Is Sumba worth visiting?

Sumba is an hour from Bali by plane and has almost no tourism outside a handful of resorts. It is dry, hilly and culturally unlike anywhere else in Indonesia: the Marapu ancestral religion is still practised, villages are built around megalithic tombs, and the ikat weaving is among the finest in the country.

What there is

Beaches with nobody on them. Nihiwatu, Tarimbang, Watu Parunu, Mandorak, Marosi and Pero, most of them empty. Some have serious surf; several have dangerous currents and no patrols at all.

Weekuri Lagoon, in the southwest, a saltwater lagoon separated from the ocean by a rock wall, with clear turquoise water.

Waterfalls. Tanggedu, sometimes called the grand canyon of Sumba, and Lapopu in the national park.

Traditional villages. Ratenggaro, Praijing, Tarung and others, with high thatched roofs and megalithic stone tombs in the central plaza. These are living villages, not museums, and you should come with a guide, bring betel nut as a gift, and ask before photographing.

Pasola, in February and March, a ritual mounted spear-fighting festival between clans, held on specific beaches after the sea worms appear. It is genuine, it is occasionally violent, and dates are not fixed far ahead.

Ikat weaving, hand-dyed and woven over months, sold in villages around Waingapu and in the west.

The two halves

East Sumba, around Waingapu, is drier savannah: rolling grassland, horses, the best ikat, and Tanggedu waterfall.

West Sumba, around Tambolaka and Waikabubak, is greener, with the traditional villages, Weekuri and most of the beaches and resorts.

Crossing between them takes four to five hours on improving roads.

Where people stay

At the top end, Sumba has one of the most expensive resorts in Asia on its southwest coast, which is what put the island on the map for a certain kind of traveller.

Below that there is a growing set of small guesthouses, surf camps and simple hotels at ordinary Indonesian prices. The middle is thin.

Getting there

Flights from Bali to Tambolaka (west) and Waingapu (east), around an hour, usually once or twice daily. Ferries connect Sumba to Flores and Sumbawa slowly.

Hire a car and driver on the island, roughly 700,000 to 1,000,000 rupiah a day. Public transport is minimal and distances are large.

Practical notes

Malaria is present. Take medical advice before you travel; this is a real difference from Bali.

Facilities are limited. Hospitals are basic, ATMs are in the main towns, mobile coverage is patchy.

Water is scarce in the dry season in the east.

Beaches are unpatrolled and some have severe currents. Do not swim alone.

Cultural sensitivity matters more here than almost anywhere in Indonesia. Villages are religious sites, tombs are ancestors, and visitors who wander in with a camera are intruding. Go with a local guide and follow their lead.

When to go

April to October for dry weather and green-to-gold landscape. February and March for Pasola, with rain.

How long

Five to seven days, split between east and west, or three or four days for one side. It is a long way to come for a short trip.

Surfing in Sumba

The south and west coasts pick up the same Indian Ocean swell as Bali with none of the crowd. Nihiwatu, the wave in front of the famous resort, is limited to resort guests, which is unusual in Indonesia and a long-running local argument. Tarimbang, Pero, Marosi and Kerewei are open, with simple surf camps and warungs.

Conditions are serious. Reef, remote locations, no patrols and a hospital hours away. This is not a place to surf beyond your level or alone.

A week in Sumba

Days one to three in the west from Tambolaka: Weekuri Lagoon, Ratenggaro and the traditional villages, Mandorak and the western beaches. Days four to five crossing east with a stop for weaving villages. Days six to seven around Waingapu: Tanggedu waterfall, the savannah hills at Wairinding, and the ikat workshops.

Hire the same driver for the week. Outside the resorts, that relationship is what makes the island accessible at all.