A British woman who has called Indonesia home for decades broke down in tears over a viral video, not out of grief or hardship, but at the sight of plastic waste scattered across one of Lombok’s most scenic hiking destinations, a moment of raw frustration that has since ignited a broader conversation about tourism waste management across Indonesia’s outdoor attractions.
The video, posted to the Instagram account @lucy_lari_lari, shows the woman, identified as Lucy, struggling to hold back tears as she describes her experience hiking Pergasingan Hill in Sembalun, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
“This Isn’t My Country, But It’s Become Part of My Problem Too”
“I’ve lived in Indonesia for 35 years, and I’ve never been this embarrassed, genuinely. I know this isn’t my country, it’s yours. But because I’ve been here so long, I feel like part of this problem too. Yesterday I went to the summit of Pergasingan in Lombok, the view was absolutely incredible, the hill is beautiful, so many tourists and local people were there. But the amount of trash was just unbelievable,” Lucy said in the 3-minute, 13-second video, posted on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Lucy expressed dismay that so many visitors remain indifferent to cleanliness, arguing that a place as beautiful as Pergasingan Hill shouldn’t be buried under waste. “A mountain this beautiful, this majestic, and you still trash it, I don’t know why it hurts my heart so much seeing this. I’m not exaggerating, but some people genuinely care about nature, we all want what’s best for the environment, for our children and grandchildren,” she said, wiping away tears.
In additional footage shared alongside the video, Lucy documented waste dominated by plastic scattered across multiple points along the route, from the riverbank to the hiking trail itself, all the way up to the summit area.
Site Managers Respond: “The Footage Was Filmed Before Cleanup”
Royal Sembahulun, Head of Pergasingan Hill’s management team, said the viral footage was recorded before a cleanup had taken place. Even so, he acknowledged the criticism raised by Lucy as valid.
“The footage circulating was filmed before it was cleaned up. But we’re fine with that criticism, we accept it,” Royal said.
Royal argued, however, that simply cleaning up after a video goes viral doesn’t address the underlying problem. According to him, what’s actually needed is a comprehensive, integrated system for managing waste across the tourist area long-term.
“If a video goes viral and then we just do a clean-up, that doesn’t actually solve the problem. What we need to do instead is build a strong, integrated system to address it properly,” Royal said.
Management is reportedly working on developing stricter regulations and penalties aimed at breaking the cycle of littering at the site. Royal emphasized that natural tourist destinations are opened to be preserved and protected, not damaged, so they can continue benefiting the local economy sustainably.
Why This Story Resonates Beyond Lombok
For long-term expats and travelers who’ve built genuine attachments to Indonesia’s natural landscapes, Lucy’s emotional reaction captures a frustration increasingly voiced across the archipelago’s most popular hiking and outdoor destinations: the tension between soaring visitor numbers and waste management infrastructure that hasn’t kept pace.
The distinction Royal draws, between reactive cleanup after public shaming and building genuine, sustainable waste systems, is a familiar challenge across Indonesia’s tourism sector, including in Bali, where similar concerns have surfaced repeatedly around popular hiking trails, beaches, and waterfalls strained by growing visitor volume. For travelers planning to hike Pergasingan Hill or similar routes across Lombok and Bali, the incident is a pointed reminder that packing out all waste, including items brought in by fellow hikers when possible, remains one of the simplest, most direct ways visitors themselves can help protect the landscapes they’ve come to see.
