Lombok, Indonesia

The crystalline waters of the Lombok Strait separate the island of Lombok from its neighbor Bali. For experienced travelers, Lombok will seem a throwback to Bali's halcyon days - reminiscent, indeed, of that island some 30 years ago, before globalization brought a steady stream of development to its shores. Like its neighbor, Lombok is renowned for its traditional craft villages. Artisans produce the exquisite brocaded cloth called songket, elegant woodcarvings, and superb pottery made from local hillside clays. The island also possesses great natural beauty, from the dramatic rice terraces and plantations of the south to the tropical rain and cloud forests of the north. Lombok is home to Mt. Rinjani, Indonesia's second highest peak, a magnificent volcano soaring over 12,000 feet above sea level.

The Lombok Strait is part of the Wallace Line - a major eco-geographical boundary separating the flora and fauna of East Indonesia and Australia from West Indonesia. Many species found on Lombok, for example, are not found on neighboring Bali, just 20 miles away across the strait.