Although Bali ranks among the top tourist destinations in the world, the vast Indonesian archipelago has more than one island that should be included on the list.

Four blonde girls wearing colorful bikinis lie down on a stretch of sparkling white sand amid the rumbling sounds of small waves on Kuta Beach one afternoon.

While staring at the limitless expanse of blue sea, the four girls sometimes get up to take sunblock lotion and rub it slowly on their bodies to protect their skin from the burning rays of the sun.

'€œI want to see a sunset,'€ said Jessica, one of the American girls.

The Kuta beach that the girls were enjoying was on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), instead of on Bali.

In the world'€™s largest archipelago, Bali was the only Indonesian island included on a list of the top 30 islands in the world by US-based Conde Nast Traveler magazine in October 2015. It ranked 17th, far behind Palawan Island of the Philippines, which earned first place.

'€œLombok deserves [to be included on the list]. Now it is heading to that way,'€ said NTB Culture and Tourism Agency head Lalu Faozal.

Surrounded by 35 smaller islands, the 4,514-square-kilometer Lombok is flanked by Bali to the west and Sumbawa Island, NTB, to the east.

Like Bali, Lombok provides hospitality, serenity, rich culture and beautiful natural features, said Faozal.

Yearly parade: Two women in traditional costume are paraded along a road in Lombok during the Bau Nyale ceremony, which commemorates the sacrifice of Princess Mandalika.

He said that Kuta was among many breathtaking spots for sunbathing, swimming, surfing, snorkeling and diving on Lombok and its smaller islands, or gili as they are called in the local Sasak language.

Off the northwest coast of Lombok, the Gili Islands comprise three exotic islets: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. They have crystal-clear waters, rich biodiversity, enchanting coral reefs and beautiful sea creatures.

Visitors can reach the Gili islets by using the services provided by one of the 370 travel agencies in NTB.

Komodo Dragon Backpacker Cruise, for example, offers a trip for Rp 2.5 million (US$177) to visit the Gili islets and other tourist attractions for four days by using a boat that is 25 meters in length and 4.5 meters wide, which can accommodate up to 35 people.

Other agencies not only offer trips, but also provide surfing, snorkeling and diving courses.

Faozal advised tourists to climb the 3,726-meter Rinjani Mountain, the highest of the seven mountains on Lombok. It had been proposed to be included in UNESCO'€™s list of world geo-park sites because of the astonishing views it offers and for its lake, crater and waterfall.

'€œ[On the mountaintop] you can find beautiful Lake Segara Anak,'€ he said.

Besides natural tourist attractions, Lombok is also rich with cultural events, such as the annual celebration of Bau Nyale, said Central Lombok Tourism and Culture Agency head Lalu Putria.

He said that local people always celebrated Bau Nyale on the 20th day of the 10th month of Sasak calendar. They go to sea to search for the colorful nyale (sea worms) that they believed to be the reincarnation of Princess Mandalika.

According to the legend, Mandalika was a pretty princess of the Tanjung Bitu Kingdom that existed on Lombok a long time ago. Due to her good behavior, many princes from other kingdoms fell in love with her.

Mandalika thought that if she chose one of the princes, wars would break out because the others would feel jealous and disappointed and they would fight against each other.

She then asked the princes and people to meet her at the Kuta Beach. She stood on a reef, telling them that she chose no one. Afterwards, she threw herself into the sea, he said.

The princes and local people tried to save her, but they found thousands of colorful sea worms floating on the sea instead of the princess'€™ body. They believed that the worms were her reincarnation and they caught them, he said.

'€œShe jumped because she did not want people to become victims due to her choice. She showed us heroic values as she sacrificed herself for the interest of the people,'€ Putria said, adding that the locals consumed nyale because they believed they would make women look ageless and boost the sexual vitality of men.

NTB hosts different festivals to bring in tourists. From August to September, for instance, it hosted the first Lombok Sumbawa Cultural Month to boost tourism on the Lombok and Sumbawa islands by exploring and developing the potential of arts and culture through various exhibitions and cultural events. The Pearl Festival, involving the producers of pearls with international standard quality, marked the peak of the event to popularize Lombok and Sumbawa and to help turn the economic wheels, he said.

Nice fit: Foreigners try on traditional clothes in a shop at Lombok'€™s Kuta Beach.

Faozal was optimistic that in NTB the number of tourists would reach 2 million people this year, up by about 25 percent from last year'€™s 1.6 million. Out of those 1.6 million, 752,306 were from overseas.

Besides the three available airports, hotels and restaurants in the province were ready to welcome the tourists, he said.

The province has 925 hotels, consisting of 50 five-star hotels and 875 jasmine-class hotels. Meanwhile, there are 1,378 restaurants.

Faozal believed that the target of 2 million tourists could be realized because Bali, which was visited by 3.4 million tourists last year, committed to encourage its tourists to visit NTB.

'€œThe beauty of Lombok is complete. It ranges from the tops of the mountains to the bottom of the sea. Our rich culture will also attract tourists,'€ he said.

'€” Photos by A. Kurniawan Ulung