Mataram is the capital city of Lombok. The city is made up of four towns – Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara and Sweta which have grown to the point where it’s difficult to tell where one stops and the other starts but each has it’s own unique personality and characteristics. Ampenan is the historic port town once ruled by the Dutch and as well as featuring many buildings from the colonial era, is home to the State Museum of West Nusa Tenggara, which gives a good overview of Lombok culture. Cakranegara is where locals come to shop for everything from electrical goods and homewares to to fashion and food. It is also home to Lombok’s largest temple, Pura Meru. Sweta, is the main transport hub for the whole island and a great place to find locally made handicrafts – the Sweta market is considered one of the best and most authentic. Mataram City is the administrative centre for Nusa Tenggara Barat, a province that covers Lombok, Sumbawa and the surrounding islands.
As a centre of government administration, Mataram has many large, impressive public buildings and substantial houses. The main square or “alun-alun” is a popular meeting place and is used for art exhibitions, theatre, dance, and wayang kulit (puppet theatre) performances. In other parts of Mataram, there are a variety of old-style markets and neighborhoods featuring traditional handicrafts such as pottery, basket-weaving and “songket”, hand made sarongs threaded with gold and silver.
Although most tourists to Lombok head straight to the island’s many beautiful beach locations, Mataram nevertheless has a number of interesting and historic attractions which are outlined in the other sections of this blog and is also home to some of the tastiest food you will try in Indonesia. Moreover, it offers a unique insight into an Indonesian city quite unfazed by the march of progress and the rush to overdevelop natural assets and is a great base from which to explore the island and discover its many and varied attractions.