Three major cities in Lombok – Ampena, Mataram and Cakranegara – have expanded over the years and are now joined together to create what is, to Lombok, an urban sprawl of shops, administrative centers and residential areas.
Visits to the cities to make an interesting day trip, lombok cheap hotels, exploring the small shops that sell everything imaginable at low prices. There are many shops selling pearls in Ampena pearls and pearl jewelry set with a cheaply. This genuine pearls from pearl farms in Lombok and Sumbawa, and if your bid price, is a good deal. Gold shops are also popular in Ampenan and Chakra, with 24 kt gold sold by the gram, regardless of the design.
For cheap and interesting food choices, explore the many restaurants, shops and food stalls in the cities. Or just roam the streets to soak up the atmosphere and insight to find city life attractive to Lombok!
Ampenan is a genuine old port in Lombok during the Dutch colonial period and some of the old architecture still visible around town, especially on the coast to the west. This area is a night market, filled with stalls and street vendors (food carts) to taste cheap, delicious and local Lombok foods. With its variety of shops, lombok cheap hotels, dusty roads and many cidomo (wagon house), gold and pearl shops, and the Arab quarter, Ampenan is a colorful city to explore.
Roek Gardens, just near the traffic lights at Ampenan on the road from the airport, is the site of the local market. Every day trader who set up stalls selling fresh fish in the afternoon when the fishing boats entered. A walk through the market is spicy and enlightening experience!
Mataram, about 3 km to the east Ampenan, is the administrative center for Lombok and Sumbawa (NTB), with government offices, lombok cheap hotels, banks, mosques, schools and colleges, book stores, major post office, fabric store lombok and downtown Mataram University.
In Mataram, The Nusa Tenggara Barat Museum houses artifacts of history and culture of Lombok and Sumbawa. This is an interesting place to visit and occasionally hosts special exhibitions. Displays include exhibits of geology, history and culture. Address: Jl. Panji Tilar. There is a small entrance fee. Also visited is the cultural center, the Cultural Park on Jl. Majapahit. Music and dance performances presented here on a regular basis.
Mataram Mall, on the main road in Mataram, has a trial of food for local Lombok food is cheap. Only a real mall Lombok, there are four floors of shops and stalls selling a large selection of goods. Supermarket, on the ground floor, is useful for some western goods, food and toiletries. Lombok restaurant have outlets on the ground floor.
Cakranegara (usually abbreviated as “Cakra”) is the main shopping area of Lombok. It is also home to many Chinese and Bali, which make up more than 50 percent of urban dwellers. Streets of the city makes an interesting tour to lombok cheap hotels, the gold shops, sporting goods, clothing stores, Lombok food and fabric store lombok that sell very well imported silks, laces and cotton, to name a few. Many industrial weaving and basket making Lombok is located near the Cakra; turn left at traffic lights and look for the market center on the right near the bridge. Basket especially for sale in Bali at many times the local price.