In 1971, Goenawan Mohamad, one of Indonesia's premier writers, described the situation at Tanah Lot as "...absent of the glare of electricity and, but for the crickets' chriping serenade, a place of blissful peace and calm." At that time, Bali was predominantly rural, an island of pristine views, of deserted beaches and unsullied rivers. All in all, it was a far cry indeed from the Bali of today - a Bali where tourists almost outnumber the local population.

The Bali of the early seventies still exists in Lombok. A mere fifty five miles to Bali's east - a four hour ferry trip or two and a half hours by high speed ferry - the dry landscapes of Lombok contain a unique beauty that rivals that of neighbouring Bali. As yet unpolluted by exhaust fumes, traffic noise and untainted by overdevelopment and overcrowding, Lombok's young tourism industry seeks to attract potential visitors by referring to the island as "the Bali of former times". But for how long will it stay that way? Is Lombok doomed to a developmental path that will transform it from a 'Bali of old' into simply 'another Bali'? Are industry players in Lombok - bureaucrats and corporate representatives alike - determined to follow the example set by their counterparts in Bali? Or have they opted for an altogether different approach? What is the plan for Lombok?

Such questions have been one of the prime considerations among travel agents, investors and policy makers since Lombok became one of Indonesia's most rapidly developing tourism destinations. And most of them remain unanswered, as an overall plan for the development of Lombok's tourism industry is yet to be formulated. "We're just handing it over to the private sector. It's up to them what they want to do with Lombok," says AA Adianto, Head of Nusa Tenggara Barat's provincial Tourism, Arts and Culture Department. "As long as they don't stray from the national policy guidelines that are meant to protect the local environment, communities and cultures." Adianto claims to have undergone intensive consultations with the private sector and is confident that they are capable of implementing tourism development in Lombok in a way that is not at odds with existing regulations. Further, Adianto points out, he is in the process of establishing a forum for dialogue between the bureaucracy and the private sector, to ensure that there is no misunderstanding between the two parties about the direction of Lombok's tourism development. "If they want to turn Lombok into another Bali, then just let them go ahead. Just as long as they don't stray from the national guidelines as in the principles of Sapta Pesona," says Adianto.

Bing Hamidy, one of Lombok's leading travel agents, hopes that Lombok won't turn out like just another Bali. According to Hamidy, most of the tourists who visit Lombok are looking for something different to Bali. "The majority of tourists who come to Lombok don't want it to be just like Bali. They come here for some peace and quiet and clean beaches. Many of them are looking for what Bali used to be like," he says. In Hamidy's view, the mode of tourism development that is most suited to Lombok is eco-tourism, for many of the most popular tourist destinations cannot be reached by car. "In my opinion, Lombok should have its own character. It doesn't have to copy Bali."