Why Sumbawa should be on your Eco-Travel Itinerary

The rugged beauty of Sumbawa

Sumbawa is an ultra rugged large landmass with Lombok to the West and Flores to the East.  It’s not to be confused with the island of Sumba, which lies to its South East.  Sumbawa is indeed large. It’s bigger than Bali and Lombok combined (and then some).  The scenic island is hard to get to and does not offer a robust infrastructure, but the adventure loving traveler is rewarded with unspoiled beaches of turquoise waters, world class surf and welcoming and gracious locals.

Watching hundreds of uninhabited islands go by on the ferry ride from Lombok to Sumbawa

Indonesia's Volcanos and The Ring of Fire

It is an island of angular and twisting peninsulas, deep protected bays, forested mountains, and of course Mount Tambora, the infamous volcano that is responsible for killing over 72,000 in one eruption.  Sumbawa, as the rest of the 14,000 Indonesian islands, sits directly upon The Ring of Fire. The infamous explosion took place in April, 1815 and is considered the most destructive volcanic eruption in modern history. It spewed 100 cubic kilometers (24 cu mi) of ash into the atmosphere, causing the “year without summer”.  Very few crops could be produced following the eruption as the ash blocked out the sun causing the deaths of thousands more worldwide.

The beautiful and plentiful islands off Sumbawa's coast provide endless adventure for the eco-tourist

Sumbawa is a Surfer's Paradise

Historically, Sumbawa was invaded by Western marauders for its honey, wild horses and sandalwood. Today, Sumbawa is known for surfing boasting several world-class surf breaks. The most well known surf spots include Lakey Peak, Cobblestones and Onnie’s Right, but there are many more exceptional breaks like Benete, Nungas, Periscopes, Yo-Yo’s and the ominously and perhaps unfortunately aptly named Scar Reef and Super Suck. Most breaks are for good to experienced surfers but Benete, Lakey, Periscopes and Scar Reef are best left for the more expert level surfers. Sumbawa receives great surf year round but the best swells are generally from April to September. If you are interested, please contact us or research the surf camps at Dompu (Lakey), Sekongkang and Hu’u. One last surf note, tides really determine the conditions here, so it is important to have a tide table handy.

Ripping Surf Breaks Await the Traveling Surfer in Sumbawa

What if you don't surf?

Despite the fact that not many travelers explore this scenic island, it is a wonderful place to visit even if you don't surf.  In fact, Sumbawa’s slogan is B E S A R which means 'big' in Bahasa Indonesia and the letters of the slogan stand for Bersih, Elok, Sehat, Aman damai, Rapi. Roughly translated, that means Clean, Beautiful, Healthy, Peaceful and Neat.

Sadly, the island is not without its challenges. Sumbawa is poor, and health and education are very much at the development stage. The infrastructure is in its nascent stages and there are a couple good roads, but for the most part, travel is difficult across the sprawling island. In just a matter of minutes we almost collided with other cars, dozens of motor bikes, huge pot holes, cows, dogs, cats, chickens, goats, some unidentifiable animals, people just hanging out in the roads and other obstacles.

Children play along the coast overlooking clear turquoise water

To compound the struggles the good people of Sumbawa are faced with, the mega-corporation Newmont and its partners have invested almost $2 billion USD in an enormous copper mine, making Batu Hijau one of the largest mines in the world. Little if anything is done to protect the island and the company is straight raping the land and leaving muddy, polluted messes for the poor native peoples. Newmont has been involved in many scandals including mercury and arsenic poisoning here in Sulawesi not to mention the ongoing pollution cases on four continents.  It is appallingly sad that this continues and permits have already been issued by corrupt politicians to allow further pillaging until 2034.

This blog post continues below

Rugged volcanic rock dot the perfect white sandy beaches of Sumbawa recalling deadly eruptions of Mount Tambora

Sumbawa is a must for the eco-adventure traveler

The pace of life in Sumbawa is chill and slow. People sit together and eat delicious fresh food and enjoy the rustic natural beauty of the island. That is not to say that they are not dedicated and hard working folk. Local people are predominantly Muslim but traditional beliefs and practices also continue to influence daily life. There are two main cultural groups in Sumbawa. Generally, the Tau Samawa live in the west and the Dou Mbojo inhabit the east.

