Something quite spectacular is taking place in southeastern Lombok. Officially known as the Central Lombok Regency, a government-backed project intends to radically change the prospects of luxury tourism on Lombok, while maintaining the island’s natural, sustainable beauty.
The stunning southern coastline has so far remained largely untouched, but with some US$3 billion investment in Kuta-Mandalika, the prospect of creating for tourists an alternative to Bali is firmly underway. The Mandalika Project is the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia and is backed by the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).
The project will comprise around 16,000 luxury hotel rooms, spread across various resorts and residences such as Pullman, Paramount, Club Med, Royal Tulip, Grand Mercure and others.