Advice on Kuta, Lombok

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum and just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful information about Lombok.

My boyfriend and I are planning on travelling to Lombok in July and are looking at staying for at least two months. He is a very keen surfer and is looking forward to catching some waves. I'm interested in doing some fishing, relaxing, exploring and immersing myself in the Indonesian culture. I would also like to learn yoga and meditation. At the moment I think Kuta is a great place to start our journey. I'm keen on staying at Mimpi Manis for the first few weeks. What's the best way to check availability? Do you think this homestay would suit our requirements? I would also like to pick up a bit of part time work (waitressing, cleaning etc) is this possible in Kuta?

Thanks again.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I think Mimpi Manis would do you just fine. I'll let Gemma expand on that as she is the owner. Sounds like alot of fun. I am a surfer as well. Don't live there yet but have spent some time. Good waves to be had especially if you're willing to surf when it's bigger. Tends to be less crowded. Sorry, but waitressing/working probable isn't going to happen. If you really want to work for the sake of working, then teaching english is always in demand. It would probable be on a charity basis though. If it's money you're concerned with, make it before you go. Have fun and good luck.

Thanks for considering Mimpi Manis - the best way to check availability is to drop me an email when you know your dates gemma@mimpimanis.com

Kuta is the place to be for your partner for the surfing. There is also great fishing around as you can see in the photos on the Mimpi Manis Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Lombok-Indonesia/Mimpi-Manis-Homestay-Kuta-Lombok/11221471913?ref=ts

I am not aware of anywhere that you can do organised yoga in Kuta. Not yet anyway. A friend of mine has plans to start something up in the future.

As Tom said working is not going to be possible. You can not work on your tourist visa and with no other tourists working in the area you would stand out like a sore thumb, even if you could get someone to take you on - which I doubt you would want anyway if you knew the rates for work in Indoensia.

Great - thanks for your replies, Tom and Gemma.
I'd love to do some voluntry work teaching english at a local school, is this easy to do in Kuta? Would I need to organise it before I leave Australia?
Gemma, will firm up some dates and get back to you re: accommodation.
Thanks again

sorry, one more question, how long are you allowed to stay in the country on a travel (temporary stay) visa?
thanks

from the information i've found on the net - is it three months on a tourist visa and one year on a temporary stay visa?

You receive a 30 day VOA Visa on Arrival.

You can before you travel get a 60 day tourist visa from the Indonesian embassy closest to you.

That 60 day visa can be extended on a month by month basis to a maximum stay of 6 months. There is a lot of debate on the net as to whether this is strictly legal. It seems there hasnt been any change to the visas, just a slackening of the rules to allow this to be extended. I know several people who have done it, all using a visa agency.

You can allso get a social visa before you travel but for this you need a sponsor in Indonesia. This is again issued for 60 days and can be extended month by month to a total stay of 6 months.

I would think you would be welcome to sit in and teach some english at a school. My wife's friend teaches in Praya, a larger town a40 minutes or so from Kuta. An Aussie couple we were friends with visited fhere for a day and it sounded like it was a big hit. As far as organizing ahead of time, that may not be the best way to go. Organization doesn't appear to me to be highly regarded. I can get an email for the teacher in Praya if you're interested. But 40 minutes is a pretty long ride to go teach for free. The elementary school in Kuta may suit you better. Maybe just show up and talk to the teacher? Could be fun and interesting.

As others have said it is not possible for you to do any paid work in Indonesia. Please understand that there is very high unemployment and wide-spread poverty in Indonesia so they are very protective of any work that is available. Cleaning and waitressing jobs must be for locals only. Also, just to give you an idea, a cleaner working full time (6 days per week) would earn perhaps 300,000 to 600,000 per month - that is $30 to $60 for a whole month's work.

You also need to be a bit cautious doing voluntary work on a tourist visa. Probably a casual visit to a local school would be ok, but something more organised may see you in breach of your visa conditions. Not saying don't do it, but be a bit careful.

I'm not sure how you would go finding a teacher who speaks English at the local primary school in Kuta. There may be an English teacher, but they might not actually be able to speak much English. Also, they are unlikely to have much in the way of materials, so if you are serious about doing some English teaching, it would likely be very well received if you bring some for them.

Kuta is still quite an isolated place, not much opportunity for internet (dont think there is any wireless yet), just a couple of very slow cafes and a more expensive opportunity at the Novatel. Bring some good books! Enjoy a bit of beach bumming for a couple of months. You will be soooo chilled out after 2 months in Kuta!

thanks for your replies, the information has been quite useful. money is not a concern, I just thought about working as a way of getting involved. I really want to put my time over there to good use, I'm really looking forward to relaxing, but I think after a month on the beach, i'll be restless. I'm currently researching information about teaching english in indonesia and looking into putting together some materials. Can anyone tell me how big the school is in Kuta? The dates (roughly) I'm looking at are from the end of July through to the end of September. Does the school close for holidays during this time? thanks again

Tom, thanks for your post, would you be able to send me the email address for your contact at the school in Praya? thank you

Oganising something in advance might be difficult. Dont lose heart if it proves to be so.

One time in Lombok I took some of those coloured pencils that you use with water to get a water colour effect and some art paper. I sat on the beach and started drawing and within 20 mins was surrounded by fascinated kids. I invited them to have a go. This went on over a few days, they brought their friends and i had a bit of a crowd and I made some great connections. I also gave them some informal English lessons. I did not give them money (and I was asked because they have been taught by other tourists to ask for money), but I did give them fresh fruit from the market, which they loved.

The point is, you can find lots of ways to get involved. The people are really friendly and if you are available and interested, so are they. I'm sure you will find ways to occupy your days if you want to.

Taken at one of the informal english classes I used to hold for the children around Mimpi Manis.

Great photo Gemma, probably started with 2 kids and exploded to 20!

One other thing OP, try and learn a bit of Indonesian before you go. There are lots of resources on the net. The very small children may not understand Indonesian, but the older ones will. It really helps.

In case you are not aware (and forgive me if you already know this, many don't). Indonesian is not the first language used by most Indonesians. It is a language learned at school and is used by Indonesians to converse with other Indonesians who are not from their area. In Lombok, the local people speak several dialects of Sasak, and completely different language to Indonesian with very few shared words (mainly just the words that didn't used to exist, like "komputer"). Indonesian is used on TV, radio, newspapers, and in government offices and large stores. Schools teach classes in Indonesian (once the kids have learned it).

More like started with 20 and exploded to 50! I had kids walking in from a few km away and arriving hours before hand.

There is an elementary school in Sengkol very close to my wife's home. That is only 15 or 20 minutes from Kuta. I can tell you how to find my wife's home and they can take you to the school. they know everybody there and sell snacks there before school. One of the teachers lives next door to them and is family. Her friend in Praya school doesn't have email. My wife's family is cool and always keen on you Aussie's stopping by. Tom