Visiting respectfully
- Dress modestly and take off shoes when invited into a house.
- Ask before photographing people; a smile and a gesture is enough.
- Pay the agreed donation or guide fee, and buy something if you can — this is how the villages benefit.
Authenticity
Sade and Ende are lived-in villages that also earn from tourism. Some visitors find them staged; others find the guides’ explanations genuinely illuminating. Go with an open mind and ask questions.
What to buy
Handwoven songket and ikat, scarves and sarongs; Banyumulek terracotta; baskets from Loyok. Bargain politely, and remember quality handweaving takes weeks.
Food
Try ayam taliwang (grilled spicy chicken), plecing kangkung and beberuk terong (eggplant with sambal) at warungs on the way.
Sample plans
Half day from Kuta
Sade or Ende in the morning, then Sukarara for weaving, back in Kuta for lunch.
Full culture day
Sade and Sukarara, lunch in Praya, Banyumulek pottery, then Mataram’s Pura Meru or Mayura in the afternoon.
On arrival
Fly into Lombok, stop at Sade on the 30-minute drive to Kuta.
