“If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.”

So, I didn’t want to go to Indonesia and only see Bali. Bali is just so over played. It’s like the song on the radio that you loved the first few times, but then you started to hate it. Don’t get me wrong, I am really excited to go to Bali and experience it first hand, but I wanted to see another part of the country as well. Even though Lombok is right next door, it is supposed to have an entirely different vibe. First of all, the Balinese population in mostly Hindu, whereas the Lombok population is mostly Muslim. Lombok isn’t overrun with tourists like Bali either, or at least not yet.

There are a couple of reasons I was drawn to Lombok over other popular places like Flores or Indonesian Borneo. The primary reason for my visit is to trek to the summit of Mt. Rinjani, the second tallest volcano in the country. The volcano is still very active, erupting last in 2010. There is a crater lake and some hot springs that you can check out once you reach the top, which will be a huge relief after the climb to the summit. The park entrance fee is 150,000 Rupiah, and you can enter from either Sembalun Lawang or Senaru, though Senaru does not grant access to the true summit. I have read that you are supposedly required to hire a guide, though the trail is quite popular and you can definitely do it alone. I will probably try to get away with not hiring a guide, since I am trying to keep my costs as low as possible. Typical treks take between 2-3 days.

Another reason I was interested in visiting Lombok is to use it as a jumping off point for visiting the Gilli Islands, which are a short 20 minute boat ride away. The islands are a very popular area for diving because there are about 25 different dive sites. The Gilli Islands are to Indonesia what Ko Tao is to Thailand. Simply the best place to get PADI certified. I guess I will see what other similarities they have soon enough.

If I feel up to more hiking after summiting Mt. Rinjani, there are a number of great waterfalls on the island. I will probably make the trek to at least one during my visit. Aside from hiking, diving and eating delicious, cheap Indonesian food, you will find me relaxing on the beach with a book. This will be my first solo destination of the trip, and I am going to enjoy every second of the peace and quite.