What You Might See On Mount Rinjani Lombok, is a massive volcano which towers over the island of Lombok. A climb to the top is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have in Indonesia. At 3,726 meters tall, Gunung Rinjani is the second highest mountain in Indonesia. The climb to the top may not be easy but it’s worth it, and is widely regarded as one of the best views in the country.
Part of the famous ‘ring of fire’ this mountain also holds spiritual significance for the local people. It’s thought that the name Rinjani comes from an old Javanese term for ‘God’.
Around the slopes of Rinjani there are lush forests sprinkled with waterfalls and surrounded by stunning scenery.
Within the mountain is a crescent shaped lake, the breathtaking Segara Anak which is about 6km across at its widest point. This lake of sulfur is located 600 meters below the crater rim. Rising from the waters of this lake is a new volcano, Mt. Baru, which is a result of a series of eruptions during the 1990’s. Segara Anak is a spiritual place. The Balinese come here each year and perform a ceremony called pekelan where jewelry is placed in the lake as an offering to the mountain spirit. The Wetu Telu people also regard the lake as holy and come here to pray on full moon nights.
Mt Rinjani lies within the Gunung Rinjani National Park. The park covers 41,330 hectares and sits inside a major bio-geographical transition zone (Wallacea). This is where the tropical flora and fauna of South East Asia meets that of Australasia. This National Park was established in 1997 and is one of over 40 throughout Indonesia.
For visitors, the three-day Rinjani trek route from Senaru to the crater rim, down to the Crater Lake then on to Sembalun Lawang, is considered one of the best treks in South East Asia. More adventurous trekkers may want to head all the way to the summit of the volcano. This is best reached from Sembalun Lawang and takes four days, finishing up in Senaru.
To ensure that local communities benefit from tourism revenue, the Rinjani Trek is managed by a partnership of National Park officials, the public and private sectors of the Lombok tourism industry and community representatives. Community run cooperatives coordinate the Trek at the Rinjani Trek Center (RTC) in Senaru and the Rinjani Information Center (RIC) in Sembalun Lawang.
Revenue from tourism activities and entry fees is used for conservation, management and assisting the National Park with maintenance of the Rinjani Trek, thus ensuring its sustainability. This management model is unique in Indonesia and considered an example of best practice of ecotourism in Indonesia.
Over 22 villages surround Mount Rinjani Lombok Island and there are many routes up the mountain, but the main access is from Senaru in the north and Sembalun Lawang to the east.
Gunung Rinjani national park lies within the major transition zone (Wallace) where the flora and fauna of South East Asia make a dramatic transition into that which is typical of Australia. The park has a rich variety of plants and animals, although they can be hard to spot due to the terrain and rainforest cover.
Sometimes seen early in the morning is the rare black Ebony leaf monkey, known locally as lutung. The long-tailed gray macaque of kera is common in Lombok and order males are seen on the crater rim. Rusa deer are forest dwellers and are occasionally seen along the Rinjani trek train.
The smaller barking deer or kijang has an alarm call with a distinct dog-like bark. Look for the disturbed ground where the wild pig or babi hutan has been foraging. Also found in the forest are the leopard cat or bodok alas, palm civet or ujat, and porcupine or landak.
A variety of colorful birds live in the forest of the park. Perhaps the best – know icon of the park is the crested cockatoo that is not found any further west of Lombok. Many of the forest-dwelling animals, insects, birds, civets, and monkeys owe their survival to the wild fig tree or beringin as a provider of food and shelter.
The pine-like casuarinas species, Cemara, are a feature of the grassy higher slopes. Orchids or anggrek are also a feature of the grassland areas, as is edelweiss or Bunga Abadi growing above the tree line, it is a beautiful icon of the park and one of the parks and one of our best-know sub-alvine plants.
The following stories are a selection taken from a booklet for village guides containing a collection of traditional stories that have been related for generations by the people of Dusun Senaru.
