Visit Mount Rinjani, Beautiful Mountain Tourism in Lombok

Mount Rinjani, located in North Lombok, is certainly no stranger to Indonesians. Mount Rinjani, which has a height of more than 3,700 meters above sea level, is the second highest volcano in Indonesia and is a tourist attraction on the island of Lombok .

This mountain has the most beautiful natural scenery when compared to other mountains in Indonesia, even its beauty is said to be the most beautiful not only in Indonesia, but also in Asia . Because of this beautiful natural panorama, Mount Rinjani is a favorite mountain for climbers who are usually students, nature lovers, local residents, to foreign tourists.

July and August are the times when Mount Rinjani is most visited by tourists. These mountain climbers aim to reach the top in addition to enjoying the panorama, also to get their own satisfaction because they have succeeded in conquering the second highest volcano in Indonesia.

Every year, the number of climbers of Mount Rinjani is increasing, and most of these climbers are nature-loving students who come from various regions in Indonesia. The thing they love to do the most is celebrate Indonesia's independence day at the top of the Mountain in August. But keep in mind that in August there are often strong winds at the top of this mountain.

In addition to a natural panorama that is second to none, Mount Rinjani also has other uniqueness, namely its diverse flora and fauna. When climbing, you will see how rich this mountain is. Every 1,000 meters of hike you will see a different kind of flora, for example at an altitude of 2,000 meters you will find lots of mountain cypresses, and at an altitude of 3,000 meters you will see many edelweiss flowers.

For fauna that you can find, among them are more than 100 different types of birds, hedgehogs, deer, silver monkeys, long tail monkeys, and others. Sometimes the animals on Mount Rinjani, especially the long-tailed monkeys, are naughty. The monkey's mischief is to get into the climber's tent and take the food in the tent.

History and Legend of Mount Rinjani

There are several versions of the legendary story related to the name Mount Rinjani, including the opinion of the local community that the name Rinjani comes from Old Javanese which means "God".

While another version states that the name Rinjani comes from the name of an ancient royal princess named Dewi Anjani.

The daughter, who was in love with a poor young man, never got the blessing of the king. Until finally Dewi Anjani exiled herself at the top of the mountain.

The rest of his life was spent meditating so that the genies who lived on the mountain made him the queen and the name of the mountain was called Mount Rinjani.

The third version states that the name Mount Rinjani comes from the name of a daughter named Putri Rinjani, the son of King Datu Tuan.

The princess accompanies her father to a retreat at the top of the mountain to meditate.

Until finally the genies made Princess Rinjani the queen and since then the highest mountain in Lombok is known as Mount Rinjani.

Hiking trails to the top of Mount Rinjani

To reach the top of Mount Rinjani, there are several climbing routes to choose from, namely:

1. Hiking route through Senaru Village

This one path is a favorite route chosen by many climbers.

To reach Segara Anak Lake, it takes about 10 hours from Senaru Village.

On this path, climbers will pass through the wilderness and also the beautiful wilderness.

2. The climbing route is through Sembalun Lawang

Similar to the Senaru route, the hiking trail through Sembalun Lawang is quite busy because many climbers use this route.

The climbers will pass through a broad savanna with winding mountain paths, and ravines on either side of the road.

3. Hiking route through Torean

Although not as popular as the Senaru and Sembalun routes, the hiking trail through Torean is often seen as a short path to Lake Anak Segara.

This hiking trail presents enchanting natural beauty and has not been much exposed, so it is perfect for those who like adventure.

However, keep in mind that this route tends to be at risk because the route is prone to landslides. This hiking trail is flanked by Mount Rinjani and Sangareang. This route is widely used by local residents as a route to Segara Anak.

4. The climbing route is through Timbanuh Village

The hiking trail through Timbanuh Village will pass through quite difficult and challenging terrain, so climbers are required to be extra careful on their way.

The travel time from Timbanuh to Plawangan is around 7 hours.

How to get to Mount Rinjani

I took the meeting point from DKI Jakarta as the starting location which is widely used as a standard for starting trips. In other cities, you can adjust the travel route with the end at Lombok Airport and Mandalika Lombok Terminal. There are several ways you must choose which one is the best. These are the most common choices.

