North Lombok is dominated by the 3,726 m Mount Rinjani, an active stratovolcano. Rinjani is also the second highest volcano in Indonesia, second only to Mount Kerinci on Sumatra and is Indonesias third highest peak. The volcano last erupted at the Barujari site in May 2010 with active lava flows and ash projected high into the sky with ash plumes rising to an altitude of 5.5 km.
Within its 50 square kilometre caldera sits the crater lake Segara Anak (Child of the Sea). Eruptions within the caldera have formed a small cone called Gunung Baru (New Mountain).
The caldera and lake Segara Anak, looking toward the cone of Barujari, Mount Rinjani, Lombok
The Rinjani mountain and its the surrounding slopes form the Mount Rinjani National Park (Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani). The park is made up of 41,000 hectares within the park boundaries and a further 66,000 hectares of protected forest outside.
In 2008, the Indonesian government proposed to UNESCO that Mount Rinjani be one of the world's official geoparks. If this is approved by UNESCO, Mount Rinjani will become the first such geological park in Indonesia.
The highlands are forest clad and mostly undeveloped. The lowlands are highly cultivated. Rice, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, cotton, cinnamon, cacao, cloves, cassava, corn, coconuts, copra, bananas and vanilla are the major crops grown in the fertile soils of the island. The slopes are populated by the indigenous Sasak population. There are also some basic tourist related activities established on Rinjani primarily in or about the village of Senaru.
Gunung Rinjani Observation Post Rinjani Sembalun is located in the village of Lawang, Sub Sembalun 12.5 km (4000 feet) northeast of G. Rinjani) in the District of East Lombok. Observers at this post monitor G.Rinjani, G.Barujari/G.Tenga within the Segara Anak Caldera.
The northern part of Lombok has deep traditions and still holds a repository of original Sasak beliefs and customs. The Waktu Telu people still have a strong presence in the north. Waktu Telu ("Three Prayers"), as the name suggests pray only three times daily, instead of the five times stipulated in the Quran. Many of the Waktu Telu beliefs are entwined with animism. Waktu Telu has influences not only of Islam, but also Hinduism and pantheistic beliefs. There are also remnants of Boda (people without a religion) who maintain Pagan Sasak beliefs in the north.
Please see the main Lombok article for more detailed information on the history and culture of Lombok.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about North Lombok
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in North Lombok - updated May 2024
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North Lombok Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
