Lombok-Sumbawa-Moyo-Sumbawa-Lombok

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Nearly 3 years to the date of my last blog, I have just returned from a trip too good not to write about. This will be more of a how to and how much does it cost account of a motorcycle trip I just completed. I still often get asked publicly and privately, "How do you afford these trips?" Some of these trips are relatively expensive, but many like this one do not have to be. I am not going to pretend to be a budget backpacker at this stage in my life. My Indonesian travel buddy, Lilies, and I were rather amused on this trip as some Australians tried justify if there less than $8 room was cheap enough. I quickly remembered that this could have easily been me nearly 10 years ago when I was trying to stretch out my round the world trip. We all have certain ways and means, and it is pretty clear where mine goes. As my dear old babysitter used to tell me, "You come into this world with nothing, and you will leave it with the same." Less I digress further...

Jakarta has grown on me in the nearly 3 years I have spent in Indonesia. One of my favorite parts still though is being able to jet off to so many island destinations within a few hours. The following excursion will be noted in USD, currently 1 USD = 13,000. For $123 return, we were off to Praya, Lombok where the motorcycle journey would begin. We splurged for a decent hotel ($20 per person) knowing the the rest of the trip would offer up a variety of possibly rustic sleeping conditions. Roni, from Lombok Rental ([phone]) delivered our trusty steed, a 110 Honda Vario scooter ($3.85 per day) the next morning. He also conveniently picked it up from the airport on our last day. Whoever you rent from make sure you get the STNK (registration). It is sometimes asked for if you are pulled over or boarding ferries although we were never asked for it.

It was a 2 hour drive to the ferry terminal at Pelabuhan Lombok Besar (Kayangan). It was $3.85 total for the scooter and 2 passengers. We asked at both ends of the ferry service and the terminals are open 24 hours a day with ferries leaving nearly every hour during the day. Arriving in Poto Tano, we headed east towards Sumbawa Besar. My first suggested stop would be Warung Andika (Google Maps) for some traditional home cooked Indonesian food. It turned out to be a very convenient stop for us, because as we left, I felt the bike give way as our back tire was flat. Next door to Warung Andika's was a motorbike shop which replaced the tube and damaged tired for around $5 and had us back on the road in less than 20 minutes. It was about another 2 hour drive to Pantai (Beach) Kencana Hotel where stilted, bamboo bungalows with AC run you about $25 a room including breakfast. They are a bit run down, but were a welcome sight after a relatively long travel day in the tropical heat.

They also turned out to be very well placed in terms of reaching the small port in Sumbawa Besar where you board small public boats to Pulau Moyo (Moyo Island). Boats leave both ways nearly every day apart from Friday, noonish from the Sumbawa Besar side and morning from Moyo. This cost us $15 for 2 passengers and the scooter, which with 4 men including myself was simply picked up and strapped onto the boat. It takes 2 hours to reach the island, and if you are lucky you will seeing flying fish and dolphins along the way. Pulau Moyo was partially made famous by the visit of none other than the late Princess Diana. She was especially enamored with the beautiful local waterfalls known as Mata Jitu (Clear-seeing Eyes). A host of celebrities and sport stars continue to visit the island yearly, staying at the $1000 a night resort, Amanwana. This used to be the only way to stay on the island. Thankfully, there are a scattering of homestays (currently 4) that allow people of all budgets to enjoy Moyo's beauty. We stayed at Davi Homestay, which is run by Pak Mahindra ([phone]) and his wife who I will refer to as Ibu (respectful title for any older lady meaning mother). Pak Mahindra was a young man working for Amanwana when Princess Diana visited. He still remembers being shy in her presence, but she said hello to everyone. Pak Mahindra has taken the elegance of Amanwana and created his adorable little homestay. It's a traditional house with 5 rooms, and the price is currently set at $15 per person per night which includes 3 amazing meals cooked by Ibu. I could go on and on about this place, but you should really just visit it yourself. Pak Mahindra was a wealth of information, and I will break down the costs of activities and additional fees below:

• $11.5 per person for snorkeling equipment and boat (Pak Mahindra) About a 2 hour trip.
• $3.85 a day for a mountain bike
• $2 a person per visit to Pulau Moyo for village collected by Pak Mahindra
• Ojek (Motorcycle Taxi) fees if you don't have your own transport as as follows
• $6 to Mata Jitu Waterfalls
• $3.85 to local waterfalls with great rope swing and jumping possibilities
• $5.5 to Amanwana (get our your pocket book!) and Crocodile Head (snorkeling and sunset)


Concurred by my Indonesian friend I was traveling with, I believe one of the biggest draws other than the remoteness and natural beauty of Moyo is the character of the local people. They are very welcoming, yet they do not overreact to foreigners visiting their island, even when it is Maria Sharapova (last year) walking through their little village. They are happy to snap a picture with you, or just has happy to exchange a smile and nothing more when passing by.
It was hard to do, but we left after 3 days on this slice of heaven. Another 4 hours of riding south took us to the famed surfer beaches of SW Sumbawa. Although I do not surf, it was a great area to explore by motorbike with windy coastal roads, jungle clad hills and more waterfalls. Additionally, if you visit outside of surf season, you might just have many places to yourself as we did. We stayed in Sekongkang, which I can highly recommend. It is very quiet with just a dozen or so guesthouses spread out along the beach and nearby countryside. If you are hankering for some home cooked western food, definitely check out Lisa's Garden which I gave a 5 star review on TripAdvisor. To play it safe, we had booked a room at Rantung Beach Bar and Restaurant via Agoda ($50), partly for the WIFI as there weren't any connections apart from Amanwana on Pulau Moyo. It is a stunning little beach bar set right on the middle of the main beach. Unfortunately, the WIFI was a portable set up which the owner who never appeared during our stay had with them. So, we moved to the much more affordable Surga Villa ($15) the next day and were not disappointed. Although the rooms are more basic, it's very clean with tremendous views of the river which meets the sea right in front of the villa. The 2nd floor communal balcony is where we spent most of our time, watching the surfers catch waves, cows graze and children play. This whole trip was paradise redefined.

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