Andongan Tambing,
The first place to rest is located where the paths from Senaru and Semokan meet. Andongan Tambing is one of the forest entry gates and the First Camp on the Rinjani Trek. At this point, the trekkers are warned to be careful of the steep slopes.
Half Way Point (Pos II Campsite)
At the second resting place (Camp II) is a stone which is called Batu Penyesalan. This marks the place where the trekkers feel a conflict about whether to continue or to turn back because we still have as far to go to our destination as we have already walked. Usually, it takes about two hours to walk here from Bunut Ngengkang.
Gunung Baru Jari
Gunung Baru is the name of the new volcano which emerged in the center of Segara Anak Lake. People believe that Gunung Baru is the navel of Mt. Rinjani. That is why if Gunung Baru erupted it will not harm the people of Lombok unless the eruption is from the peak of Mt. Rinjani. Some people said that the 1994 Gunung Baru eruption was caused by spirits who were building something because the stones that erupted were arranged in an orderly and attractive way at the foot of Gunung Baru.
Caves
One of the three famous caves (Goa Susu, Goa Payung, dan Goa Manik), Susu Cave is a good place for self-reflection and is often used as a place to meditate. The people with unclean and envious minds will have difficulty entering Susu cave which has a narrow entrance, but people with noble and pure minds will easily enter the cave.
Inside the cave, water drips from the tip of a stone which looks like a nipple, so people say the water in Goa Susu tastes different. Inside Goa Susu is hot and there is a lot of smoke that looks like cooking steam so people call this Mengukus (hothouse) and sometimes people call it Rontgen (X-Ray).
Healing Hot Springs
Aiq Kalak means hot water and it is used to cure various deseases. One of the hot springs is named Pangkereman Jembangan which is meant a place for dipping. The water which spurts out of the spring is very hot. Weapons such as keris, swords, big knives, and lances are dipped in the spring to test their magic power. If the weapon become sticky it means that the weapon is bad and has no magical power. However if the weapon remain unchanged it means that the weapon has supernatural power and the power and the strength will be increased.
People also use the hot spring to make medicine from coconut cream. After dipping a bottle of coconut cream in the hot spring if the liquid becomes clear oily it can be used as medicinal oil. Then the medicinal oil is used for good things and is called Siu Satus Tunggal or in the Bayan language Siu Satunggal which means that it can be used to cure a thousand kinds of diseases.
Mount Rinjani Segara Anak Crater Lake.
Segara Anak Lake is so wide that it appears like the sea with its blue water. The name Segara Anak means child of the sea.
Segara Anak Lake holds various mysteries and invisible power.
People feel content to stay a long time in this place because of the large community of mysterious spirits which live around the lake. The local people believe that if the lake looks wide when seen at a distance it is a sign they will live to old age, or if the lake seems narrow it is a sign of a shortage. So in order not to be pessimistic, people quickly purify themselves by lifting up their spirits and calm soul and looking at the lake contentedly.
In the area of the lake, it is forbidden to have sexual intercourse, complain or say dirty things. We must be patient when facing problems.
Local Strawberry
This plant grows along the route to Mt. Rinjani. It has thorns like the rose and the fruit is red like a strawberry. It has a sweet and slightly sour taste and is good to eat when trekkers are hungry and thirsty.
Eternal Flower or Edelweiss
The plant or the flowers should not be taken because it grows in the park and in the mysterious world of the spirit kingdom. In the past, someone who wanted this flower must be brave enough to fight and gamble his soul. That is why the flower is called Sandar Nyawa. The flower has never wilted and is as old as the mysterious spirits.
Summit Of Mount Rinjani
The people of Lombok believe that the peak of Mt. Rinjani is where Dewi Anjani, the queen spirit and ruler of Mt. Rinjani lives. To the southeast from the peak in a sea of dust called Segara Muncar is the invisible palace of the queen Dewi Anjani and her followers. They are in good spirits. According to a story about Queen Spirit Dewi Anjani, she was the daughter of a King who would not allow her to marry her boyfriend. At a spring called Mandala, she disappeared and changed from the real world to the spirit world.
