Explore the Sasak Culture
The Sasak People were the original inhabitants of Lombok, and to this day
they remain a strong independant community, living the traditional village
way of life.
About the Sasak People
Sasak life is governed by adherence to a set of rules which govern daily life,
such as the way in which a building may be constructed, worship (the
Sasak’s converted to Islam around the end of the 16th century, though
there are some locations to the north of Lombok where their religious
beliefs are a cross between Island and animanistic beliefs such as Hindu
and Budhism), and even the way in which marriage engagements are
conducted.
Some of these traditions and customs may seem strange to outsiders, but
to the Sasak people they are simply how life is to be lived.
If a girl is to be married, she must be kidnapped by the man who loves her,
so to prevent this, the fathers sleep outside of the building to prevent the
kidnapping. Often this is for show only, with the parents fully aware of the
intentions of the young male.
The Sasak build their homes from all natural materials with the floors being
constructed of soil and cow dung. No concrete is used in any part of the
construction. The roofs are constructed by laying many layers of palm
leaves over the top of each other until water-tight, and their buildings are
easily distinguished by the peaked rooves.
Walls are constructed using a combination of local clay and cow dung. Cow
dung actually plays a large part in the life of the Sasaks as it is used in many
areas such as for cleaning the floor of the dwelling, washing, and also for
bathing.
The Sasak’s are traditionally agricultural people, with men and women
sharing the work in the fields.
Women also weave incredible textiles, faithfully replicating the pattern
which has been passed down from mother to daughter entirely by memory.
There is no ‘pattern’ to follow, it is learned over many years.
These textiles have become very popular with international visitor and are
highly sought after around the world.
Which village to visit
There are two well known Sasak villages, ‘Sade’ and ‘Sukarara’, both of
which welcome visitors, but unfortunately the focus has of late turned to
commercial profit rather than providing visitors with an authentic
experience.
Lombok has numerous Sasak villages, and we recommend that you discuss
with us which you would like to visit.
Some of these traditional villages are occupied by as few as 50 people, and
some are quite remote.
We are only too happy to make recommendations based on what other
locations you would like to visit during your tour so that you may get the
most out of your time, and to have the most authentic Sasak experience.