'''Sumbawa''' is one of the 13,000 plus islands in the Indonesian archipelago. It is a large island to the east of Bali and Lombok. Sumbawa, along with Lombok, is part of West Nusa Tenggara. There a hundreds of small islands in this area in addition to the two major islands.

Sumbawa is known to some tourists for its great waves and sandy white beaches. Due to the somewhat trying process of getting there and the scarcity of cheap tourist facilities, the island is not visited much by non-surfing tourists which is unfortunate as parts of the island are quite beautiful.

Regions

Cities

  • Sumbawa Besar, the capital, is on the western side of the island.
  • Bima is on the eastern side of the island.
  • Other destinations

  • Sekongkan - where the surfing spots of '''Yoyo''' and '''Scar Reef''' are located.
  • Sekongkang
  • Maluk
  • Benete
  • Understand

    Sumbawa really belongs more to Eastern Indonesia than to to the West. The effects of Hindu and Buddhist cultures are minimal in Sumbawa; the majority of the population are Muslims.

    During the dry season (April to November) a lot of dust is blown up and around. Strong winds blow in off the ocean, and the lush green hills, mountains and valleys turn a dusty brown. When the rainy season begins an amazing transformation takes place and the island becomes a lush jungle once again.

    As most of the island is still developing, there is a very rural feel to just about everything, including Sumbawa Besar, the capital of the western side of the island. The mining company, Newmont, has a gold and copper mine down in the southwestern corner of the island around the villages of Sekongkang, Maluk and Benete. Their presence has speeded up the development process in this side of the island.

    Bahasa Indonesia is spoken widely in Sumbawa

    Get in

    Sumbawa can be considered somewhat remote:

    To get to Sumbawa from Bali most people take the ferry from Bali to Lombok, travel overland to the eastern seaport in Lombok and then take another ferry to Sumbawa, ending up in Poto Tano. From there transportation is somewhat problematic. There are buses that will take you on to Sumbawa Besar, the capital, or down the coast road to the south, but some travellers experience of trying to get on a bus once you arrive in Sumbawa is difficult to say the least. If traveling from Lombok, it is best to board a bus there that will take you to your final destination in Sumbawa.

    It is also possible to fly into the city of Sumbawa Besar on the western side of the island, and Bima on the eastern side of the island. Sekongkan also has the airport, but flights have been stopped for an indefinite period after a small airline called Tropical Air ceased operating.

    Get around

    How to get to Sumbawa Besar? '''TransNusa - Trigana Air''' is serving with reliable ATR-42/300 Type of Aircraft with 46 seaters. It is flying from/to Denpasar Bali and Mataram Lombok. 4 days a week. More info please browse to '''www.transnusa.co.id''' or email to '''dps@transnusa.co.id'''

    See

    Do

    Eat

    Drink

    Stay safe

    Get out

    Note that ferries to Flores don't leave everyday and you may face a several day wait for the next one.