The generous and friendly people of Sumbawa enjoy a slow paced lifestyle and appreciate the bounty of beauty that surround them

Traditional living and ancient rituals await the eco-adventure traveler

In parts of Sumbawa, traditional ways of living continue today and I urge you to get out into the villages to observe this interesting way of life. While you are there, see what you can do to help like donate time, clothing, gear or just play with the children and share with them. Many of the ancient rituals are still performed such as water buffalo racing and berempuk, which is an exciting ritual boxing match.  Try to find a guide who can take you into these villages as entering them by yourself may be perceived as unwelcomed.  We can certainly assist you and have some wonderful contacts that would be delighted to help you, as it is difficult to find accommodations and your way around on your own.  Please contact us and we would be happy to help.

Great Surf, White Sand Beaches and Pristine Water make Sumbawa a perfect adventure for the eco-traveler

Sustainable living and caring for the land

The people have learned to live of the land and have deep respect for the natural resources.  We were lucky to spend time with our extended family and my wife’s uncle, despite his advancing age, is still a ‘super forest man’. I consider myself a capable outdoorsman but I could barely keep up with his pace through the jungle. Treading through dense brush barefoot, finding paths I could never see, with machete in hand showing me all kinds of plants used for shelter, first aid, food, water and more. He has build beautiful, strong and sustainable buildings from bamboo for his family and his coveted bonsai trees are a true work of art.

Only two islands over, Sumbawa is a world away from Bali and its luxurious accommodations but the adventure traveler can learn and experience a great deal on this storied island.  For more information and help planning your adventure to Sumbawa, please contact us today.

Heading back to Bali after an amazing adventure to rugged but beautiful Sumbawa

A huge thank you to the lovely people of Sumbawa and now Back to Bali

The Adventure Travel Show in San Francisco

We had a great time and made some wonderful connections at The Adventure Travel Show in San Francisco.  We wanted to thank The Consulate General of Indonesia for all of their kind support.  Ibu Vita, Ibu Nur and the rest of the wonderful people from The Consulate deserve a huge thank you and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.  We also wanted to extend a big thank you to Paula from Wakatobi and we look forward to a long and rewarding relationship.

Come visit paradise with us!

Photo of the Day ~ Borobodur Bokeh ~ Balifornian Villas, Tours and Travel Blog

Hello and good morning!

I thought i'd share a photo today of one of our favorite places and a spot where it is near impossible to take a bad photograph.

Borobudur, located in Central Java in Indonesia, is the largest and widely hailed as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.  It is about 42 km from Yogyakarta city one of the hippest spots in all of Indonesia. It's a college town with a rich history and tradition and is definitely worth a stop on your Indonesian itinerary.
Massive Borobodur looks out over central Java, Indonesia
Here is s shot featuring one of the 72 stupas looking out into the landscape on Java. Borobodur was built around 800 AD.  Thats about 300 years prior to Ankor Wat in Cambodia and way before any of the great cathedrals in Europe.

Borobodur is just one of the incredible sites you will see on Balifornian's Eco-Adventure Tour, The Photo Safari Tour and can be worked into any one of our iteneraries.

For more on Borobdur, it's history and many more photos, please click HERE for our Definitive Guide to Borobodur

Contact us today to help plan your trip of a lifetime!

Happy Valentine's Day to all our loved ones out there and enjoy!

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Just announced ~ The Bali Deep Culture Photography Tour ~ Click here to reserve your spot today!

Part 2 of this post has been completed and can be viewed HERE

Here is the list I wish I had 20 years ago when I started traveling the world taking photos.  After years of leading photography tours to Bali and Indonesia, I have had the pleasure (and sheer frustration) of using a myriad of gear, gadgets, cameras, clothing and more. Here I breakdown those that have made the cut and saved me time after time.

A quick disclaimer. I am in no way affiliated with any of these products. I have searched high and low to find the best, most durable, handiest products I could find at the best value and provided them here for you. I encourage you to use the links provided below for items you are interested in. It is easiest to right click and open in a new window or tab so you still have the window with the blog post open. In the new tab or window you can get more information and pricing. If you like what you see, simply click “Add To Cart”. I greatly appreciate you using the links to purchase directly from the blog as I get a tiny percent to help keep the blog alive. I have selected items at the best prices and all are through Amazon so you can trust the seller. Thank you for supporting us! If you want to browse The Balifornian Store at Amazon please click HERE.

I will not cover cameras and lenses, as that is a whole other blog post (and perhaps tome).  I will convey a humorous story I heard the other day from the Morro Bay Photo Group illustrating the importance of the artist behind the camera and not so much the camera itself.  At a dinner party a professional photographer was showing his work and the host was so impressed she said, “My, you must have an amazing camera”. His reply, “The food was incredible this evening, you must have a fantastic oven”.

