chris44

Member
Oct 28, 2010
98
0
6
Bali, Nusa Dua
www.deluxespas.ch
hi all, i am considering moving from Bali to lombok next year.
Does anyone have experience with Lombok?
Why many people move from lombok back to bali?
Will the new airport change Lomboks way of live? As second Bali?
Honestly from the beach an quiet i like Lombok more than Bali.

Thanks for your answers
 

helmiz

New Member
Sep 6, 2010
12
0
1
June 2o11

Hi Chris,
My name is Helmi ,iam Indonesian ,married with Japanese with 3 children.Iam living in japan now,but will move to Kuta Lombok next year around June.We bought some land 3 yeras ago,around the propety that we have are owned by most of foreigners.West side by Peter,an Australian,Yoshi a Japanese in the front and Steven a Swiss guy at the East side.
Iam sure there will be many foreigner will live in Lombok soon, after the new international airport is ready to operated.Hope we can met up there oneday.
Cheers..Helmi:icon_biggrin:
 

matsaleh

Super Moderator
May 26, 2004
2,471
145
63
Legian, Bali
hi all, i am considering moving from Bali to lombok next year.
Does anyone have experience with Lombok?
Why many people move from lombok back to bali?
Will the new airport change Lomboks way of live? As second Bali?
Honestly from the beach an quiet i like Lombok more than Bali.

Thanks for your answers
One of our members, Mimpimanis, runs the Lombok Lovers forum. I'd suggest you'll find a lot of answers there.

Free forum : Lombok Lovers
 

Ben Johnson

New Member
Feb 16, 2010
5
0
1
Lombok is walking 20 years (or more) behind Bali. Gradually products from Western countries are being introduced (like fresh milk and whole wheat bread. The infrastructure is improving, water parks being built, and big plans are on the drawing boards. Sasak people (natives of Lombok) have yet to adopt Balinese work ethics, so everything moves at a slow pace. Still no good English language bookstore, and workers skilled at any modern task (ie, builders, technicians) are few and far between. The beaches are great but mosques are noisy.

If you want to get away from the hectic rush, then Lombok is a great place to live. If you like modern conveniences (such as fast internet), then stay in Bali.
 

mugwump

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2011
1,083
193
63
seattle pekutatan
Lombok is walking 20 years (or more) behind Bali. Gradually products from Western countries are being introduced (like fresh milk and whole wheat bread. The infrastructure is improving, water parks being built, and big plans are on the drawing boards. Sasak people (natives of Lombok) have yet to adopt Balinese work ethics, so everything moves at a slow pace. Still no good English language bookstore, and workers skilled at any modern task (ie, builders, technicians) are few and far between. The beaches are great but mosques are noisy.

If you want to get away from the hectic rush, then Lombok is a great place to live. If you like modern conveniences (such as fast internet), then stay in Bali.
There are many Sasaks doing construction work in Bali, and some people may debate the distinction you make about work ethic. Perhaps more important is the cultural and religious differences that may greatly influence the reason people return to Bali after living in Lombok. If you can read some honest anthropological appraisals of Sasak attitudes towards people foreign to them it would be well worth the effort.
 

calitobali

Member
Jul 10, 2008
478
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16
If you can read some honest anthropological appraisals of Sasak attitudes towards people foreign to them it would be well worth the effort.

Do you have examples of any? I would never live in Lombok but would be interested in reading about some of those experiences that you mention.
 

hermit

Member
Aug 19, 2010
414
4
18
Bona gianyar
Balinese workethics??? I somehow can't imagine it going any slower then it already is going here on Bali..

Come on Gilbert,Have you ever tried to work eight hours a day in construction?All the balinese workers i have ever employed did work hard,and were completely exhausted at the end of the day.They may start slower than most westerners,but they keep up the same pace during the whole day.
It helps not to let them work continously till the next odalan as they are used to do,because after two weeks without a day off ,pace starts slowing down.
That is a natural phenomenon when you are tired.Has nothing to do with work ethics.
 
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mugwump

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2011
1,083
193
63
seattle pekutatan
Do you have examples of any? I would never live in Lombok but would be interested in reading about some of those experiences that you mention.
There are numerous incidents from my own personal experience in addition to those of others. My own come from the perspective of doing business in exporting goods from there to the U.S.,using Sasak workers in construction and remodel projects, and as a tourist. The others come from people who have worked in Lombok.
Since these experiences aren't complementary, and could be construed as prejudicial I will be happy to cite them only by personal message and promise to reply to your inquiry or those of anyone else.
 

calitobali

Member
Jul 10, 2008
478
0
16
There are numerous incidents from my own personal experience in addition to those of others. My own come from the perspective of doing business in exporting goods from there to the U.S.,using Sasak workers in construction and remodel projects, and as a tourist. The others come from people who have worked in Lombok.
Since these experiences aren't complementary, and could be construed as prejudicial I will be happy to cite them only by personal message and promise to reply to your inquiry or those of anyone else.

