North Lombok

North Lombok is defined by scale. At its centre, Mount Rinjani rises to 3,726 metres, the second-highest volcano in Indonesia, its crater containing a turquoise lake and an active secondary cone that has shaped the landscape, the culture, and the mythology of this island for centuries. From Rinjani's foothills, rivers drop through dense rainforest to form one of the finest concentrations of waterfalls in the archipelago, none more impressive than Tiu Kelep, the flying waterfall of Senaru.

 

On the coast, the peninsula at Sire holds a long, quiet beach with Rinjani rising behind it and the Gili Islands sitting just offshore. And just across the narrow strait from Bangsal, those three small islands draw travellers from around the world with their white sand beaches, clear water, and a pace of life that has made them one of Southeast Asia's most celebrated destinations. North Lombok rewards those who come to do things rather than simply lie still, though it offers that too, abundantly.