Magic South Lombok
The central inland part of South Lombok is generally low-lying with undulating hills and is commonly utilised for rice paddies and growing tobacco leaf. Toward the southern coast it is dryer and more denuded with some undulating hilly areas of between 100-355 m above sea level.
This part of the island remains essentially agrarian in activity. The central south is more fertile and productive and the southern coastal areas are less fertile due to lower rainfall, land clearing and soil degradation. Toward the south west coast it becomes a little less dry and a little more fertile than the south central coastal margins. Mount Rinjani supplies a rainfall catchment area to the north of the region and several rivers flow into central Lombok from the mountains southern slopes. Villages on the lower slopes of Rinjani support activities such as traditional weaving, pottery and handicraft production. The sea off Lombok’s southern coastline supports a small local fishing industry, a fish market, a pearling industry and seaweed harvesting.
The south of the island is not heavily populated and many areas are quite remote and can be quite difficult to get to. The southern areas of Lombok are becoming increasingly popular with international visitors and the surf beaches of the southern coastline are popular with more intrepid international surfers as well as a growing number of local people on Lombok.
