editorial

Words by Leyla Rose July 3, 2024
With a world-class racetrack, pristine beaches, and a thriving restaurant scene, the south coast of Lombok is primed to become a new visitor hot spot.
<figure id="attachment_138789" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-138789" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-138789 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-Racetrack-and-Sade.jpeg" alt="A turn of the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit near Seger Beach; a rice barn in the Sasak village of Sade." width="1200" height="859" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138789" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: A turn of the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit near Seger Beach; a rice barn in the Sasak village of Sade. (Photos: Josh Edwards; courtesy of Indonesia Tourism)</figcaption></figure>
A winding stretch of asphalt may not be a typical attraction on any tropical island. But as I stand in a hillside viewing suite above the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, looking straight down to the pit lane, I’m immediately impressed by its scale. The skies are clear and the light of the midday sun bounces off the bitumen. All is quiet now, but it’s not hard to imagine the festive atmosphere on major race days, when the grandstands must be packed with cheering motorsport fans.
Inaugurated in late 2021 by outgoing Indonesian president Joko Widodo, this 4.3-kilometer motorcycle racetrack is at the heart of the government’s ambitious plans to transform a swath of coastal Lombok into the next-generation counterpart of nearby Bali’s upmarket Nusa Dua enclave. Hence the creation of the 1,000-plus hectare Mandalika Special Economic Zone, tipped as one of five “super priority” destinations aimed at diversifying Indonesia’s tourism scene and funneling more visitors to places beyond Lombok’s famed westerly neighbor. Much of the land has been earmarked for luxury residences and high-end hotels; a marina, theme park, and 27-hole golf course are also on the drawing board. With its location just a half-hour’s drive from Lombok International Airport — already served by flights from Malaysia and Singapore — the Mandalika area has the potential to be one of Southeast Asia’s premier all-in-one destinations. And business owners are taking notice.
“In 2023, investment in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone surpassed US$308 million,” Wahyu M. Purnomo, its general manager, tells me later. “We’re seeing diverse investments from the tourism, culinary, automotive, and other sectors, while significant employment opportunities have been created with over 13,300 individuals in the workforce,” he adds.
Though Mandalika is still in the early stages of development, its circuit has already hosted the Asia Talent Cup, Superbike World Championship, and, most importantly to local motorsport fans, the Indonesian event of the MotoGP World Championship. The 2022 edition marked its return to the country after a quarter of a century, and this year’s <a href="https://www.motogp.com/en/calendar/2024/event/indonesia/7e1a048b-6fbb-4ad6-9bf3-0fbe705a373a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia</a> is set to take place from September 27–29.
<figure id="attachment_138787" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-138787" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-138787" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-Selong-Belanak.jpeg" alt="A popular spot for learning to surf, the dazzling white-sand beach of Selong Belanak is roughly a 40-minute drive up the coast from Kuta and the Mandalika zone." width="1200" height="800" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138787" class="wp-caption-text">A popular spot for learning to surf, the dazzling white-sand beach of Selong Belanak is roughly a 40-minute drive up the coast from Kuta and the Mandalika zone. (Photo: Josh Edwards)</figcaption></figure>
But if you’re not around on a racing weekend, southern Lombok has plenty more to keep you busy. Intrepid surfers began arriving here back in the ’90s, lured by the world-class breaks, consistent year-round swells, and a string of picturesque beaches that range from family-friendly stretches to wild and secluded coves. Some are inside the Mandalika zone, while others are connected by quiet roads winding over hills and passing through flat farmland. Growing up in northern Lombok, I have fond memories of childhood visits to this stretch of coastline four or five times each year. Selong Belanak, one of my favorite beaches in the area, is just the place to pick up surfing — its soft, sandy seabed and gentle waves will ease you into the sport.
From the Mandalika circuit, I drive the short distance down bumpy roads to another treasured spot. Widely regarded as one of the most photogenic beaches in Lombok, Tanjung Aan has azure waters and a long sweep of powdery white sand lined with warungs (local eateries), making it the perfect backdrop for a lazy beach day. But even here, change is fast approaching. “In August, we’ll have to pack up our warungs and move. They’re clearing the beach for the development of new hotels,” says my friend and warung owner Pak Ihin. As a regular customer, I will miss his expertly grilled fish.
