This Saturday, direction Indonesia. Sanitary situation linked to the coronavirus obliges, the archipelago is inaccessible to tourists for the moment. But that does not prevent us from dreaming and projecting ourselves. Beaches of fine sand, lush jungles and volcanic landscape, it is a dream destination for lovers of discovery. However, with its 17,000 islands, difficult to navigate. Don't panic, Jean Bernard Carillet, columnist for the program Et si on partait? , on Europe 1, and author for Lonely Planet , is there to guide you. It is in Lombok, a small island east of Bali, that he offers to take you. With his tips and tricks, our columnist concocts a tailor-made itinerary for you to discover this colorful island.
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Authentic white sand beaches
"Today, it is not in Bali that I want to take you but in Lombok. It is a wilder, more intimate, more authentic island than Bali. Its white sand beaches are the asset of this island, knowing that in Bali, there are only black sand beaches.
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When I got to the airport, I found a postcard beach in Lombok. I rented a scooter and went around the island. It was in the south of the island. It is called Mawun Beach. Turquoise waters, little current ... It is just sublime. There is no parasol, only small thatched huts. And you can buy your coconut and drink your coconut water quietly, feet in the sand. It is a taste of paradise.
Hiking and diving for athletes
Lombok is also its volcanoes. If you want to hike, I recommend you climb the Rijani, a vocal to 3,700 meters above sea level. I myself undertook this climb with a guide. It is necessary to plan at least two days, two nights, it is a little physically engaged but one can be satisfied with going to 2,600 meters of altitude on the edge of the crater. In this crater, there is a magnificent turquoise lake. You spend the night in a bivouac in this simply idyllic place, with the sound of the jungle. And in the morning, we wake up with this warm light that illuminates this landscape worthy of Avatar.
It is also possible to go diving because right next to Lombok, there are the Gili Islands. It is a diving paradise. I liked these sites because there is a diving spot which was created by the sculptor Jason Taylor. He made an underwater sculpture called The Nest. At the bottom of the water, there are therefore 48 neutral concrete sculptures and casts which represent entwined couples. All this at four meters deep. We swim, thus, in the midst of fish and sculptures. It's completely exotic.
How to get there ?
We're flying to Bali. From there there is a domestic flight to Lombok. Once there, I recommend hiring a scooter. It’s the most convenient way to get around the island. "