Lombok, Indonesia - The Next Bali

Posted on July 20th, 2006.

Indonesia may be the last country you’d consider diving in after the recent tsunami and previous earthquake this year, but it is a huge country with spectacular diving that doesn’t deserve to be ignored

With a cruel irony borne of hindsight, the news agency AP ran a lengthy piece last month called Overshadowed by Bali, Lombok awaits its time in the sun. It’s essentially a round up of why Lombok is a fascinating island amongst Indonesia’s thousands of islands - it’s unspoilt, undeveloped, and still has not had the impact of mass tourism upon it as with neighbouring Bali.

Given Lombok’s continual appearance as one of the best places to dive in Indonesia and, indeed, all of Asia, reading this article is like a red rag to a bull for most divers - why wouldn’t you want to go there! Sadly, Indonesia has suffered a string of appalling tragedies this year, with the earthquake a few month ago, the eruption of Mount Merapi and now the recent tsunami that has killed over 500 people in Java.

Indonesia is an enormous country and despite these terrible natural disasters I’d urge divers to still consider Indonesia as a dive destination. I am hopefully going to Komodo later this year, which is a few hundred kilometres along the Indonesia archipelago from Java and has remained outside all of this year’s troubles. I’ll have to carefully monitor the seismic situation in Indonesia, but I wouldn’t want being over cautious to stop me going on a dive trip of a lifetime.

Meantime, here are the links to the Red Cross UK and Red Cross USA who are helping those who have been left without their family and their homes and their livelihoods by the tsunami.

Considering a diving holiday in their country in the face of such tragedy may seem tasteless, but it is essential for Indonesia’s people, economy and wellbeing that tourists return to the country as soon as they can and bring much needed trade and work with them. Divers are amongst the most adventurous of travellers, and it is divers who will probably spearhead the return of tourists to Indonesia.