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.

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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

Bali Textiles- The Buying Guide

Balifornian Tours can take you to some of the best shopping spots on the island.  We avoid turist traps to get you the best prices on authentic goods and services.  The tour will often pay for itself with the savings.  Being native Balinese Maryam has relationships with artists of all kinds.  Contact us for more details and inquire about one of our famous shopping tours.

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by baliblog

Everyone who visits Bali inevitably leaves with one kind of souvenir; it could be a T-shirt or some strange looking phallic symbol. However, for that special souvenir, and one that is everlasting, look at the options of purchasing a piece of textile. I don’t mean your wrap-around sarong but a hand-woven or loom created piece.

Don’t restrict your choice of textile to just Bali. Seek out those pieces made in Java, Lombok or Sumbawa. In fact, on the island you will be able to find quite a few of these pieces. Indonesians are renowned the world over for their textiles. Balinese traditional textiles are much more than simply decorative pieces of cloth. In Bali, the Balinese produce textiles for a variety of markets and, one of them the tourist trade.

Various forms of cloth are produced on the island of Bali and each one beautiful in its own right. Batik is a textile is manufactured mainly in factories these days but there are some smaller places in the outer lying villages where the batik process is still as it has been for centuries.

The two main styles of Batik are batik tulis and batik cap. The art of Balinese textile decoration is best expressed in skirt, chest and head cloths. There are three main categories of Balinese textile and these are Prada, Songket and Ikat.

The main batik manufacturing town on Bali is at Gianyar where many factories can be found and visited. Be warned though, the price you pay at the factory is inflated and you would be better of checking the street prices in markets such as Sukawati first. Be warned though that purchasing traditional cloth in the markets along the tourist strip will not give you the quality you will find in the places of origin. There are other traditional weavers in other places across Bali that weave stunning pieces of cloth and it is to these places you should visit.

Grinsing is one of the rarest weaving techniques practiced and you will find this textile in the traditional village of Tenganan, East Bali. Gringsing is also known as the ‘flame cloth’ and in this elaborate dyeing process both the warp and weft threads are carefully bound before dyeing. This creates numerous patterns that once finished seemingly fit together perfectly and harmoniously.

Tenganan is the only place in the world where the double-ikat process is practised. There are not many women left in Tenganan who know this practice of weaving but it is being handed down to the next generation. To weave a piece of gringsing could take up to three days but the finished product is superb. When you visit the village you are welcome to have a look at this weaving process and of course for a fee!.

Endek is a tie-dyed woven textile popular with most Balinese. Wooden hand-operated looms are used in the process of the weft-ikat method. This is where sections of the cloth are tied and then wrapped before immersing them into tubs of dye. The basic designs are irregular and soft wavy patterns. Also created are diamond designs and a zigzagging pattern. Endek is a versatile cloth for the Balinese because it can be worn for both daily use and ceremonial purposes.

Songket is a brocaded silk that has interweaving patterns of silver and gold thread and is classified as the ceremonial dress of all Balinese. Worn mainly on religious occasions, it is also worn to weddings, tooth filings and other important ritual events. The cloth is tapestry in appearance and has various motifs including wayang figures, birds, butterflies, flowers and leaves. The process of weaving is done on back-strap looms. Because of its thread and quality it is generally accepted that it is a wealthy man’s cloth.

Interestingly, the kain songket is bought in two pieces and then sewn together. The men wear the songket saput. This is a narrow piece of cloth worn over a sarung. Together with a songket udeng or head band this is for more formal and ceremonial occasions.

Decorated with silver or gold thread, kain prada is a lustrous fabric woven of cotton or silk. A ceremonial cloth, it is generally two meters in length and can take up as long as three months to weave from start to finish. Various patterns include lotus blossoms with swastikas as border decorations. These are however the most common motifs.