Category: Nusa Tenggara

A fascinating, mountainous and remarkably beautiful island, Flores has a volcanic topography that has longed shaped its destiny. A chain of cones stretches the length of this verdant island, provoking a complicated relief of V-shaped valleys and knife-edged ridges – terrain that was near-impenetrable until recent years and that has separated the island into many distinct ethnic groups. Today, though Flores is overwhelmingly Catholic, rich indigenous cultures continue to thrive alongside mainstream religious beliefs.

Sumbawa Besar, often shortened to just ‘Sumbawa’ by locals, is the principal town of the western half of the island. It’s a resolutely provincial, unexceptional place where horse carts called benhur still hold their own with bemos, and there are no attractions except for the old palace. A trip out to Pulau Moyo or to nearby villages can be rewarding, but they can be difficult to reach. For most travellers, Sumbawa Besar is just a rest stop on the journey across the island.

The rugged land mass of Sumbawa looms large between Lombok and Flores, separated from each by a narrow strait. Larger than Bali and Lombok combined, Sumbawa is a sprawling island of twisted and jutting peninsulas, with a coast fringed by precipitous hills and angular bights, and a mountain line of weathered volcanic stumps stretching along its length.

The dry, undulating island of Sumba has the richest tribal culture in Nusa Tenggara, centred on a religious tradition called marapu. It’s one of the poorest but most fascinating islands to visit, with a decidedly off-the-beaten-track appeal courtesy of its thatched clan houses, colossal carved megalith tombs, outstanding hand-spun ikat and bloody sacrificial funerals.

West Timor has never been much of a tourist destination, although it is very scenic, with rugged countryside and traditional villages that are well worth exploring. The combination of Indonesia’s recent crises, visa restrictions, East Timor’s harrowing struggle for independence and transport issues all but wiped West Timor from the tourism map for many years. But with twice-weekly Kupang–Darwin connections now back in operation and the proximity of East Timor offering an inexpensive visa run, visitor numbers are slowly increasing again.

Bima and Raba together form the major town in the eastern half of Sumbawa. Bima, Sumbawa’s chief port, is a grubby run-down place that becomes mud-bound in the wet season and frazzled in the dry. You’ll want to get out sharpish. Raba, a few kilometres east, is the much more orderly but dull administrative centre.

Waingapu is an enjoyable, dusty, spread-out town: urban enough to boast a few modest hotels and warungs, but so close to the countryside in spirit and location that roosters put paid to any chance of a lie in. It became an administrative centre after the Dutch military ‘pacified’ the island in 1906 and has long been Sumba’s main trading post for textiles, much-prized Sumbanese horses, dyewoods and lumber.

Superbly positioned along a stretch of sweeping bays, Senggigi is Lombok’s principal beach resort. Accommodation here is generally excellent value for money, as luxury hotels have slashed rates in an attempt to draw in tourists following several tough years. Unless you visit in peak season, expect quiet restaurants and empty shopping malls but plenty of attention from the street hawkers.

A juxtaposition of thatched clan houses and a typical high street of concrete stores, administrative buildings and houses bristling with satellite dishes, Waikabubak is an odd but fascinating place. At about 600m above sea level, it’s a little cooler than the east and a good base for exploring the traditional villages of western Sumba.