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Mataram city Lombok island
Mataram, the administrative capital of the Province
Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB). Public buildings, banks,
post office, general hospitals and shopping malls
are found here. A part of West Nusatengarra (NTB)
province, Mataram is the capital and main city of
Lombok. It includes the port town of Ampenan, the
towns of Mataram and Cakranegara.
Ampenan was the original old port inLombokduring
Dutch colonial times and some of the old
architecture is still visible around the town,
particularly toward the beach to the west. This area
becomes a market at night, filled with warungs and
kaki lima ( food carts ) for cheap, tasty food and
local flavour. With its numerous shops, cheap
hotels, dusty roads and plentiful cidomo ( horse
carts ), gold and pearls shop and its Arab quarter,
Ampenan is a colourful townto explore.
Mataram, about 3 km to the east of Ampenan, Mataram
is the administrative centre for Lombok and Sumbawa
( West Nusa Tenggara province ), with goverment
offices, banks, mosques, schools, colleges,
bookstores, the main post offices and Mataram
University downtown. Mataram mall, on the mainstreet
in Mataram has an upstairs food court for cheap
local meals. Lombok's only real mall, there are four
floors of shops and stalls selling a vast selection
of goods.. Particularly good buys are shoes, jeans,
and copy brand bags and belts.
Cakranegara ( usuaIIy abbreviated to Cakra) is
Lombok's main shopping area. It is also home to many
Chinese and Balinese, who make up over 50 percent of
the city,s population. The streets of the city make
an interesting tour with gold shops, sporting goods,
clothing stores and very good fabric stores selling
imported silks, laces and cottons, to name a few.
Many of Lombok's weaving and basket making
industries are located near Cakra; turn left at the
central traffic lights and look for the market on
the right near the bridge. The baskets in particular
are sold in Bali at many times the local price. The
next large town east of Cakra, Sweta, has a huge
market every day near the Bertais bus teminal, with
all kinds of goods on sale, from foodstuffs to
clothing, exotic birds, handicrafts and more.
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