This time we decided not to go directly to the island, but on our first night in Mataram, the capital of the province of West Nusa Tenggara.
There are three major tribes in Mataram. The Balinese Hindus have some of the magnificent temples of the island inherited the majority Sasak people weaving heritage present in traditional houses of the island and intricate ikat, while Dou Mbojo people from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara responsible for spicy dishes of the island.
We have several cultural trips made before, like visiting Sade, the traditional Sasak village, or Narmada garden, which was built in 1727 by the Hindu Mataram king, and this time we are curious as to what else Lombok has to offer.
The hotel guest relations officer at Santika Mataram suggested that we go to the pearl farm in the northwest coast of Lombok, just a few kilometers away from Bangsal, the port of departure to the Gili Islands.
It was then decided that we would visit Sekarbela village, where pearls are sold at very competitive prices, that afternoon and visit the farm the next day on the way to Gili Trawangan.
The village is located in Mataram, not far from the main hotel. There are numerous pearl shops along the main road, but our driver pointed us to a named Mutiara Lombok, situated in a narrow road.
The village used to be the center for gold and silver jewelery trade, but since the boom in pearl culture, it has begun to shift to pearls as its main raw material.
"South Sea pearls are some of the rarest and most valued pearls in the world. They are mainly characterized by their large size and are generally the largest cultured pearls on the market." Said Pak Haji, the shop owner.
He added that these pearls were very popular among Russian tourists, she describes as his "number one customer. "
According to Pak Haji, most foreign tourists are more interested in buying individual pearls instead of those already in the form of jewelry, while the locals are more in necklaces and earrings.
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