Located in Jonggat Sub-district, Central Lombok District, the village offers an interesting historical perspective to visitors as an erstwhile administrative center of the Dutch East Indies on Lombok Island, tourism village administrator officer Wiryadi said.
“Visitors can visit various buildings constructed in the European architecture style at the village that offers a contrast from the rural ambiance that surrounds the village,” he said.
A cream-colored gateway inscribed with “Bondjeroek den 10 mei” and “1933” welcomes tourists upon their arrival at the village. During the Dutch rule in the 1930s, the gateway welcomed residents of a housing complex constructed in the Art-deco style that characterizes European buildings.
“The houses have hosted Jonggat government officials during the Dutch era. The government head at that time was Lalu Serinata, who also served as the first Central Lombok district head after independence,” Wiryadi informed.
He then described the efforts being made to develop the historical buildings in the village as museums that will store artifacts and present historical facts about Bonjeruk village to visitors.
Apart from historical tourism, the village's fertile soil has also opened a new opportunity for providing agricultural experiences to visitors, he noted.
“Tourists could have first-hand experience in tasting fresh fruits picked from village orchards,” the administrator said.
Visitors could also experience cultural activities such as playing with spinning tops, using bamboo stilts, and listening to the chanting of lontar leaf manuscript readers during their visit, he added.
Recipe for success
Besides its historical, agricultural, and cultural heritage, the tourism village also has another thing that will keep tourists coming back: Merangkat chicken rice, which is among the traditional foods and snacks sold in a bamboo market in Bonjeruk.
“We are committed to promoting Lombok traditional foods in the tourism village,” another tourism village administrator, Dayat, said.
Before developing the forest as a tourist attraction, bamboo trees in the forest often ended up being cut by villagers, and the bamboo was sold as building material or for other needs, he informed.
“After we built market stalls in the bamboo forest, besides the forest becomes tidier and neater, it also brought economic advantage to residents,” he said.
The bamboo market was initially intended only for foreign tourists arriving in tour groups who were seeking to indulge in rural experiences during their stay in Indonesia, Dayat recalled.
“We cooperated with a cruise ship operator and travel agent to arrange a tour to the village, and almost 800 foreign tourists joined the tour and enjoyed foods offered in the bamboo market,” the administrator informed.
As the COVID-19 pandemic obliterated any possibility of foreign tourists visiting the village, the tourism village operator decided to open the bamboo market and offer the chicken rice to local tourists, he added.
“Praise be to God, the tourism village remain flocked by arriving tourists,” he remarked.
Merangkat chicken rice has a cultural significance for the locals: the rice is often served by families hosting a feast to celebrate the marriage of a son or daughter. The dish, as a symbol of gratitude to the Almighty God, comprises grilled chicken served with rice and a special chili sauce.
“The food is known for its spiciness and celebratory meaning, as it is usually served at marriage feasts,” Dayat said.
As foreign visitors are not very fond of spicy food, the recipe was adapted to suit their palate, and its spiciness reduced, he added.
Dayat said he is optimistic COVID-19 recovery will bring more tourists longing for traveling to and experiencing new places to the island, especially as the tourism village is located close to the Mandalika Circuit that recently hosted international competitions.
“We hope the pandemic will be over soon and international competitions at the Mandalika Circuit will bring more potential for our tourism recovery,” he remarked.
Minister Uno’s hope for the village
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, is harboring high expectations for Bonjeruk.
“Bonjeruk tourism village residents must maximize the potential of international competitions, such as World Superbike and MotoGP, that will attract foreign tourists to West Nusa Tenggara,” Uno said during a visit to the village last month.
The minister expressed his commitment to assisting in Bonjeruk tourism village operators’ development to ensure visiting tourists get the best experience.
Uno said he also expected homestays operated by the tourism village to be standardized and provide ever-improving facilities to ensure quality and sustainable services for tourists.
“We need to enhance the standard by organizing programs to train residents with hospitality skills in operating the homestay because in developing tourist village, we must prioritize using resources available in the village,” he explained.
Moreover, Central Lombok district head Lalu Pathul Bahri lauded Bonjeruk village’s success and expressed the hope the village would attract more tourists.
“The minister has presented us with hope and motivation in developing tourism villages in Central Lombok. We hope international competitions hosted in Mandalika Circuit will attract more tourists to the tourism village,” Bahri said.
The district head also reiterated his commitment to supporting tourism villages' development and promised to invite universities to conduct research and provide inputs for tourism villages in the district.
Given its location, the high expectations surrounding Bonjeruk Tourism Village are understandable. Enhancing tourism village facilities and operator competency will surely help Bonjeruk offer a memorable experience to visiting tourists.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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