Senaru Routes
This is by far the most used route as it allows the (relatively) less strenuous trek to the crater rim only. You start at an elevation of 600 m in Senaru village, normally in the late morning or early afternoon and make the 6 hour ascent to the crater rim before dark. First part of the trek is through tropical rainforest. Look and listen out for the lutung, or black monkey, swinging through the trees in the late morning. They are extremely shy, unlike for the common macaques which may gather near rest stops waiting for scraps. The route passes through POSII at 1,500 m, breaches the treeline at 2,000 m (POSIII) and then it is a bit of slog up gravel paths to the camp site just below the crater rim at 2,600 m. There is no clear path at the last section nearing crater rim, at an incline of 45 degrees. There is a POS Extra after POS 3, but it is pretty much gone, and the remaining bits have been chopped up by porters as firewood.
If that has not sapped all of your energy you can then make a very precarious descent down to shores of the crater lake and bath in the hot waters. You need some confidence to do this as it is a steep descent of 600+ m using handrails and ropes.
And then it is back to Senaru the way you came. Local guides claim going down is faster, but speed varies for individuals. Patience is vital for first timers, as it can get frustrating watching porters sail past you with their load balanced on one shoulder, clad in slippers or even walking barefoot. Descent from POS Extra to POS 3 can be slippery when weather is dry, as scree tends to give way under your feet. From POS 3 to POS 2, the descent can take 1.5 to 2 hours, as savannah grasslands fades away, and the humidity and heat from the tropical rainforest begins to set in. Useful tip: request for guides to cut out a wooden trekking pole if you did not bring a trekking pole with you. It will be extremely handy during the descent, especially when legs are aching from the strenuous climb.
There is an option to go on to Plawangan II where you overnight again before making the ascent to the absolute summit. This is not especially recommended from the Senaru side though. If you want to get to the top, the climb to Plawangan II is best made from Sambulan Lawang.
SENARU VILLAGE ROUTE
The village of Senaru, an easy 2.5 hours drive from Mataram or Senggigi, is the main access to the National Park. As a non-trekking destination it is also popular – a cool, flower-filled mountain village stretching along a hillside spur above Bayan. Senaru has a range of accommodation in simple home stays (losmen), and a number of cafes serving delicious local specialties. The Rinjani Trek Centre at the trailhead offers displays, ecotourism activities, and visitor information. Village guides, including several local women, escort visits to the adjacent traditional village, three waterfalls, and a number of Village Walks. Circuits include the one hour Rice Terraces and Waterfall Walk, or discover the highlights of Senaru in a lovely half-day Senaru Panorama Walk.
The cool, flower-filled mountain village of Senaru on the slopes of Mt. Rinjani stretches up a hillside spur along a winding road above Bayan. It is a scenic 2.5 hours drive from Mataram or Senggigi to Senaru. The Desa includes the hamlets of Senaru, Batu Koq and Tumpang Sari, and all offer accommodation in simple but pretty homestays (losmen) with lovely views.
The Rinjani Trekking centre is located at the top of the village at the trailhead. It offers information for visitors on the Mt Rinjani Trek, the National Park, Sasak culture and the range of ecotourism activities available for visitors to Senaru. National Park and village entry fees are paid here, and all porters for trekkers have to be hired from the Senaru Porters Group which is also based in the Rinjani Trek Centre. Village guides, including several local women, have been specially trained to escort visitors around the sights. Arrange a guided excursion through the Rinjani Trek Centre or your losmen.
