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Lombok has always been a peaceful island. The Sasak people are fun loving. They are simple folk and enjoy a good prank.

Their playfulness is nurtured by the beauty of their island which is very special because it is the first of the tropical isles across the Wallace Line and mixes tropical foliage with the beginnings of the huge world of the eucalypt.

It is perhaps difficult for a citizen of a European country to envisage a country as big as Indonesia. While it stretches across an area as wide as the United states it straddles the equator. Its land is simply islands, about 17,000 in all.

When you read in the news about the troubles in Aceh or Ambon the reader who is not familiar with the size of the country might think of these places as being close together and close to other parts of Indonesia which are not mentioned in the report but are known to the reader. In fact, to fly from Aceh to Ambon by domestic airliner would take more than five hours.

The vast nature of the Indonesian archipelago is such that local skirmishes, however serious they are in the locality , rarely effect other areas. They remain local business, even when they escalate to national and international news stories. That is the macrocosm.

Mataram is a large city located on the Central Western side of Lombok island. It has grown out of the joining of three centres, Ampenan - the port, Mataram and Cakranegara. These three have fused into a metropolis which now houses the State legislature.     Pictured: A stone model of a Sasak compound.

It is possible to travel to Lombok by fast boat from Bali and go directly from the port to the Kuta area in the south or the Tanjung area in the North West . Both these areas offer superb tourist facilities.

This route also gives access to the well known and popular Gilli islands which were also unaffected by the short-lived political unrest. The gilli's are famous as the setting for the Hollywood movie production of South Pacific in the 50's.

To the intending visitor we can say that peace reigns in Lombok.

Senggigi which is the most highly developed tourism area is open for business and smilingly awaiting your call. All services are available. It is just necessary to get your booking to the place of your choice and it is probably best to do it on a personal basis if possible, as the "specials" are worth having.

The tourism infrastructure of Lombok is relatively new. The first property development there for tourism began in the early 80's but most of the resorts were built recently. Architecturally they are as interesting as anything to be found in other parts of Indonesia and the service is first class, as is usual in Indonesian hotels.

The opportunity exists for a brilliant holiday at a brilliant price - stay tuned for more.

Douglas Myers
Editor-in chief