The Sasak People and Traditional Villages | A Guide to Lombok’s Culture

Information as of August 2026

Visit Lombok and, beyond the beaches and nature, you have the chance to encounter the way of life of the Sasak, the island’s indigenous people. Villages of traditional thatched houses, hand-weaving skills passed down through the generations, and customs of their own that have blended with Islam, the faith of most of the island: these offer a window onto the island’s “real face”, something quite different from its appeal as a holiday destination. In this article we introduce the best-known traditional villages, the weaving village, and etiquette for visitors, based on objective information.

Who are the Sasak? Lombok’s indigenous people

The Sasak are the indigenous people who make up the large majority of Lombok’s population. They speak Sasak, a language closely related to Balinese and Javanese, and pronunciation and intonation are said to vary from region to region. A major difference from Bali, where most people are Hindu, is that most people on Lombok are Muslim. In some areas, however, an older form of belief called “Wetu Telu”, in which Islam blends with animist and ancestor-veneration elements, is said to survive, and it is sometimes distinguished from mainstream Islamic practice (Waktu Lima). Religious practice varies by region and generation, so in this article we do not generalise any particular custom as representative of the whole island, and present it only as one example.

For the basics of Lombok’s geography, climate and how to get there, see the article below.

Please also take a look at Lombok: The Complete Guide to Getting There, Climate and Highlights.

The best-known traditional villages: Sade and Ende

Several hamlets in central and southern Lombok still carry on the traditional Sasak way of life. The best known as easy places for visitors to see are Sade and Ende.

Sade Village (formally part of Rembitan village) sits on the main road linking Praya and Kuta, about 30 minutes by car from Kuta Lombok or the airport. Traditional houses called “bale”, with woven bamboo walls, thatched roofs and floors made of earth mixed with buffalo dung and tamped hard, are still in use, and it is a living hamlet where residents actually live. Because it has become a tourist destination, there are many residents offering guided tours and plenty of souvenir stalls, and it is said to be an easy place to stop for a first visit to a traditional village.

Ende Village (Sasak Ende Village), meanwhile, is a small hamlet near Kuta Lombok, where around 35 traditional houses are said to remain. There is said to be a custom of deliberately building the house entrances offset from the direction of Mount Rinjani as a sign of respect for the ancestors, and the rice barns and prayer space (mushola) are also built in the traditional style. Some sources describe it as smaller than Sade and quieter to visit, but crowds and visitor numbers vary with the season and time of day, so it is safest to check the latest information before you go.

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Village	Main features	Approximate location	Guide to donations and entry fees
Sade Village	The best-known traditional village; a living hamlet on a larger scale	About 30 minutes by car from Kuta Lombok or the airport	A donation of about Rp10,000–50,000 (about US$0.60–2.80) per person is typical
Ende Village	A small hamlet said to be quiet; about 35 houses	Near Kuta Lombok	Varies by village and guide
Sukarara Village	Known for hand-woven textiles (ikat and songket)	Central Lombok, about 1 hour by car from Mataram	Entry is usually free or a small donation; the focus is on buying textiles

Note: A guide based on generally available information (as of August 2026). Prices and travel times vary with the season, traffic and guide, so we recommend checking locally or with a tour operator in advance. US dollar amounts are approximate, at about US$1 = Rp17,800 (September 2026).

Figure: Which village for your first traditional village visit?

A general guide as of August 2026. Please check the details before you visit.

Traditional architecture: the “bale” house and the “lumbung” rice barn

The traditional Sasak house is called a “bale” and is characterised by walls of woven bamboo, a roof thatched with alang-alang grass, and a floor of earth mixed with buffalo dung and tamped hard. When it dries, this floor is smooth and hard, and it is said to keep humidity from building up and to discourage insects, knowledge suited to a tropical climate that is still passed down today. The materials alone may surprise you, but we hope you will see it as a traditional building technique that makes full use of natural materials.

