Mataram is the largest city on Lombok and the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia.

Understand

Mataram is in fact an agglomeration of a number of villages that have grown together. The main ones are Ampenan, the port on the west coast and the site of the airport; Mataram itself, in the center; and Cakranegara, the commercial hub to the east.

Get in

By plane

Mataram's Selaparang Airport (AMI) is in Ampenan, to the western side of town. It's a fairly small but functional facility, with visas on arrival available for international visitors. Most visitors arrange to be picked up by their lodgings, but a metered taxi to Senggigi takes about 15-20 minutes and shouldn't cost much more than Rp 30,000. As of November 2005, domestic departure tax is Rp20,000.

Get around

Horse carts known as cidomo remain a common means of transport here, with the poor beasts clip-clopping their way through congested streets. These days, though, metered taxis are equally common with flag fall Rp3,850 and the meter ticking up a few hundred rupiah for every hundred meters past 2 km.

See

Do

Buy

• Mataram Mall. Lombok's premier shopping mall (don't get too excited), with a Tiara department store, a Hero supermarket plus fast-food favorites including the only McDonalds and KFC on the island.

Eat

• Dua Em, Jalan Transmigrasi, tel. 626-734. Famed for the best ayam taliwang in Lombok.

Drink

Sleep

Get out