Prior to any trip, I will start a packing list weeks prior.  By now my gear is pretty much set, but there are always new challenges with every adventure- new gear to try, or leave behind (or smash into a thousand pieces). I find a great way to keep track of this list is the Evernote app http://www.evernote.com/ It allows you to make lists, capture photos, use voice notes, etc. to remember things and it sync with your iPhone and computer so you have it anywhere you go (even without an internet connection which is crucial in some remote areas we travel to).  Had a great bottle of wine?  Too drunk to write down the name? No problem, just take a photo of the label with Evernote and it will not only keep it for you but it can use automatic character recognition to transcribe the label text for you to make it searchable.  This is great with CD’s, DVDs, even stuff I find on the web and want to remember.

In fact, the iPhone and its millions of apps have replaced many items in my travel bag like an alarm clock, music player, compass, flashlight, etc. Although, I always carry a spare of the last two just in case.   

Now lets get to the fun stuff- The Gear.

A handy item I always include is Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger by Belkin. 

Its small and it can save your precious equipment from irrecoverable destruction via electricity surges which are a common event in many countries.  The cleverly designed unit also includes two USB ports so you can change your phone and other gadgets at the same time.  This little guy not only comes in handy in other countries but also in that all to familiar airport hunt for an open outlet.  I always chuckle when I see travelers huddled on the floor around one of the few open outlets to charge their laptops and phones during a layover. Become the hero and save the day as you can not only always plug in but allow a couple other people to have access as well. It’s $25 but you can buy it here for only $12!

A product I discovered recently and really love is the iStabalizer

Its $30 and is a great mini tripod not only for the iPhone but will fit any camera phone or small camera.  I used to use the gorillapod tripod but now it forces you to use its cumbersome iPhone case and is not usable with other gadgets.  The best part about it is the flexible strong legs that can wrap around many objects to secure the tripod in many otherwise impossible positions.  Wrap it to a fence, sign post, even your rear-view mirror for a great time lapse of your travels. Another cool feature is the mount unscrews ant fits right into your full size tripod when needed.  I love to set it up and do a time-lapse as I set up my big boy gear for a more formal shoot.  They also manufacture a cool video steady cam for $99 but that might be a bit much for iPhone style video shooting. You can buy the tripod here.

Speaking of time-lapse, if you have not tried it yet, do it right away.  Its fun, provides great additional coverage and is so easy to do.  There are many apps out there but I like iTime Lapse best. It’s free and has some good options.  Here is sample of one I created

Thankfully, these days most electronics will work in most countries. The safe voltage required for my iPhone, Canon battery chargers, Mac Book Pro, etc. is found in most destinations so a bulky, expensive and heavy converter is normally not required as it was many years ago.  Now a simple, lightweight and inexpesive adapter is all you need.  Simply search the web for the outlet configuration and order the proper adapter.  Just be sure you do this before you leave as it is often times very hard to find in country and if you can locate it, it will be 500% more expensive.  Most electronics are now universal but check the manufactures web site to be sure.

Pockets, pockets, pockets. I love me some pockets.  The leader in ‘modern pocket technology’ as I call them is - www.scottevest.com   They offer some great travel pants with tons of storage space and some nifty pockets that even the most skilled pickpocket (or David Blaine) can’t penetrate.  They also offer a fleece jacket with zip off sleeves that can accommodate an iPad, water bottle and tons of other gear. It even comes with a lens cleaner shammy.  The company sponsors people to do an around the world trip with no luggage, only using the pockets in their products.  While that may be a bit extreme, it can offset some of the ridiculous additional costs the airlines shove down our throats for luggage.  The downside of course is the more pockets you have, the more places you need to check so work out a system to remember where your stuff is stashed. I commonly carry pens, lens cleaners, model releases, water, etc.

Bali can get hot so I recommend wicking shirts with lots of pockets like those from North Face but you can find great deals on these at the discount stores.

My backpack is a Tamrac Aero Series Speed Pack.Great photographers travel gear by Tamrac It fits my 17 inch MacBook Pro, some gear, a couple lenses (even a 220-400 beast), but the coolest part is the quick access pocket that allows you to get to your camera in seconds without even taking the pack fully off.  This allows me to catch shots that I would otherwise have missed.  It also features weatherproof zippers so the rain or splashing waves wont get in and ruin your gear.  I love it and you can get yours here. Its not fully waterproof so I also carry a rain cover like this one

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Pack-Rain-Cover/OU4060,default,pd.html

In the back I always stash some granola bars, a headlamp, carabineers, etc.  I use a carabineer to clip my Leatherman multi-tool to the front of my pack, not inside, so I always have it handy for many uses including protection.  Obviously you can’t bring it on the plane so remember to always put it in your checked gear so it doesn’t get confiscated or get you locked up in the pokey. Purchase yours HERE

Camera gear and lenses are very expensive and heavy so you may want to look into renting gear specific for the type of adventure you are embarking upon.  In some countries you can even rent the cameras, lenses and equipment there so you don't need to lug them back and forth (also saving you some money on those bogus luggage fees).

