Indonesian folklore theorises Lombok was once home to a beautiful princess called Mandalika.

The young royal, tired of the island’s eligible bachelors constantly fighting for her hand in marriage, climbed atop a cliff and threw herself into the Indian Ocean — where she promptly morphed into a cluster of radiant sea worms and was never seen again. 

The story may be mythical, but the protagonist’s name is once again generating interest on Lombok’s south coast. 

Backed by the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the Mandalika Project is a special economic zone that covers 1,175-hectares of coastal land and will eventually be home to more than 16,000 hotel rooms, a waterpark, 27-hole golf course, 1,500 villas, and an international-standard motor-racing circuit.

The estimated cost of the venture is believed to exceed US$3 billion. 

While the global pandemic has understandably affected construction timelines around the world, Invest Islands' development of a 150-room beachfront resort and residence near the site continues at pace.

An aerial view of the Mandalika area. Source: Invest Islands.

According to ITDC, construction remains on schedule at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, which is set to host rounds of both the MotoGP World Championship and the World Superbikes Championship from next year. 

In a statement on the ITDC website, Managing Director Abdulbar M Mansoer said work on the 4.3km track has been unaffected by COVID-19, save for Government protocol demanding body temperature checks, PPE usage, and physical distancing.

He added that construction was "proceeding normally" and will be "completed on schedule by the end of 2020".

Invest Islands co-founder Kevin Deisser meanwhile told WILLIAMS MEDIA that although motorsports and the environment are rarely paired together positively, Mandalika intends to become a template for sustainable development.

"Mandalika is designed as an ecotourism destination, so is minimising the carbon footprint of its racetrack by incorporating public roads into the design," he said.

"It will sustain the majority of its support facilities with clean energy courtesy of a solar farm and water desalination plant.

"And as part of the plan to protect the region’s natural beauty and enhance local culture, ITDC have also promised to retain more than half of the area as open green space."

The Mandalika development project. Source: Invest Islands

The likes of Novotel, Pullman, Royal Tulip and Paramount have all signed on to provide luxury hospitality and the island already boasts countless kilometres of pristine white beach, great surf, volcanic mountain treks, yoga retreats and spas, and a growing number of restaurants and bars. 

Mr Deisser said Invest Islands had also reported a rise in interest from those looking to tap into the island's property potential ahead of the resumption of international flights.

"We believe Lombok will not only become one of Southeast Asia’s next great holiday hotspots, but is already a lucrative investment possibility among speculators from diverse backgrounds," he said.

"In the past six months alone, we have fielded interest from Arab royals, Australian surfer-types and expats living in cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

"There's no typical Lombok investor and we at Invest Islands are helping them each take a step closer to owning their piece of paradise.

"While the story of Mandalika has always captured the imagination, now we're gradually seeing it become a reality."

Click here for more information about Invest Islands.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are of Mr Deisser and Invest Islands and readers should rely on their independent advice in relation to such matters. 

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