Senaru Traditional Village
A visit to the Senaru Traditional Village, situated next to the Rinjani Trek Centre where the Rinjani trail begins, is greatly enhanced by asking a local guide to show you around. The Sasak inhabitants are the cultural guardians of Mount Rinjani and its surrounding forest and safeguard its spiritual values. Locally guided visits include opportunities to experience the villagers’ daily life, visit their thatched houses, prepare meals using local produce, and understand their traditional way of life.
Morning waterway walk and sunrise
Leave your losmen early for a one and a half hour escorted walk through the fields, past traditional villages and along the irrigation channel that winds through village fields past crops and houses. Enjoy visiting local homes, seeing early morning activities and learning about farming methods. Witness the sun rising from the sea beneath the spectacular sweeping views of north Lombok from the summit of Mt. Rinjani to the coast.
Evening walk and sunset
Below the Senaru Traditional Village, a one and half hour escorted walk along village trails brings you to the “secret waterfall” or “traditional swimming pool”, the Tumpasan Senaru. Enjoy a refreshing swim or late afternoon laze. On the return trip, visit some local hamlets as the people return from their fields, and enjoy the sunset over Mt. Agung in distant Bali from a vantage point in a local orchard.
Senaru Panorama Walk Tour
Discover all the highlights of Senaru on an easy half-day walk through the scenic landscape of palm-fringed rice terraces, waterways, traditional village and rainforest waterfalls. Follow the irrigation channel that winds through the village fields – the lifeline of the district. Local women will guide you, happy to share their special knowledge of culture, customs and nature. This tour departs every morning from the Rinjani Trek Centre.
Mount Rinjani Hike Sembalun Route
Starting in the morning from the Rinjani Trek Centre in the village, the climb to Plawangan II at 2,638 m will take about 8 hr via POSI (1,300 m), POSII (1,500 m) and POSIII (1,800 m). Starting altitude is1100 m, so there are no humid conditions to deal with. First half or more of the trek is literally a breeze. The trek through savannah grassland is windy and easygoing, with gentle ups and downs, and the only obstacle to look out for are the “cow pats” deposited by the villagers’ cows along the way. Rolling hills and amazing scenery help to ease the tiredness, unlike the enclosed tropical rainforest of Senaru route. From POS 2 to POS 3, the climb is still manageable. The challenge for Sembalun route is from POS 3 to POS Extra, as the uphill gradient can be 50 degrees at times. Young children will find this section challenging as some steps are set quite far apart. Cooler weather up here may give the impression that the body does not need fluids, but do drink more to prevent altitude sickness setting in. Strangely, there is a guy selling cold drinks (Pocari sweat, Coke etc) here at the campsite at exorbitant prices (40000 Rp per drink) for those who crave it. Overnight at the campsite here and go for the summit starting at 3AM the next day. You need to be well rested as this is a stiff task – the final climb is nearly 1,100 m on difficult ground.
Sembalun Lawang is set in an ancient and fertile caldera to the east of Mt. Rinjani, the preferred access route for summiteers. The rich soil produces high quality market garden crops, including the famous garlic and rice, staple of local farmers. Seismic activity is monitored daily at the government Rinjani Volcanology Centre.
The beautiful valley of Sembalun is also known for its hill walks, recently restored traditional village, active cultural performers and local weavers.
Some home stay (losmen) accommodation is available and trek services are based at the Park’s Rinjani Information Centre. Also enquire about the local walks: the Sembalun Lawang Village Walk, to experience the scenic beauty of the village or/and the Sembalun Wildflowers Walk, a two day one night hike to see the wildflowers at Propok in Gunung Rinjani National Park.
Sembalun Area
Sembalun is divided into two villages, namely Sembalun Lawang village and Sembalun Bumbung village which are 2 km apart. The two villages are well known traditional villages have a lot of history about the Sasak people. The area looks like a dry lake, transformed into a fertile land.
Sembalun as a tourism object is already well known inside and outside the country, because from this village climbers begin the hike to the top of Mount Rinjani to enjoy the beautiful sights. At Sembalun Lawang village there is a Beleq village where one can see the artefacts of traditional houses of the local Sembalun people, the grave of Majapahit or Gajah Mada and the traditional Tandang Mendet dance of the local people.
