Travel
Indonesia
Lombok is an island of new paradise. Quiet, windswept bays sheltered from excessive tourism. Bustling towns without poverty and disease. Local hospitality and service based on providing for a memorable experience. And a volcanic mountain of giant proportions, Rinjani. The beaches of South Lombok west of Kuta are the most beautiful I have ever seen. The lizards all around the island are abundant and welcome everywhere. The nasi goreng and nasi campur and barbeque duck are local specialties. Everything is right in Lombok from the most luxurious Sheraton to the most isolated mountain path.Bali is an island of old paradise. Remnants of its past glory are so abundant that one dares say it's past its prime. Tourism has Cancunized Kuta but excitement there is hard to miss. In Ubud, the cultural heart, the religious festivals, dance, processions, and general way of life speak to the abundance and fertility of Bali. The art, especially that of Walter Smit in the Nekka Museum, is glowingly rich with life. The streets of Tjampuhan and the alleyway leading to Cafe Wayan are well-travelled by foreigners but for oh so good reason.
Zia Zaman
zzaman@dnai.com