Bola Bola day

We met Leigh (and our driver) at Jalan Palm Raja, looking forward to our day's outing to beautiful Sekotong Bay in SW Lombok.  We weren't planning anything too strenuous because Rob is still pretty tentative in his recovery, so we didn't pack the snorkeling gear.

We were in the tiny fishing village of Sekotong after one and 3/4 hours driving through Ampenon, Mataran and the farms and villages along the picturesque and often hilly road to the Bay.  Once we were there I recognised some familiar landmarks and the stunningly beautiful aspect of the azure blue, pristine clean bay enclosing the three tiny little gilies, within easy fishing boat distance of the beachfront.

However, I knew we hadn't got to the very new hotel we'd discovered with John on our previous visit 5 years ago.  Luckily our driver could interpret my fairly vague directions and he found the Bola Bola Paradis Hotel and Restaurant for us, about 12-15kms further West around the bay from Sekotong village.  Amazingly for Lombok it was still a going concern, despite its relative sophistication, and isolation, amongst poor but picturesque fishing villages and shanties.  We did our best to provide further support by buying drinks there, and later, a delicious lunch.

The hotel fronts the bayside beach, with stunning views of the pristine water (wish we'd brought our snorkelling gear) and more gilies, only a short boat ride away.

We were a bit miffed that other guests bagged the lunchtime spot we'd chosen in the grounds of the hotel.

 
But the open pavillion style hotel dining room was very beautiful too.

We were back in Sengiggi after 3.30pm, with time to visit Gregg and Jacob at Nusa Alam and support the little bazaar the parents are running each afternoon this week, the first week of Ramadan.  It is important that Nusa Alam, as Lombok's only International school, be seen to be supporting this fundraising for the mosques, during Ramadan.

Parents were selling all the usual little things you see at fetes at home, except with an Indonesian twist.  Leigh tells us that a lot of people in Lombok put on weight during Ramadan, there is such an emphasis on the night time feasting and then the huge celebrations of over indulgence at the end of the fasting period.  

The start of Ramadan has seen a fall in tourist numbers, so Senggigi is relatively quiet and uncrowded.  It probably has a lot to do with he fact that all of Europe is starting back at work at the end of this month so many people have already started making tracks for home.