There is a big statue in Lawang of two big ‘onions’ indicating that this area was once one of the biggest producers of onion (bawang bombai) / garlic (bawang putih) / shallot (bawang merah) in Indonesia.
In Lawang is the Rinjani Information Centre. Nearby is the Rinjani Volcanology Centre. To the west, there is a major greenhouse project using soil and hydroponics techniques there, producing vegetables for local and export markets.
Sapit
Just off the way to Sembalun, Sapit is a combination of beautiful sights, agriculture, and mountains. The traditional society in this village ploughs agricultural land and garden with their traditional ways. There is accommodation there with brilliant views across the rice fields to the coast and Sumbawa Island. You can take walks to various interesting places.
Mount Rinjani Hike Torean Route
Info Hiking Mount Rinjani on Torean route
Most of Torean people open corn fields, cultivate cocoa, and raise livestock, especially cows. The Torean hiking trail is not as popular as Senaru and Sembalun, two routes that climbers have always taken to reach the summit of Rinjani. Local people use this route as the entrance to Mount Rinjani National Park. Usually they take the Torean route for treatment by soaking in the natural hot springs found at several points along this route. Those who want to fish in Segara Anak Lake also pass through Torean.
The Torean Trail offers a variety of natural panoramas. Along the path, which is flanked by the ridge walls of Mount Rinjani and Sangkareang, you can see dense forests, cliffs, valleys, rivers, waterfalls, and natural hot springs, including those flowing in caves.
Along this line, from the village of Torean towards the end of Mount Rinjani National Park at this post we find climbing grazing fields, meadows and plantations are forest areas. The slope is 20-45% within the village boundary of Mount Rrinjani National Park towards Torean ± 5.00 Km with a slope of about 10-30%.
Hiking Mount Rinjani Torean Pathway
Trekking to Torean, along this journey from the village to the time Torean Tiu which is a post for climb to the fields, grazing fields, plantations and the production forest area. Slope of 20-45 degrees range with a limit Torean village (Post I) around 5.00 Km to the slope of 10-30 degrees, Flora that can be found namely: Bajur, Klokos Shrimp, Rattan Forest, Ward, Lengsir, Guava, Bunut, Star Fruit Forest, Juwet, ferns, Cucumber, Rajumas, Tapan Dawa. As for fauna that can be found i.e. some species of birds (perkici, Daweuh, Kecial, Drongo). Distance from Postal III Plawangan Torean toward Torean 3.50 km with a slope of 40-30 degrees, along the way we will be in the clamp 2 pieces of the mountain and we also enjoy the flow of the river (crow) White and beautiful Penimbungan waterfall
Beautiful Torean Trekking Route New trekking route is Torean trek route from Torean village 40 minutes from Senaru village West Lombok. Torean trekking route really famous for trekkers who want to direct to The lake in the same days.
The trails flatter then Senaru or from Sembalun route, but the trekking route is more longer then another trekking route. Its take about 9 hours walking in total, from starting point to the lake camping area. The trail is nice and fantastic.
After earthquake 2018 this trekking route the most used route as it allows the (relatively) less strenuous trek to the lake.
We will start at an elevation of 585 m in Torean village in early morning and make the 9-10 hour ascent to the LAKE before dark.
First part of the trek is through tropical rain forest. We will found Lutung or black monkey, swinging through the trees in the late morning. They are extremely shy, unlike for the common macaques which may gather near rest stops waiting for scraps.
The Route passes through PINTU MASUK at 779 m, breaches the tree line at 821m ( POS I ) and then it is a bit of long up paths to the next ( POST 2 ) Birisan nangka At 1.078m and form this point to get in to the next stop we have passes the famous waterfall ( Penimbungan waterfall ) at 1,299m.