Of course I also travel with an external hard drive.  Lacie makes good rugged drives that are known thier reliability.  Here is a link to purchase.  I also like Western Digital's drives but they are not as good for traveling.  www.wdc.com I also carry a card reader, extra batteries, polarizing filter, etc.

A good final tip is too make your expensive gear look as crappy as you can.  Some people are attached to their labels and brands but I don't want to stand out and be a target.  I use a sharpie to cover up labels, brand names, etc.  I also switch out my Canon neck strap for an aftermarket one. It’s more comfortable too.

I hope these tips and tips are helpful and please share your thoughts below. I would love to hear from you. Do you have any gear you cant live without?

Come join us on one of our Photography tours and learn even more tips, trick and ideas.  Please check out some of our tours and we specialize in fully custom tours to see exactly what YOU want.

http://www.balifornian.com/upcoming-tour-dates/

Aside from Bali, we can take you to Borneo, Papua, Komodo, Tana Toraja, and any other of the 17,000 islands of Indonesia.

http://www.balifornian.com/komodo-dragon-photo-safari/

We have lead teams of documentary filmmakers and amateur and professional photographers from all over the world. We know many secret spots that most people never see and we have special access to help make the trip as unique as possible.

Part 2 of this series has been completed and can be viewed HERE.  You can EMAIL me to get on our mailing list to be notified for future updates.

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The Ultimate Adventure Expedition ~ West Papua

Balifornian Tours announces The Ultimate Adventure Expedition.  We will be touring Bali and then head off to one of the most remote regions left in the world, West Papua also know as Western New Guinea (formerly Irian Jaya). 

Its beauty and magnificence is unparalleled from its pristine beaches, ultra rare flora and fauna and the deep traditions of its tribes, which have been virtually untouched by outside influences. 

Travel is difficult on this tropical island for many reasons from snow capped rugged mountains to some of the most impenetrable jungles.  Many areas of this remote island are off limits to tourists and others require permits, but we will have unique access, as we will be chaperoned by local officials and members of the military. 

This is a once in a lifetime trip allowing you to interact with former headhunting and cannibalistic tribes of primitive cultures whose development is said to have ended in the Neolithic period (younger Stone Age).  We will be making a documentary film during this tour in which you can participate (and be credited). 

This expedition is for experienced travelers and requires extreme sensitivity and thus the exploratory party will be limited to only a small group.  If you are interested, please contact us ASAP papua@balifornian.com as we depart in June 2011.  For more information go to http://www.balifornian.com

Balifornian Tours ~ Best Tours.  Best Adventure.  Best Experience.  Photos above from Public Domian.

Update on Friday, March 18, 2011 at 4:25PM by Michael Doliveck

Update:

The response has been strong so I wanted to provide a bit more information.  We have a great opportunity here and I am working hard to get everything arranged.  Some details are still being worked out as it always is with these projects.  

If you do have strong interest, I am happy to provide more information.  I'd say you would need to buy air fare before too long as prices are predicted to rise due to oil prices worldwide but now they are still reasonable, though a bit more than usual for this time.  All team members are responsible for their own expenses.
The plans are liquid at this point as we are still gathering information and coordinating with our contacts in Papua.  I think we are looking at 8-14 days there and I am trying to lengthen it.  We will be in Bali for a couple weeks as well.  Papua is a bit pricier than other spots in Indo but still very reasonable and we will be able to save money by traveling with family (who also conveniently lead the Navy).  I can take care of all the permits and coordination.  It looks like we may have a small crew of videographers so its shaping up to be a great trip.  The rubber dates to be in Papua are June 22- July 6th or so.  All we ask is that, all footage gathered would remain the sole property of the shooter, but we be given permission to be used in the documentary we are producing.  All credits will be given to the shooter in the film and we are still filling positions (editor, sound tech, etc.)
I have a great travel agent if you want his name.

Thank you,
Michael

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Prof. Michael Doliveck ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Your best source of news and information of Bali and Indonesia
m@balifornian.com