T

he Mandalika Resort in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), which is projected to become Indonesia’s new premier destination in addition to the neighboring island of Bali, is due to see the start of several projects this year.

Development director of the state-run Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC), Edwin Darmasetiawan, said the construction of access roads, hotels and resorts in the area’s 1,035 hectares would begin within the next few months.

“We are going to appoint the contractor, who will start working on access roads in April. We also expect several companies to begin construction of their hotels and resorts soon,” Edwin said.

Mandalika, which is located in the southern part of Lombok Island, is a 20-minute drive from Lombok International Airport and 25 minutes from Lembar Harbor in southwest Lombok. It boasts 7.5 kilometers of Indian Ocean beaches that offer diving, snorkeling and fishing sites.

Several firms including MNC Land, Gobel International and France’s Club Mediterranee are committed to developing Mandalika to become a place offering high-end nature- and sports-based tourism.

He said that between them, the firms would be building five five-star hotels and resorts, with each hotel costing around Rp 400 billion (US$41.2 million).

“The construction alone will take around 18 months, meaning the hotels and resorts will be able to commence operations toward the end of 2015 at the earliest,” he said.

He said the investors were planning to build a theme park and golf zone to attract families and golf enthusiasts. MNC was conducting a feasibility study for the theme park, envisaging a Disneyland-like park, Edwin added.

“Mandalika is going to be developed in phases with a view to this area becoming an integrated high-end tourist destination and a MICE [meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions] destination in the future,” he said.

Edwin said the BTDC wanted eventually to establish one of the country’s largest convention centers and an underwater park in Mandalika. The company is currently selecting companies to build the water park, which it is said will have a replica of a sunken ship housing a maritime museum about Mandalika Bay to showcase artefacts and antiques.

It is not only places of entertainment that are planned, however. The resort is due to have a wellness center as well as other facilities, such as retail space and residential and office areas.

The BTDC is optimistic that Mandalika will attract tourists due to the increasing number of direct flights from Indonesia’s major cities to Lombok. Lombok has become increasingly attractive, especially to tourists who find Bali too crowded these days.

— JP/Nurfika Osman