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Rebo Bontong the highlight of Gili Festival 2025
WINDONESIA September 2, 2025
North Lombok Deputy Regent Kusmalahadi Syamsuri, Tourism Ministry officials, and tourists partaking in Rebo Bontong at Gili Festival 2025 in Gili Air Island, Pemenang District, North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara on Aug. 20, 2025. (Lombok Post/Habib)
The Safar Bathing tradition, also known as Rebo Bontong, was the highlight of the 2025 Gili Festival celebrations held in Gili Air Island, Pemenang District, North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province on Aug. 20, 2025.
This tradition, held every last Wednesday of the month of Safar in the Hijri calendar, is believed by locals to be a ritual to ward off evil.
Gili Festival 2025 was officially included in Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) calendar of cultural festivals issued by the Tourism Ministry.
North Lombok Deputy Regent Kusmalahadi Syamsuri expressed gratitude and pride for the festival's success. He noted that Gili Festival's inclusion in KEN paves the way for North Lombok to attract more domestic and international tourists.
The Gili Festival will also rotate annually across all three Gili islands.
"Next year, it's scheduled to be held in Gili Trawangan," said Kusmalahadi.
Going forward, the regional government will continue to propose other cultural events for inclusion in KEN, such as the Bayan Traditional Maulid celebration.
"Hopefully, it will pass the Tourism Ministry's curation [process]," Kusmalahadi concluded.