Yes, please send them to be me by way of personal message, I would appreciate that. Thank you
 

gilbert de jong

Active Member
Jan 20, 2009
3,198
3
36
Panji, Singaraja.
Come on Gilbert,Have you ever tried to work eight hours a day in construction?All the balinese workers i have ever employed did work hard,and were completely exhausted at the end of the day.They may start slower than most westerners,but they keep up the same pace during the whole day.
It helps not to let them work continously till the next odalan as they are used to do,because after two weeks without a day off ,pace starts slowing down.
That is a natural phenomenon when you are tired.Has nothing to do with work ethics.

I was and am fortunate enough to have never had to work in construction for a living, nothing wrong with people who do but it ain't something I would choose to do for 40 years.
I was simply commenting on something that Ben Johnson wrote "Sasak people (natives of Lombok) have yet to adopt Balinese work ethics, so everything moves at a slow pace." ...By reading that he implies, that it goes slower because sasak's are not as fast as Balinese, right?
Since everything goes at a slow pace here, I can't imagine it going any slower then it does here.

Most workers are exhausted at the end of the day because they only eat rice with some greens, drink two cups of coffee and smoke kreteks..with that kind of diet I would be exhausted even when doing totally nothing.
 

justinbali

Member
Feb 17, 2013
67
0
6
About Lombok, one word : islam

Early morning call from the mosque, throughout the day and night preaching, etc.
 

justinbali

Member
Feb 17, 2013
67
0
6
No bikinis, blonde women harassed, any white woman asked to cover up, very annoying men who wouldn't dare harassing their own people who think that western women want to fuck any man, a woman's hell on earth. That is Lombok.
 

Natasha

Member
Dec 1, 2010
151
0
16
Kerobokan
I really like Lombok. My husband is from there and we go quite frequently. I find it a nice break from Bali- no traffic, decent roads, quiet, nothing built up, less pollution, everything is quite spread out, great beaches, good food, etc.. My husband is Hindu and in his village in Lombok everyone is Balinese Hindu, so we aren't staying directly next to any mosques, so probably quieter (plus his village is in the middle of the jungle, so it's really quiet!!). We've travelled a lot all over Lombok and I find the people to be very nice, very talkative and friendly, I'm a youngish 'blond woman' and have never been disrespected or harassed, or in any way felt threatened being there. Majority of people are Muslim in Lombok, so out of respect I do dress accordingly.

My husband's dream is to move back there, but I rather live in Bali and go there for a visit every few months. I like Bali because I don't feel so isolated, I do enjoy and need some western comforts like decent internet, treating myself to some western food once in a while, etc.. plus I'm pregnant with our first baby and I believe their are better options for schools and such here in Bali. Perhaps when I'm much older and retired maybe I'd stay in Lombok, but for the time being I'd rather just holiday there!!!
 
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Rambutmerah

Member
Jul 30, 2006
112
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16
Having lived a long time in Lombok both on Gili Trawangan and mainland Lombok I simply don't understand what justinbali is talking about. Not ones in all the years I lived there did I hear about or see blond women being harrased sexually or otherwise, told to cover up etc etc.
The Sasaks are very tolerant towards both tourists and expats.
Bules does have to be respectfull of the culture/religion being it in a muslim or hindu community.
Must say that I miss the prayer calls from the mosque close to where we lived.Feels safe and secure every time I return and is meet by the prayer calls. The only time I find it overwhelming is during Ramadan when the resitation from the Koran goes on all night long.
Now a days all modern commodities are found on Lombok. Being it western food, nice housing,international school and a rather big expat community for those who like to get together.
 

sakumabali

Well-Known Member
Apr 2, 2010
1,056
185
63
Never been to Lombok but I heard many stories, "the sasaks are very tolerant (towards both tourists and expats)"??
I heard otherwise, tourists got hit in a village by thiefs, many people watched & nobody helped; street robberies in open daylight etc etc
You can't deny Rambutmerah that Lombok has a bad image, I heard it's beautiful there (nicer than Bali) but probably they never will compete with Bali - the reasons are the locals....maybe you & Natasha are fine cause you have relatives there
 

Rambutmerah

Member
Jul 30, 2006
112
0
16
I'm aware that there has been incidents down Kuta Lombok where tourists has been robbed in broad daylight. There are some villages down south where it's a bit like in "the wild west". Can't see that it should stop people from coming to Lombok. In Bali it's also an almost daily thing happening. Crooks can be found everywhere. Wasn't really aware that Lombok has a bad image as the people I meet usually love Lombok and would love to stay either longer or make it a permanent place to live.
Note that I'm not naive as not to see problems in Lombok, there are plenty but most arn't related to foreigners visiting the island.

Althou I have relatives in Lombok I have been venturing around the island by myself a lot and always been meet with respect,( except at Kantor Immigrasi). I answered out of my own experiences and as I have a very wide and diverse contact net both in the local community and among expats I hear lots what's going on and as I said have never heard of or seen people being treated bad because they are blond and foreigners.
 
C

CanonMan

Guest
Wasn't it the Mayor of a small town near the Desert Point surf break that got decapitated and his melon put on public display? Nice politics of the area...