On The East of Bali lies the chain of islands known as the Nusa Tenggara, comprising Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Timor and Lombok. Sumbawa Island is in the province of West Nusa Tenggara and is located east of Lombok. Sumbawa in a way belongs more to East Nusa Tenggara than it does to West Nusa Tenggara and the island has four regencies and they are Sumbawa Barat, Sumbawa Besar, Dompu, and Bima. Sumbawa lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire and is a mountainous island with deep ridges and valleys and is also home to the volcano, Tambora.

In Sumbawa the weather can sometimes be erratic and during the dry season (April to November) it is fairly dusty. But, when the rainy season begins, the island returns to lush jungles again. The island stretches 300 kilometers east-west but its width varies from 15 to 90 kilometers.

Attractions of Sumbawa include the Sultanate Palaces located in Sumbawa Besar and Bima, Sulawesi style weavings in Dompu and of course the surfing in Dompu and West Sumbawa. Being somewhat of a hassle to get to the island, in some ways, the island is not visited much by non-surfing tourists and add to that the scarcity of cheap tourist facilities doesn’t attract normal tourist.

Getting There

From Bali you can take the ferry to Lombok and travel overland to the eastern seaport in Lombok, and then take another ferry to Sumbawa. This will then take you to Poto Tano. From that point, transportation varies somewhat. There are buses that will take you on to Sumbawa Besar, or down the coast road to the south. Getting on the buses does prove trying sometimes and requires patience. Alternatively, fly into the city of Sumbawa Besar on the western side of the island, and Bima on the eastern side of the island. Many of the regional airlines have connections through Denpasar in Bali. If you are staying at Hotel Villa Ombak, the staff there will help you to arrange the journey.