waterfall, and they are locals.
Making Friends with Local Indonesian Girls at Papas Waterfall
As soon as we set off to Papas Waterfall, the two girls introduced themselves and welcomed me into their group. Along the way, we stopped and took photos. They made sure to look after me as we teetered along the narrow path.
Arriving at Papas Waterfall was pretty underwhelming but the Indonesians were so friendly that we took lots of photos and videos of us just goofing off. I don’t think the two guys spoke much English, but their girlfriends were truly delightful! If you’re looking for a more local experience, head to Papas Waterfall. It is definitely off the beaten path in Lombok!
Thunder and lightening started picking up, and we decided it was time to go. We made our way back to the motorbikes and parted ways. Despite the impending thunderstorms, I pressed on seeking out the two waterfalls I truly had come to see. Stopping once to get petrol (9,000-10,000 RPH per bottle taking a little over two bottles to fill it up.), water (5,000 RPH for a big 1.5L bottle), and directions from a small roadside stand.
Finding My Way to Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile Waterfalls
About an hour later, I felt as though I should be nearing my next destination, so I pulled over to take a picture of the beautiful scenery, drink some water and look at my map. Within a minute or two a Caucasian couple passed and slowed down to ensure I was okay before continuing.
Another minute or two passed and an Indonesian couple stopped. I told them where I was trying to go, and apparently it’s right next to where they live so they told me to follow them. Fifteen minutes later, and they had led me directly to the parking lot of the waterfalls. I thanked them very much before they headed home. There are so many kind people in the world!
Arriving at Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile Waterfalls
The entrance ticket to the park for Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile was 10,000 RPH and multiple people tried to sell their services as guides saying the second waterfall was hard to find. I decided to give it a go alone and started my trek down the path through the rainforest in search of a waterfall.
The path was paved and consisted of hundreds of stairs before landing at waterfall number one just fifteen minutes in. This waterfall featured a grand 30 meter drop and a second layer just above it creating a two-tier waterfall. It was quite beautiful, but the second waterfall is supposed to be even better so I set out to find it.
Finding the Path to the Second Waterfall
Since I did not have a guide, I asked a couple down at the first waterfall, and they told me to start up the stairs again and within the first staircase there’s a path off to the left with an arrow. Follow it. I made my way up and found it leading to a nice rock path. Hard to find… There’s a path!
The path continues to an aqueduct you walk over, then more path going up some stairs, along the canal, and eventually you dead-end into the water. This is the point where a guide would help. Fortunately, there were a few other people around so I was able to follow their path. This went through the water to the other side, over some rocks, back through the water and then down another short path including more rocks to climb over. It did not look like a trail.
Could I have found it if no one else was around? I’d go with no, but as it is a destination, there were probably thirty people in total I passed on my way to and from the second waterfall. It’s about a 25 minute walk each way from the first waterfall.
Arriving at the Second Waterfall
Arriving at the waterfall, I now understood why I was told it is the prettiest place in Lombok. It is gorgeous! With one bigger cascade in front of multiple smaller ones, it is truly stunning.
Below it is a pool of water you can swim in and the water is actually refreshing as compared to many luke-warm pools or even the warm ocean. The trek back to the top took over half an hour of climbing rocks, wading through knee deep water across small rapids, and climbing hundreds of stairs, but it was worth it. I paid for parking (5,000 RPH), and started the ride back to Senggigi.
Heading Back to Senggigi by Motorbike
After spending the day completely off the beaten path in Lombok, it was time to head back to civilization in the tiny town of Senggigi. I hit a few bursts of rain, but overall the motorbike ride was uneventful other than of course one more stop for petrol where another kind lady was working. Upon arrival back in Senggigi, I returned to my homestay only to decide to head back to town for dinner.
Dinner in Senggigi, Yet Another Adventure
I parked in town and found a small restaurant where they supposedly had wi-fi. Of course, with my luck, the power was out. It turned out okay as one of the guys working sat down to chat while I waited on my food. One of his favorite topics was of course Donald Trump. He’s big news abroad and not in a good way. On the other hand, Obama seems very popular everywhere.
As soon as my food came, the employee who had sat down to chat excused himself, and I ate in peace by candlelight. At one point, the power came back on, but it was short-lived before it went back out taking all of the shops across the road with it. The dark streets enabled me to enjoy the lightning storm going on, until of course it started pouring down rain… And I had driven my motorbike, darn!
I finished eating and moved further away from the restaurant edge where I was getting the occasional splash. As I sat there in the candlelit restaurant waiting for the rain to die down so I could ride the one mile back to my place, four of the young boys who work there, (I would guess about 15 years old) came over to chat and ask questions to practice their English.
Two of the young boys had decent English, while two were really struggling but nice kids. The first one to sit down was studying to work in tourism but has to improve his English first. He was studying a number of other languages as well. It turned into a rather eventful evening speaking to so many locals, but eventually the rain subsided, and I made my dash back to my place.
Back at My Homestay
When I arrived back at my homestay, I found the Canadians I had befriended the day before and spent some time hanging out with them. It turns out that they are coming on the four day boat trip to Komodo Island with me in a few days! After a couple of hours, I returned to my room to wind down for the evening.
I woke up the following morning to no power, again (Apparently no power this is one of the downsides of getting off the beaten path in Lombok…). As I had breakfast, I waited for the power to return. I needed to complete a few upkeep items like applying for my visa to Myanmar, extending my travel insurance, and updating my blog (hello there!).
Explore More of Indonesia
Indonesia offers so many wonderful experiences. From exploring off the beaten path in Lombok to hiking some incredible volcanos in Java, you will not be bored. Learn more through these related posts:
- 4 Day Boat Trip to Komodo Island
- Gili Trawangan: The Island Life
- Kuta, Bali: Paradise for Australians
- Yogyakarta: Culture Capital of Indonesia
- Day Trip to Borobudur and Prambanan
- Mount Bromo: Visiting an Active Volcano
- Midnight Hike to Ijen Crater
- Jakarta: Capital City of Indonesia
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