Lombok Excursions
Ampenan beach © Jos Dielis
Ampenan
The vast metropolis of Ampenan, Mataram, Caimanegara and Swete,
with a population of around 250,000, comprises four towns, the
boundaries of which are all but indistinguishable to the casual
visitor. While Sweta is the main transport hub and site of the
island's biggest market, Ampenan, the town furthest west, is the
main tourist area and the location of most shops, hotels and
restaurants. Most visitors pass through the area fairly quickly but
there are one or two sights worth seeing nearby, including the
weaving factories in the capital Mataram, whose processes have
remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years, and a weaving
village to the south where traditionally dressed women work on
wooden handlooms. There are a number of shrines and temples open to
visitors, the best are centred around the Mayura Water Palace,
dating from 1744 and used by the royal court during the Balinese
rule of Lombok.
