Sheraton and Novotel
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What a discovery! A place
where romance and adventure compellingly weave their magic. Where time and
tradition hold you captive as a willing hostage.
That unique and fascinating
place is the
When our family had the
opportunity to discover
According to a tradition in
Lombok, a man who loves a woman and wants to marry her must kidnap her in the
middle of the night and carry her away, being prepared to fight off any
resistance. He will pay a large sum to the family for the privilege of her hand
in marriage, and the more he has to give the more beautiful and graceful his
bride will be.
By just being in this
place, being surrounded by the mystery and mythology., my family and I had the
chance to become a part of the adventure, and my husband and I were inspired to
renew our own intimacies.
The Sheraton Hotel at Senggigi and the Novotel Lombok have both made the
most of their contrasting environments, highlighting the natural beauty of each
of these areas, and we were able to make the most of their creative features.
The Sheraton Hotel at
Senggigi, on the island's north-east, is nestled into the base of a lush
tropical valley, and the property winds its way around the trees and along the
length of the coast. When we entered the lobby, we immediately felt that we were
welcome guests in someone’s lounge room, and this set the tone for our stay.
The General Manager, Shane Cunning, spends so much time meeting guests and
chatting with them, roaming the property checking every detail, that we started
to perceive that the rooms and gardens were all part of a vast personally cared
for estate.
The recent refurbishment of
the hotel is designed to help you feel relaxed and comfortable, and that is
exactly how our bodies responded when we stepped into our room and wandered through
the lush expanse of gardens. We each heaved a huge sigh of relief and melted
into the closest lounge chair. In fact, it was very difficult to choose between
the cosy room chairs, deck chairs, hammocks and pool chairs. Added to that was
good food and a range of entertainment options
(including anything from satellite TV... to dramatic cultural shows on a
water stage with volcanoes alighting the four corners ... to butler accompanied
picnics), and we were all set for a comfortable stay.
Everyone will be happily
catered for with the completion of the latest additions - a children’s activity
centre right on the beach, a massage bale with full ocean views, and upgraded
spa facilities. Already the extensive
pool has nooks and crannies which can happily accommodate the needs of all
types of guests. Our kids happily frolicked in the children’s pool with the
resident stone crocodiles which were creeping out of the water onto rocks and
lazily sunning themselves at the pool’s edge. We all enjoyed the novel water
slide - shooting down through the head of a gargantuum stone and emerging
through the mouth, and we noticed many couples tucked away in some of the more
intimate corners of the pool.
When we were finally able
to pull our bodies out of the lounge chairs and drag ourselves away from the
hotel’s comfort zone, it was possible for us to keep more than happily occupied
with what was available nearby. We explored the valley a little, walking past
some friendly villagers along the side of the bamboo lined river bed. We then
took a horse and cart into Senggigi town, where we found a range of restaurants
and shops - just enough to allow you to pick and choose some good food or great
household and personal souvenirs, but not so much that the choice was overwhelming. It’s also possible to take a boat trip out to
the Gili islands for some fabulous snorkelling and diving ... something for
next time.
A casual chat to some
guests who’d returned to the Sheraton twice in six months after making the
great discovery said it all, “We just don’t want to leave here. They’re going
to have to drag us away.” Our sentiments exactly.
Though it was difficult to
leave the Sheraton, we were looking forward to our stay at the Novotel,
part two of our wonderful holiday. Making the journey south we felt as though
we were making the transformation into
the wilder side of Lombok. The Novotel Lombok, in the rugged Mandalika area,
captures the spirit and beauty of this earthy paradise perfectly.
When we actually arrived at
the Novotel, we knew we were in the opening phases of an exotic adventure. It’s
almost like being on safari. Only in a place such as this is it possible to
feel really “away from it all”, and yet have your every wish and desire so
carefully catered for.
The day started with
breakfast in one of the restaurants which edges it’s way along the sand. The
beach bar and restaurants, which actually extend onto the coral sands and are
within reach of the azure seas, are distinctly Mediterranean. Some quiet classical music, a choice of tasty
foods, the full beach vista to the ocean - a superb way to start the day.
From there, the choice was
as wide as our imagination. Time in the pool was, of course, compulsory. The
kids and I began with some energetic water aerobics, and then we relaxed on a
spa platform in one corner of the central pool. I then had time to read and
rest while the children occupied themselves by splashing under the spouting
bird fountains and wading in and out of the graduated children’s pool.
The children’s Gecko Club,
which was very well organised and had stacks of activities for children of all
ages, was an ideal place for our children to holiday while we indulged in a
generous massage. Rising the steps to the gym and spa pavilion was like rising
to an ancient Aztec temple, although few temples would have such spectacular
panoramic views through 280 degrees of glass walls. At the top we quite happily
sacrificed ourselves to our capable masseurs.
We were unable to sample
all of the organised activities on offer, but I did leave the children in our
room with their father one afternoon so that I could join a bike riding group
to a coastal peak. We viewed the reefs and craggy outcrops of a long stretch of
coastline and saw inland through to Rinjani volcano, stopped at the stunningly
beautiful Tanjungaan beach, and drank the juice from young coconuts and scooped
out the flesh before returning to the hotel. A perfect way to explore the area.
Self-drive four wheel drive tours are another option for those who would like
to venture further afield.
In the evening, caring
babysitters watched our children in our room while we wined and dined the night
away. Any of the dinner options are equally enticing. One night we enjoyed good
food and wine at the hotel’s main open-air restaurant. We felt as though we
could reach out and touch the black velvet sky as we ate, and we were equally
taken by the feature swimming pool, whose waters spilled over the edges to form
a permanent cascading waterfall, a liquid wall. This is a pool you climb up to
rather than descending down into it, so the evening bathers were virtually
swimming with the stars. Another night we watched the lights of hundreds of
fishermen dancing across the water while we dined on the sand and under the
stars. A simple stage was created where the sand was smoothed over, the
colourful dancers lit by flickering torch flames, the gentle rhythm of the
gamelan accompanied by the lapping of the waves nearby. There is not a more
romantic dinner setting on earth, and we were entranced by the hypnotic effect.
The classic comment about
their stay in the Novotel Lombok from another satisfied couple was, “We’ve been
absolutely blown away.” Yes, we would have to agree, the impact is significant.
We, too, have had the adventure, have caught the romance.
We now know that our first
trip to Lombok will definitely not be our last - now that we’re in on the
secret as well ... now that we’ve made the discovery for ourselves.
Gaia Grant copyright 1999 www.tirian.com