Several hours later, as the sun sinks lower in the sky, I peel myself off a lounger and stroll up the dimpled green hills of Bukit Merese, the long headland on Tanjung Aan’s west side. I settle down to watch the sunset bathing the coastline in soft golden light, the silhouettes of grazing water buffalo juxtaposed with the five- or six-story hotels taking shape nearby. Farther west, and located partly within the Mandalika zone, is the thriving beachside town of Kuta. The former surf village has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis, with upmarket villas and boutiques to boot.
<figure id="attachment_138790" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-138790" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-138790 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-La-Cabana-and-Jiang-Nan.jpeg" alt="Looking out from Kuta’s breezy La Cabaña restaurant; authentic Chinese fare at Jiang Nan in Kuta." width="1200" height="894" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-La-Cabana-and-Jiang-Nan.jpeg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-La-Cabana-and-Jiang-Nan-300x224.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-La-Cabana-and-Jiang-Nan-1024x763.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-La-Cabana-and-Jiang-Nan-768x572.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138790" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Looking out from Kuta’s breezy La Cabaña restaurant; authentic Chinese fare at Jiang Nan in Kuta. (Photos: Josh Edwards)</figcaption></figure>
Recent years have also seen Kuta cement its reputation as Lombok’s foodie hub — the burgeoning culinary scene is driven by the influx of investment and overseas tourists as well as the large expat community. Whenever I visit, I drop by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jiangnanlombok/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jiang Nan</a>, a Chinese restaurant that serves up melt-in-the-mouth xiao long bao and spicy dan-dan noodles. Set inside a bamboo-built pavilion on the grounds of a boutique hotel, <a href="https://sikaralombokhotel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">La Cabaña</a> is the place for long, lazy lunches featuring paella and tapas. On this occasion, I head to <a href="https://kemangilombok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kemangi Bar &amp; Kitchen</a>, where the menu contains Indonesian classics like wok-fried squid with garlicky sambal bawang, and the spicy chicken dish ayam taliwang — a specialty of Lombok’s indigenous Sasak people.
Those staying in Kuta need not travel far to glimpse the Lombok of yore. Sade, one of the last few authentic Sasak villages on the island, lies just 15 minutes up the road. Early the next morning, I find myself wandering its narrow lanes lined with traditional thatched houses, their floors made from a blend of mud and water-buffalo dung. (It’s a highly effective method for cooling the rooms and keeping the dust away.) Also notable are the distinctive Sasak rice barns that have inspired many a villa elsewhere in Lombok and in Bali. Raised above the ground on sturdy pillars, their arched alang-alang roofs are not dissimilar to the Greek letter omega. Turning a corner, I hear the click-clack of a wooden loom and see hundreds of colorful and intricately woven textiles fluttering in the breeze. Sade is known for its ikat weaving; women here have been practicing this art form for generations, and you’ll often catch them working, almost trance-like, behind their contraptions.
Another Sasak tradition is the annual festival Bau Nyale, when thousands gather on Seger Beach, barely a few hundred meters from the racetrack, to harvest sea worms from the shallows. Local folklore says the arrival of these critters marks the return of the legendary princess named — you guessed it — Mandalika. Even as southern Lombok shapes up to be the next Nusa Dua, my hope is that age-old practices like Bau Nyale will still have a place in its future.
<figure id="attachment_138788" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-138788" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-138788 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Lombok-Mandalika-Sade-and-Bukit-Merese.jpeg" alt="An ikat weaver at Sade; the grassy headland of Bukit Merese." width="1200" height="859" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138788" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: An ikat weaver at Sade; the grassy headland of Bukit Merese. (Photos: Josh Edwards)</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://subscription.destinasian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June/July 2024</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Gaining Momentum”).

The white-sand beach of Selong Belanak on Lombok’s scenic south coast.

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