Sometimes the most unplanned parts of your trip turn out to be the best! This unexpected wedding invite in Rangsot, Lombok Indonesia was the perfect example of why it’s always worthwhile to say “yes” to new experiences.
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We’ve been in Kuta Lombok (in the island’s south) for the past 4 days and have already done some amazing things. Top highlights include snorkelling in the “Secret Gili Islands,” seeing millions of bats leave a cave at sunset, and visiting the Sade village.
It’s been a great time, but Kuta reminds us a bit of Tulum, Mexico. There are lots of Westernized things and you can tell it’s on its way to becoming the next Bali for sure. For example, one of the most popular restaurants here is Mama Pizza. There’s also a Starbucks. But it’s not all bad — we found a very cool speakeasy by our hotel and there are still lots of good warungs (local eateries) for delish, authentic Indonesian food.
Today we’re leaving Kuta and heading north to the port that connects the (not so secret) Gili Islands. We booked one night at an inn outside the main town because it was just 370,000 rupiah ($22 USD) and looked cute. It’s about a two-hour drive from Kuta.
The driving in Indonesia is pretty crazy.
It’s even crazy here on Lombok, which is significantly less populated/touristed and more laid back than its neighbor, Bali. I think we’ve been crushing the driving tbh, but it can be a bit exhausting and requires focus. Road rules don’t really exist.
We opted to rent a car for our 8 days on the island. Sometimes we wish we’d done motorbikes instead — for the plot. But we can leave our stuff (including my laptop) in the car for quick stops, navigate with Google Maps more easily, and enjoy that sweet sweet air conditioning. We booked with Vibe Rental Cars, and they were super chill! Good vibes as advertised.
We follow winding mountain roads dotted with families of monkeys. The path becomes increasingly narrow as we head up to our new accommodation, and arrive just after 3:30 pm.
The hotel manager casually invites us to a wedding as he's walking us to the room.
When? They’re leaving in 30 minutes. He encourages us to drop our stuff and come with him to get ready. First, we triple check that it’ll be cool for us to come. (Imagine someone brought some random tourists to your wedding?) But he insists. So it’s an enthusiastic “yes!” from us.
This island of Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, so we have to dress the part. I just bought a sarong from the market in Lombok yesterday, and am excited to have a reason to wear it.
At the entrance, several wedding guests dressed and ready to go. I was hoping someone could help me tie my sarong properly, but the sarong doesn’t cut it. One woman kind of takes me under her wing and puts three different tops on me before finding one she likes and pairing it with a nice ankle-length skirt. She braids and wraps my hair into a bun before quickly folding and tying a hijab that covers my hair and neck.
When I come out of the little room where she dressed me, more women come to the rescue and they all work together to make sure everything is just right.
In the meantime, Chesney has also been kitted out with a traditional headscarf and sarong.
Traditional clothing in Rangsot, Lombok Indonesia
Lots and lots and lots of photos are taken before everyone is ready to hop in the car and go.
Hilariously, Chesney has also been tasked with driving me, our hotel manager, his wife, and his mother-in-law to the wedding. As I mentioned, the driving is wild here. And the pressure of having three locals in the car makes it even more stressful… I’m so happy it’s not me!
We learn the actual wedding was yesterday, but today (Sunday) there is a large procession down the main street to the mosque. I’m relieved because it feels much less obtrusive.
There are five smaller villages that makeup the region of Rangsot, each with a population of about 300-500, and it feels like every resident is here for the occasion.
Chesney and I get separated as the men and women walk in separate groups. Our hotel manager’s wife leads me through the crowds until we find our place in the parade.
We’re lined up in two single(ish) file lines down the main road, spanning the entire left lane. Occasionally, some cars (including a truck carrying a cow) push their way past by simply driving into oncoming traffic.
Even with my blonde hair tucked away, the locals notice my big white moon face and I’m at the centre of many a camera lens. I was planning to keep my phone away to be respectful for the procession but everyone has their phones out snapping away – which makes sense. This is a celebration!
Lots of people ask for selfies and tell me how beautiful I look. Tbh with the pale pink colour of the scarf, I feel I look kinda like E.T. But the compliments are welcome regardless.
The procession includes a band, and the music can be heard all the way down the road as we walk. The sea of family and friends who’ve come out for the wedding march seems to go on forever. And we eventually run into another procession going the opposite direction. Apparently there are a lot of weddings this weekend! The whole village is absolutely buzzing.
We reach the mosque and that’s that — the procession is over and everyone is ready to head home. Some people go inside, but there’s obviously not enough space for like 500 people in there.
Someone hands me a little snack and *half-full* bottle of water. We connect back up with our hotel manager and his driver (Chesney) for the ride back.
It was such a whirlwind after a long day of driving, but it was so cool to take part in this tradition. And so kind of the inn owners to invite us! While there was no doubt we stuck out like a big touristy thumb, this wasn’t a planned tourist activity or hokey photo-op, which made it all the more special. (Though don’t get me wrong, we got a lot of photos.)
If you're ever in Lombok Indonesia, put a day aside to stay at the Rangsot Inn.
If you time it on a Sunday, you may just get to join a wedding procession, too.