Bau Nyale Festival
Perhaps the most famous ritual of Lombok is the Bau Nyale festival which takes place each year on the southern beaches of Central Lombok (Kuta Beach or Selong Belanak Beach) when the moon, wind and tide come together at a particular conjunction and thousands upon thousands of sea - worms (the Nyales or small eels) of many different colors are washed ashore. A local priest, scooping up a handful of worms, 'reads the worms' thereby telling the the community their fortunes for the coming year.

Once the future is told, the the people collect the worms for a special annual feast. And with the feast is a festival where boys and girls meet and there's plenty of music and dancing.

Gendang Beleg Festival
Lombok's answer to marching band, Gendang Beleg performs with big drums, traditional percussion instruments and traditional bamboo flutes. Most villages have a Gendang Beleg troupe and once a year the groups gather for a competition and festival. Check with your hotel concierge to learn when the next Gendang Beleg Festival will be held.

Peraja Sepaer
Peraja Sepaer is a traditional festival celebrating the coming of age for young boys. On this day, boys are hoisted up into a palanquin (a covered box on two long poles and carried by 2-4 men) decorated to resemble a flying tiger or sometimes in the guise of modern vehicle such as a car or airplane and paraded through the village celebrating the boy's circumcision.

Peraja Nyongkolang
Nyongkolang is a traditional procession to celebrate a young couple's wedding day. In this procession, the bride and groom are carried in a palanquin decorated with imaginary flying animals - lions, tigers and the like. From time to time you may see one of these processions when you are out on a tour around Lombok. As well the Nyongkolang procession is occasionally performed for the public - in such cases your hotel concierge will have information for the date and time.

Independence Day
Indonesia's Independence Day, 17 August, is always a day full of festivals all over the nation and Lombok is no exception. Games like pole climbing are very competitive and a lot of fun to watch. As well some villages use the day to hold cultural activities, special dance performances and bazaars. Check with your hotel staff for interesting ideas.

Takbir Parade
Takbir is a praise to God. Muslims will have just completed a month of fasting and therefore will have been successful in surpressing their passions. This is celebrated by this parade.

Bau Nyale
The annual Bau Nyale is a sea worm collecting ceremony that takes place in the evening with a full moon lighting the night sky. It is held early in the year when the moon, tide and winds converge in a particular formation that attracts the worms. The ceremony takes place on the southern beaches of Lombok and is a religious and cultural practice which dates back hundreds of years. The whole community comes together for a large feast and the event is often viewed as a good place for young unmarried men and women to meet.

Senggigi Festival
Visitors can enjoy a week of events during the Senggigi Festival which aims to promote tourism in Lombok. Held at the picturesque Senggigi beach area, events range from cultural demonstrations to traditional crafts and art exhibitions ( On July 2008). There are also plenty of activities specifically for children making this a great day out for families.

Painting Kite Competition
This event is oven for everyone, especially children. it's designed to incurage children to explore they imagination and aspiration through they talent which is paint.

English Speech Competition
The competition is designed to encourage the younger generation to use more English. Especially since West Lombok relies on tourism. The more people who can speech English means more information can be given to tourist.

Stick Fighting Festival
Manhood and heroism is a total criteria are shown into a game called Perisean. The fighter called Pepadu use a stick as a tool to fight and perisae which made of Cow's skin as a shade to protect themselves from getting hurt. Sportive is becoming the main requirement in this game with a referee called "Pekambar" will act as a judge. A simple traditional music will accompanied this game as a spirit lifter. it is usually held during the dry season. This game is also a performance to ask for the rain from the God.

Peresean
Presean is an ancient dance ceremony that recreates the legend of Princess Mandalika who, rather than see two suitors fight to the death in order to win her hand in marriage, chose to take her own life (On July 2008). Armed with rattan sticks, the dancers "attack" each other, defending their opponent's blows with a cowhide shield. As well as its historic associations, the dance also serves to ask God for rain for the imminent planting season with the ancient belief being that the more blood spilled, the more rain would follow.

Lebaran Topat
Topat is an important cultural event for Lombok's Moslems. Held on the seventh day after Idul Fitri, family and friends gather to pray together fo happiness and prosperity. Afterwards they celebrate together by eating traditional "Topat", rice wrapped in parcels of plaited coconut leaves and boiled, along with a variety of side dishes. The beach just south of Senggigi is a popular place for picnics and people from all around the island will come to celebrate there.

Mulang Pekelem, Mt Rinjani
Pekelem is a tradition practiced by the many Balinese Hindus living in Lombok since ancient times until now. Every year on the full moon in either October or November, thousands of people will make the pilgrimage to lake Segara Anak, in Mt Rinjani's crater, to throw offerings of gold and other precious symbols into the waters as an expression of gratitude to God and to ask for his blessing. Pilgrims from all over Lombok and Bali will gather at Senaru to make the trek up the mountain for this holy event.

Perang Topat
This ceremony is usually held every year at the time of the sixth full moon in the Sasak calendar (either November or December). Both Balinese Hindus and Sasaks come to Lingsar to pray for good crops, rain and fertility, before engaging in a mock war with each other. The actual "war" involves participants throwing "topat", parcels of rice wrapped in woven coconut leaves and boiled at each other, amid much good fun and frivolity.