Less diversion and more stopover, Labuan Pandan sits on the east coast of Lombok, a little north of the ferry to Sumbawa. A blink and you’ll miss it village, it boasts scenic black sand beaches and excellent offshore islanding. Perfect for small budget families.
She sells sea shells by the sea shore.... Photo: Stuart McDonald.
While there are half a handful of places to stay, I always settle in at Pondok Siola. Set right on the beach, the lawn garden is dotted with deckchairs and palm trees, all looking straight out to the Alas Straight. We’ve driven down from Senaru on the north coast, but take our time, arriving in the early afternoon.
I’d say just in time for a late lunch, but the food, while tasty, can take a while to arrive. Instead we order dinner then hang out on the beach and in the gardens for the rest of the day. Oh, and organise a snorkelling trip for tomorrow.
Pondok Siola. Simple but comfortable. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
When people think islands and Lombok, the Gili islands on the west coast are the first that spring to mind. The east coast has two clusters as well, and that’s what will be keeping us busy over the next two days ... or so.
The first day we leave after breakfast and our outrigger takes us north for an hour to Gili Lawang (map link) and Gili Sulat (map link). Both are mangrove islands, and have little in the way of beaches. The snorkelling though, is a different matter.
The kids and I jump into the channel between the two islands and snorkel along the north coast of Gili Sulat. It is excellent, with a long slow drift current and a deep drop off. The guide points out a beautiful yellow head moray eel, but later, the true highlight comes. Drifting on the edge of the blue, I dive down looking for morays, then as I turn, two eagle rays glide past. Just gorgeous—I almost jump out of the water with surprise—as do the kids!
…the sea shells she sells are sea shells for sure. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
Later we tie up to land and follow an elevated walkway into the mangroves. The walkway is in bad shape, but the mangroves are in better condition. The kids enjoy spotting crabs and other critters in the mud.
The afternoon gets lost back at Pondok Siola. A few icy beers, cards with the kids, snoozing on the lawn—you know the drill—it’s a holiday!
The next morning we get going earlier. The sea is flat like a mirror and we make fast time skating south to the coast of Gili Petagan (map link). Jutting out to the island’s south is a massive coral garden, and shallow, under a metre. The outrigger drops us off out to sea in the east. It seems too deep, but once we’re in the water we see why—the current is fast!
The water is pretty clear. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
We daisy–chain hands and just float. No need to paddle or anything—the current takes us over the reef like we’re on a moving footpath. Beautiful soft corals sway and tonnes of fish dart left and right beneath us. The kids: mesmerised. In just 30 minutes we’re out back over the deep, but the boat is waiting, picks us up and takes us back around to repeat it. And again.
Just across the water to the south is Gili Bidara (map link). A blip of an island, absolute white sand and decent off beach snorkelling await. Later the kids fossick for sea shells—the beach is quite clean by Indonesian standards. We walk all the way around the island and it takes just 30 minutes. The inland is covered is sweet potato farms, with a few fisherman huts. That’s it. I ask it is possible to camp here. The boatman from Pondok Siola explains, with a bit of notice, no problem. Next time.
Gili Bidara. Bloody awful. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
There’s another island just to the south, Gili Kondo (map link). It is larger, and more popular and we get ready to head there. Then our boatman suggests, after looking at the two sunburnt and exhausted kids, we save it for tomorrow.
So we do.
Couchfish Diversion 9: Lombok’s Eastern Gilis