The structure that stands out most in a hamlet is the raised rice barn, the “lumbung”. Lifted off the ground, it protects the grain from rats and damp, and its rounded roof is also said to symbolise a good harvest. A single lumbung is said to have stored rice for several households until the next harvest, making it a building that symbolises the Sasak way of life, built on farming. Today it is often featured as a symbol of Lombok tourism, and it is a sight you are almost certain to see when you visit a traditional village.

The hand-woven textiles of Sukarara: ikat and songket

Sukarara village in central Lombok is known as a centre for the traditional hand-woven textile “ikat” and for “songket”, which has gold and silver threads woven into it. In Sasak society, it is said that learning to weave has traditionally been considered important for women before marriage, and weaving has also been valued as a skill that supports the household in years when harvests are uncertain. From choosing the thread and dyeing it, through preparing the loom, to weaving in the pattern, a single piece can take anything from several days to several months, making it a labour-intensive traditional craft.

Prices range from relatively affordable small scarves and table runners made with chemical dyes and synthetic fibres, up to large ceremonial cloths using natural dyes and real gold and silver thread, which tend to be expensive. Prices vary widely with the exchange rate and between weavers and workshops, so we recommend checking directly on site. Buying directly from the weavers, or from family-run workshops, is said to help more of the money stay in the local economy.

Sasak customs seen in weddings and other ceremonies

A well-known traditional Sasak wedding custom is “merariq”. It is described as a traditional courtship process of a ritual nature, in which a man who wishes to marry takes the woman away temporarily, for example to a relative’s home, after which the two families proceed with discussions and formalities about the marriage. In modern times it is said to have become more formalised and simplified in many areas, and how it is actually practised varies by family and region. A festive event called “nyongkolan”, meaning the wedding procession, is also well known; you may see it winding through the neighbourhood accompanied by traditional music and dance. These customs come from a cultural background that values consensus-building and social ties within the community, and we present them on the understanding that they are not something for outsiders to casually judge or compare.

Where to visit, and getting there from Sekotong

Sade and Sukarara are in central Lombok, so from the Sekotong area in the south-west you need to travel by car. Travel times vary with road conditions, so the usual plan is to visit on a day tour combined with other sightseeing. For more on the Sekotong area itself and how to get there, see the article below.

We also recommend reading our Sekotong Complete Guide: A Hidden Corner of South-West Lombok.

Frequently asked questions

Summary

You can encounter the culture of Lombok’s Sasak people in traditional villages such as Sade and Ende, and through the hand-woven textiles of Sukarara. Traditional buildings such as the bamboo-and-thatch bale and the lumbung rice barn, and weaving skills passed down through the generations, are both tourist attractions for the island and part of the everyday lives of the people who still live there. When you visit, we hope you will follow the etiquette on dress, photography and donations, and keep in mind that you are “being welcomed into a hamlet where people live”.

Watch: a Sasak-style wedding

Sources for this article

• Backindo, “Sade Village, Lombok: Sasak Culture & Fees” (article information as of 2026)
• KRNK Lombok, “Sade Village Lombok Travel Guide: Culture, Crafts & Local Tips”
• Selong Selo, “Lombok Weaving Village: Inside Sasak Songket Tradition”
• The Lombok Lodge & Villas, “Sasak Culture: What 30 Years on Lombok Taught Me”
• Manjulika Pramod, “Sasak Ende Village in Lombok is a cultural keepsake”
• Wikipedia, “Merariq”
• Soshum: Jurnal Sosial dan Humaniora, “A Study of Wetu Telu Syncretism in Lombok: Socio-Religious Approach” (academic paper, indexed in DOAJ)
• Academic paper, “Practice Merariq On Society The Sasak In Lombok Regency West Gerung” (a study of the merariq marriage custom)
• The above is based on generally available information as of August 2026. Detailed prices, travel times and whether visits are possible vary with local conditions, so please check the latest information before you visit.