Lombok Tour- August 2003: The International Conservation Society had the pleasure of visiting Lombok in August 2003 in support of the Indigenous Sasak people, as well as coral reef, forest and turtle conservation on this lovely island paradise.

Sengiggi Beach- we visited beautiful Sengiggi beach and patronized the local merchants along the beach rather than paying into the large hotels. We also cautioned the local fishers and pearl divers about the importance of environmentally responsible and sustainable harvesting.

Taman Narmada- This cultural preserve was one of the ancient Sultan’s former water gardens. We made a donation there. It was a well-preserved eample of Lombok’s proud & noble heritage.

Sendang Gila- This is Lombok’s highest waterfall. We also made a donation there and commended the park management on environmentally responsible practices which included the prominent placement of trash cans every few meters and the sincere enforcement of local timber and wildlife protection regulations- something too rarely seen in this country.

 We also visited Lombok’s oldest mosque in Bayan, which has been preserved as a local historical site and made a donation. Bayan mosque is uniquely constructed of Bamboo and is over 300 years old. It is considered by the locals to be an etremely important cultural relic.

The Gilis. We made a day trip to Gili Air, Trawangan and Meno, for snorkeling and sightseeing. The pristine waters and angel-white sands are still lovely, but the coral is starting to show signs of exploitation. We had the pleasure of patronizing the local establishments for some of the best grilled fresh tuna and young coconut we’ve ever partaken of. We admonished the locals about the possible repercussions of overharvesting and of the eating of protected sea turtle eggs. We were saddened to see that the number of sea turtles here is dwindling considerably. Please, if you visit, help make sure the locals are aware of the importance of preserving these magnificent creatures.