Lombok - Are you in for a boat trip?

The owner of this strange craft, a charming local man, has been operating trips on the river Meningting for around 13 years. The unique craft is called a rakit and can only be described as a type of bamboo gondola. He has two of these gondolas, which he built himself with bamboo from the jungle near Suranadi.

They are amazingly stable, with a low draft which allows the boat to pull right up to the river bank and makes it easy to get on and off. At the rear are comfortable wooden bench seats covered by a thatched roof to protect passengers from the sun, although you are welcome on the bamboo deck as well, while his crew stand at the rear with a long bamboo pole, gently propelling the gondola along the river.

The Meninting River is a long river that winds its way east past Sayang Sayang, while in the west it opens up to form a delta meeting the sea at Meninting. It is fairly wide in places and fortunately, has water all year round.

Sitting on the comfortable seat, passengers have a rare chance to take in the scenery at a leisurely pace. The absence of a motor creates a peaceful stillness, despite the busy roads not far away. The favourite time for a trip is early in the morning when the sun is rising over the mountains in the north and many river creatures come out to swim and drink. The river is home to large numbers of Biawak (a type of Monitor Lizard) which look like smaller cousins to the famed Komodo Dragon. There are also large pythons living in holes along the banks that come out to sun themselves in the morning, before disappearing into the shadows later in the day.

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