Lombok Events

All three Lombok religions have their own holidays and festivals, with most of them taking place at the beginning of the rainy season (October to December) or at harvest time (April to May). At these times there are celebrations in villages all over the island, and people dress in their niftiest gear. Wooden horses and lions are carried in processions through the streets, and there's nowhere to escape the sound of the the gamelan.

During Ramadan, (the month changes every year) everyone fasts between sunup and sunset to conform to the fourth pillar of Islam. Partying in Gili Trawangan is curtailed for the duration. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves. Eid al-Adah, another moveable event, is the other big feast of the year, and marks the time when Muslims should make the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Other events include Pura Meru, a Bali Hindu ceremony celebrated on the June full moon at the temple in Cakranegara; Perang Ketupat, a rain festival held in Lingsar in mid-December where celebrants pray and fling sticky rice at each other; and Pujawali, a Bali Hindu celebration honouring the god Batara (who lives on Gunung Rinjani), held in November or December.