The sights
The summit
The final ridge climbs steeply through volcanic sand and gravel to a small rocky top at 3,726 metres. At dawn the mountain throws a perfect triangular shadow across the sea towards Bali. On a clear morning you can pick out the three Gilis, Mount Agung and Sumbawa’s Tambora.
ℹ️ Reached on guided treks of two days or more, usually from Sembalun. Summit push about 3–4 hours up from the rim camp. Very cold and windy before sunrise.
Segara Anak and Gunung Barujari
The crater lake, “child of the sea”, is six kilometres long and vividly blue-green. From its western shore rises Barujari, a black cone that has erupted several times this century. Porters fish for carp and tilapia in the lake, and pilgrims come to pray and bathe.
ℹ️ About 2,000 m up; reached on three-day treks or as a steep descent from either rim. Hot springs (Aik Kalak) are a short walk from the lakeside camp.
The Senaru crater rim
After six to eight hours of climbing through forest and then open grassland, the trail tops out on the northern rim and the whole caldera appears at once. It is the single best viewpoint on the mountain, with the lake below and the sun setting behind Bali.
ℹ️ About 2,640 m. Reached on one- and two-day treks from Senaru. Allow 6–8 hours up, 4–5 down.
Sembalun valley and Pergasingan hill
Sembalun sits in an old caldera at about 1,150 metres, its floor divided into bright squares of garlic, chilli, potato and strawberry fields. Pergasingan, a grassy hill above the village, gives a sunrise view over the fields to Rinjani’s summit for a fraction of the effort.
ℹ️ Pergasingan: about 1.5–2 hours up on a steep path; a local guide and small fee are usual. Selong hill nearby is a 15–20 minute climb.
Sendang Gile waterfall
The easier of Senaru’s two famous falls: a double-tiered drop pouring over a fern-covered cliff into a shallow pool. A flight of a few hundred concrete steps leads down from the village through forest alive with butterflies and monkeys.
ℹ️ Entry fee paid at the gate in Senaru; a local guide is usually required or strongly pushed. About 15–20 minutes’ walk down. Allow an hour.
Tiu Kelep waterfall
A further half-hour upstream — along an irrigation channel, over a footbridge and across the river on foot — brings you to a wide amphitheatre where the water falls in veils into a pool you can swim in. It is the most beautiful waterfall on Lombok.
ℹ️ Same ticket as Sendang Gile. Wear shoes that can get wet; the river crossing can be knee-deep and is impassable after heavy rain. Allow 2–3 hours for both falls.
Senaru traditional village and Bayan
At the top of Senaru is a fenced compound of thatched bamboo houses still lived in by Sasak families who follow the old ways. A short drive away, the low, thatched Bayan Beleq mosque is thought to be the oldest on Lombok and is the heart of the Wetu Telu tradition, which blends Islam with older beliefs.
ℹ️ Village: donation and a local guide. Bayan Beleq: usually viewed from outside; dress modestly. Allow an hour for both.
