As was the case in Bali, thousands of foreign and domestic tourists flocked to Lombok to celebrate island-style over the Christmas and New Year period. Many hotels on the island reported full bookings, especially at New Year, and the popular island of Gili Trawangan was packed with partygoers and holidaymakers, as usual.
In the main tourism centre of Senggigi, thousands of people turned out on the streets on New Year’s Eve to dine at the restaurants and bar hop through the parties taking place along the main strip. Traffic was backed up for hours, although there were no problems and the crowds were all quick to wish each other a “Happy New Year!”
Despite the unseasonal hot and sunny days Lombok enjoyed over Christmas, many event organisers were worried that a return to the usual December monsoon rains would spoil the parties, most of which took place outdoors in hotel gardens and along the beaches. As it was, continual rain started the day before and New Year’s Eve was a bit wet, with on and off showers; but not enough rain fell to deter the happy crowds.
Later in the evening, popular nightclubs and bars such as Happy Café, Papaya and Sahara Club were packed with partiers enjoying the music by live bands, while the annual New Year’s Eve party at Marina Café drew huge crowds and had everyone partying until the wee hours of New Year.
One of the biggest parties in town was held on the beachfront at the Senggigi Beach Hotel. Several hundred people joined in the festivities on Senggigi Beach, where the adjacent Santosa Villas and Resort and the Sheraton Senggigi Resort were also hosting large parties. The entire bay was lit up at midnight, with each hotel competing for the best fireworks display.
The Senggigi Beach Hotel set up a fantastic venue, with decorated tables on the soft sand of the beach and a large stage and dance floor specially erected for the night. Lanterns and candles lit up the beachfront, with tented pavilions surrounding the area, each featuring a different type of cuisine to be enjoyed by the guests. BBQ stations served a dazzling selection of fresh seafoods and imported meats, while other stations featured pastas, curries, salads and a huge array of other festive foods.
In the garden adjacent to the Hotel’s flagship Basilico Restaurant and extending out to the beachfront, numerous tented pavilions had been set up in the event of rain and, although the evening started off fine, there were occasional showers, but the party went on regardless. Some guests nonchalantly opened umbrellas and continued to enjoy their meals, while others bundled together to celebrate with new friends under the shelters.
Early in the evening, the regular Senggigi Beach Hotel house band kept guests entertained during their meal with acoustic music, featuring popular songs and Indonesian melodies. There were also special door prizes awarded to lucky guests, who received accommodation packages and airline tickets from Garuda Indonesia.
The highlight of the evening was the performance by one of the most popular local bands in Lombok, “Not Bad Band”. Usually seen playing regularly at Happy Café, Not Bad Band have attracted a crowd of fans locally with their polished vocals and talented guitarists, drums and percussion. Playing a selection of top hits from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, mostly rock and roll and blues, the band had the crowd up and dancing until 2 am.
The Holiday Resort in Mangsit had a party with a difference, starting the New Year with a celebration dedicated to the Earth with an environmentally-aware theme, called “We Are Living On The Same Earth, Save It For The Future Live.”
The celebration started with a cocktail party in the beautiful gardens and on beachfront of the resort, incorporating a special baby turtle release and tree planting ceremony for guests. The young turtles, hatched from eggs rescued from local sellers and raised in the Resort’s own hatchery, were released back into the sea with all the guests’ best wishes for the New Year. Guests also participated in planting new trees in the Resort’s garden, each displaying the guest’s name and country of origin for future visits.
All this was followed by a Gala Dinner, held in the Holiday Resort’s spacious Lobby, with a wide spread of delicious dishes and a lot of fun entertainment lasting until the early hours of 2009. The earth-friendly theme extended to the party in the Lobby, with all natural decorations from the Resort’s nursery and gardens. At midnight, even the New Year “confetti” thrown by guests was not made from paper or plastic, but featured dried flowers and leaves, always keeping in mind the Resort’s commitment to save the environment. It was a totally unique New Year celebration and a great night to remember.
Back out on the main street, the revelers partied on. Crowds spilled onto the streets outside the bars and clubs and cars waited patiently in line for the slow drive home, drivers resigned to the wait and still calling New Year greetings to each other. All and all it was a good start to another peaceful and happy new year on the enchanted island… Lombok!
