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.
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.
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.
