Dive in Sekotong

Diving in Sekotong

Sekotong is a large, sheltered bay in south west Lombok with gorgeous beaches and excellent diving.  There are over 3500 species in the waters around this area, making it one of the most bio diverse regions in the Indo-Pacific.  With all sorts of colourful and interesting hard and soft corals, to amazing creatures such as reef sharks, turtles and cuttlefish, along with the rare macro stuff such as frogfish and the ghost pipefish. 

There are a couple of dive centres in Sekatong, offering great dive packages for courses and daily fun dives to the sites off the coast.  There are some fabulous sites to explore and something for every experience level.  From shallow, coral gardens, perfect for your first discvoery dive, to super fast drift dives, a great thrill for any advanced diver.

The sites 'east of Gili Renggit' and 'west of Gili Renggit' are sloping reefs, full of corals and will interest the marcro photography lover who will enjoy scouring through the corals for the small stuff.  Gili Kura-Kura is a great first dive for beginners where all sorts of fish will pop out to say hello such as many types of wrasse and the pretty Moorish Idol.

Go hunting for nudibranchs on Hadiah Reef or explore the Sunken Island for turtles, reef sharks and schools of barracuda and trevallies.  Advanced divers will enjoy the drift dive Stairs to Medang where mantas have been spotted circling the reef.  Lighthouse is the place for large coral formations and big schools of fish.  Deep divers can head to Batu Gendang and Batu Mandi, a great site to see sharks and Napoleon Wrasses. 

You can spend a good week exploring the diving around Sekotong.  Snorkelling is also lovely so even if you're not a diver, you can still enjoy the underwater world.

(By Kelly Luckman)

Travel to Sekotong

Sekotong bay lies at the southern end of the western coast of Lombok Island, sheltered from the currents of the Lombok straits by the Sekotong Peninsula.

Fast becoming one of Lombok’s top resort destinations, Sekotong offers plenty of variety in accommodation, entertainment and exploration.  There are exclusive hotels, and more affordable Inns along the coast, and getting to Sekotong is an easy drive of about 1.5 hours from the capital, Mataram. 

The new airport at Bandara is closer as the crow flies, being to the south east of Mataram and connected to the capital by a new road.   However there is an inconvenient mountain between Sekotong and the new airport, so the journey is a little longer, taking the new road towards Mataram for a considerable distance, then branching off south to your destination. You may find it more economical to take the Airport Bus into Mataram, and complete your journey from there by taxi – just over 30 kms.

The white sandy beaches are the perfect place to relax, and the crystal clear waters are full of fish just waiting for you to inspect them through your snorkel mask.  There are plenty of opportunities for excursions, either on foot, or by boat along the breathtaking coastline.

About a quarter of the world’s marine life can be found in the waters around Indonesia, and the shelter afforded by Sekotong Bay means that many of them choose to make their home out of the rough and tumble of the straits.

If you want a really special treat, visit Gili Nanggu island, well within reach from Sekotong.  There is limited accommodation on the island – the Gili Nanggu cottages and bungalow – but if it’s a bit of romance you are after, you couldn’t find a better spot.  The hotel is built from coconut wood, to fit in with the rural atmosphere, and offers equipment for hire for snorkeling, canoeing, hammocks for the less energetic, and is the centre for the Gili Nanggu Sea Turtle Conservation Programmme. Getting to the island from Sekotong involves hiring a boat, carrying up to five people, and would cost around $26.

Once you have reached Sekotong, a perfect day out would be to take the 45 minute boat ride from Tawun harbor to Lembar Harbour, and then if you want a spot of Town Time, you are only a 30 minute taxi ride away from the Capital.

(By Angela Webster)