Senaru

One great sleeping giant dominates the scene in Senaru: the smoke-spluttering, jungle-dashed peak of Mount Rinjani. 3,726 meters tall and reigning as the second-highest volcano in all of Indonesia, it’s also the reason so many people flock to this remote mountain town on the north side of Lombok. Multi-day treks to the summit are often organized with the help from Senaru tour guides, leaving via the trails through Sembalun Lawang to the east.

Senaru is a stunning place to explore even if you aren't planning on making the full ascent to the tip of Rinjani. Sticking to the surrounding jungles means delving into a Shangri-La of misty waterfalls – check out Tiu Kelep and the Air Terjun Sindang Gila – and cloud-gathering ridges. What's more, there are wild monkeys and all sorts of fauna to wonder at along the way.

The village itself is strung along a forested ridge beneath the outline of the Rinjani crater. It's peppered with earthy homestays and backpacker bars, has traditional warungs with traditional Indonesian foods (try the gado gado) and lots of viewpoints that cast their gaze from rich paddy fields down to the Bali Sea and beyond.