CITY OF 3 CITIES

Lombok’s capital is a sprawling amalgam of several once-separate towns with fuzzy borders: Ampenan (the port), Mataram (the administrative centre), Cakranegara (the business centre, often called simply ‘Cakra’) and Sweta to the east, where you’ll find the Mandalika bus terminal. Mataram stretches for 12km from east to west.

With not so many tourist attractions, y Mataram’s broad tree-lined avenues buzz with traffic, thrum with motorbikes and teem with classic markets and malls. If you’re hungry for a blast of Indo realism, you’ll find it here. Sights around Mataram include the old port town of Ampenan – if you pause you’ll discover a still-tangible sense of the Dutch colonial era in the leafy main street and the older buildings. The city has a beautiful museum of Nusa tengara Barat region, where you can eplore, flora and fauna, religon, costume and tradition of the islands Sumbawa and Lombok. Beside vivid streets we strongly recommend visiting markets like Cakra pasar or Oben Roi market where you can enjoy the true indonesian lifestyle of locals, their fruit and veggies and many more. City has also two shopping malls for those looking more international brands .

City becomes alive mostly after 18.30 when street food stands are set up right net to the streets