1. Using the Train.

Route: Jakarta-Surabaya-Banyuwangi

A backpacker will use this public transportation to get to the final destination. The train ride costs starting from economy class, prices per 15 Nov 2017 price range of IDR 150,000 to Surabaya Gubeng, then the relay using the train to Banyuwangi Station for IDR 50,000 - IDR 60,000.
After arriving at Banyuwangi Station you have to walk for 15 minutes to get to Ketapang Harbor to cross to Gilimanuk Bali Harbor. The ticket price you have to pay to take this crossing ferry is IDR 15,000 - IDR 40,000 with a journey time of about 30 minutes. After arriving at Gilimanuk Port, you must use a public bus to Padang Bai with a ticket price of IDR 50,000 with the departure schedule starting at 02:00 WITA. Relay from Padang Bai to the Lombok Sheet Harbor using a ferry crossing with a ticket price of IDR 55,000 per person with a travel time of +/- 4 hours. On the ferry, you can see a beautiful panoramic view of the sea, visible from several islands that welcome you in the morning. Arriving at the Lombok port, the relay again uses a bus to Mataram city at a cost of IDR 35,000.

Going to Mount Rinjani

When heading to Rinjani, you have to take a long journey again. There are two alternative roads that you use, namely through Sembalun or Via Senaru. This trip is from Mandalika Terminal. We recommend that you take a taxi or charter a car to get to Sembalun as a base camp before arriving at Rinjani at a rate of IDR450,000, which takes about 3 hours. If you are still keukeh using public buses you can also have to relay, use public transportation from Labuhan Lombok to Aikmel for IDR 20,000 then continue with a pick-up car to Sembalun Lawang for IDR 20,000 with a travel time of about 4 hours.

Cost breakdown:
Jakarta Surabaya: IDR 150,000
Surabaya-Banyuwangi: IDR60,000
To Gilimanuk Bali Harbor: IDR 40,000
To Padang Bai: IDR 50,000
To the Lombok Harbor Sheet: IDR 55,000
To Mataram City: IDR 50,000
Travel to Sembalun Base Camp: IDR450,000

2. Jakarta Night Bus to Lombok.

From Jakarta, there are already night buses that carry passengers to Lombok. You don't need to be busy traveling because you will get to Lombok or the Mandalika Lombok Terminal for the relay to Sembalun. You can follow the information relay at point one [Towards Mount Rinjani].

3. Using Aircraft.

Maybe this method is very popular to use considering the problem of time and practicality to get to Lombok Airport. This route can be from other cities such as Makassar, Surabaya with the transit method but the final destination is Lombok. Once you arrive at Lombok Airport you can use a taxi or chartered car to get to Sembalun at a cost of IDR 550,000 - IDR 700,000 with a trip of +/- 2-3 hours. But you must be able to bargain this price until you get the minimum price. There are even other fellow travelers who can get a price of IDR550,000. But if you want the relay to go to the base camp, here is the explanation.

1. If you want to use a taxi at the airport or a chartered car to Kopang Central Lombok, it can also cost IDR 150,000 - IDR 170,000, after that the relay using a public bus to Labuhan Lombok has to get off at Aikmel for IDR 10,000 and the relay again use a pickup to get to Sembalun Lawang at a cost of IDR 20,000. This trip totaled 4 hours.
2. You take a Damri bus bound for Mandalika Terminal which costs IDR 25,000. Then continue using a public bus bound for Aikmel which costs IDR 20,000. The relay again uses a pick-up car to Sembalun Lawang IDR 20,000. The total journey time is approximately 5 hours.

Accommodation around Mount Rinjani

Pondok Senaru Cottage , this place is having a lovely little cottage with terracotta roof, and some rooms are equipped with TV, 4 poster bed and hot water. The restaurant, with tables perched on the edge of a valley of rice fields, is a lovely place for a bite.

Pondok Senaru Cottage , is the only hotel in the area with hot water facilities, Pondok Senaru is located on the best view to the Senaru valley with an overview of the waterfalls Sendang Gile. It's setting is in a lovely part of the village of Senaru, right beside the gate when you walk to Sendang Gile waterfall, it has a nice view of Mount Rinjani in the morning, nice garden, comfortable bungalows and breakfast.

Pondok Senaru is the best choice and excellent base camp before or after trekking to Mount Rinjani Lombok, because they have hot water, serve delicious food in their restaurant.

Pondok Senaru Cottage is the only hotel in the area with hot water facilities.
Pondok Senaru is located in the best view of the Senaru valley with an overview of the Sendang Gile waterfall. Just next to Sendang gile waterfall gate, from their restaurant you can see the waterfall and Mount Rinjani. Its only a short walk to most of the and famous Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep Waterfalls with scenic views of Senaru