Alex Gares

Alex Gares, General Manager of The Sira, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Lombok on Lombok's north coast, brings his love for Lombok and its sea to the heart of the property. An avid diver, snorkeler, and fisherman, he established The Sira's partnership with the Nipah Beach Turtle Conservation Center in December 2025 after meeting local conservationists, saving 881 turtles in less than 12 months - projected to be over 1000 by the end of October.

He can point travelers to the pottery workshops of Banyumulek Village, the Songket and Ikat weavers of Sukarara, and the ancestral bamboo homes and ancient mosque at Bayan Village. For food, he recommends Ayam Taliwang Irama for the island's most famous grilled chicken, oxtail soup at Istana Rasa in Mataram, and the open-air seafood spots along Pantai Nipah and Pantai Pandanan where fish is grilled over coconut husks and served on the sand. He frequents the markets at Tanjung and Kebon Roek, treks up Pergasingan Hill during sunrise, visits the rice terraces of Tete Batu and the waterfalls at Benang Kelambu and Benang Stokel, fishes alongside local fishermen at Pandanan Beach, and visits smaller producers including Dersi Coffee Roastery, North Lombok's cocoa farms, and the Trigona stingless bee honey project in Rangsot Village.