Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Senaru and Sembalun Lawang are by far the most common trailheads, but hardcore hikers
can also take a route up the southwestern flank
from
Benang Stokel
,
the site of two well-
known waterfalls about 28km northeast of Mataram. This trail takes you up to the crater rim,
via dense forest (6hr), and then down a very steep path to the southern side of the lake (3hr),
and is likely to be a lot quieter than the main routes. The return route is the same, unless you
want to tackle the summit, in which case you need to arrange to get paddled across the lake
to the Sembalun side.
Batu Koq and Senaru
The small, contiguous villages of
BATU KOQ
and
SENARU
, south of Bayan (about 86km
from Mataram), are the main centre for Rinjani treks, full of guesthouses and trekking organ-
izers. With cool temperatures and fine views of the mountain, they're also a pleasant destin-
ation in their own right.
Other than Rinjani itself, Senaru's main attractions are its waterfalls. The impressive 25m-
high
Sindang Gile falls
(Rp100,000 for up to four people including guide and Tiu Kelep
falls) is reached via a twenty-minute hike along a path that begins just south of
Pondok Sen-
aru
bungalows. Another hour's challenging uphill slog gets you to
Tiu Kelep
falls, where the
water pours down in a double horseshoe. You should probably take a dip here; local belief
is that you become a year younger every time you swim behind the falls. Longer local treks
such as the
Senaru Panorama Walk
(3hr; Rp150,000/person) take in the falls and are guided
by women from the village; you'll probably get the best price if you arrange them through
the Rinjani Trek Centre (see
Trekking information
).
Within a fenced compound a few metres from the Rinjani trailhead, at the end of the road
and almost next door to the Rinjani Trek Centre, is Senaru's original
Sasak village
(entry by
donation), whose residents still live in simple, traditional houses of bamboo and thatch, sim-
ilar in design to those at Segenter. A villager will show you around.
