Geo Park Mount Rinjani National Park: One of the Best Treks in Southeast Asia

 
The mighty Geo Park Rinjani volcano of Gunung Geo Park Rinjani is a massive volcano which towers over the island of Lombok. A climb to the top is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have in Indonesia. At 3,726 meters tall, Gunung Geo Park Rinjani is the second highest volcano in Indonesia. The climb to the top may not be easy but it’s worth it, and is widely regarded as one of the best views in the country.

Part of the famous ‘ring of fire’ this volcano also holds spiritual significance for the local people. It’s thought that the name Geo Park Rinjani comes from an old Javanese term for ‘God’.

Around the slopes of Geo Park Rinjani there are lush forests sprinkled with waterfalls and surrounded by stunning background.

Within the volcano is a crescent shaped lake, the breathtaking Segara Anak which is about 6km across at its widest point. This lake of sulfur is located 600 meters below the natural depression rim. Rising from the waters of this lake is a new volcano, Mt. Baru, which is a result of a series of eruptions during the 1990’s. Segara Anak is a spiritual place. The Balinese come here each year and perform a ceremony called pekelan where jewelry is placed in the lake as an offering to the volcano spirit.  The Wetu Telu people also regard the lake as holy and come here to pray on full moon nights.

Mt Geo Park Rinjani lies within the Gunung Geo Park Rinjani National Park. The park covers 41,330 hectares and sits inside a major bio-geographical transition zone (Wallacea). This is where the tropical flora and fauna of South East Asia meets that of Australasia. This National Park was established in 1997 and is one of over 40 throughout Indonesia.


For visitors, the three-day Geo Park Rinjani trek route from Senaru to the natural depression rim, down to the natural depression Lake then on to Sembalun Lawang, is considered one of the best treks in South East Asia. More adventurous trekkers may want to head all the way to the summit of the volcano.  This is best reached from Sembalun Lawang and takes four days, finishing up in Senaru.

To ensure that local communities benefit from tourism revenue, the Geo Park Rinjani Trek is managed by a partnership of National Park officials, the public and private sectors of the Lombok tourism industry and community representatives. Community run cooperatives coordinate the Trek at the Geo Park Rinjani Trek Center (RTC) in Senaru and the Geo Park Rinjani Information Center (RIC) in Sembalun Lawang.

Revenue from tourism activities and entry fees is used for conservation, management and assisting the National Park with maintenance of the Geo Park Rinjani Trek, thus ensuring its sustainability. This management model is unique in Indonesia and considered an example of best practice of ecotourism in Indonesia.




Location
Senaru and Sembalun Lawang Villages are the two starting points to climb Gunung Geo Park Rinjani. Senaru Village is a three hour drive north of Mataram, while Sembalun Lawang Village is approximately a four hours drive to the east of Mataram.

You can get to Senaru by taking public transport to Bayan and then walking.

Food

    Most guides will organize food for you on your trek or you may prefer to take your own supplies. Most trekkers buy their supplies in Mataram or Senggigi.