Rediscovering Sumba

Returning to an emerging travel destination after a gap of a few years can often be a cause for disappointment. With the rush of unfettered development so often destroying the magic that makes a destination special, transforming it from pristine beauty to a tangled polluted mess, I wondered how much Sumba had changed since my first visit to the island. Would the lure of the tourist dollar have changed it forever or would the island’s wild nature and remote location have kept it off the radar?

Weekuri Lake

Getting to the island is certainly less difficult – there are now regular flights from Denpasar, making it much easier to hop over for a few days to explore. From what I witnessed on a recent visit, thankfully not much else has changed.

Ratenggaro Village

Alighting from the sole plane on the dusty runway, I was relieved that the stark difference between Sumba and more populous islands like Java and Bali still hits you the moment you emerge from the cabin. The airport terminal at Tambolaka may be slightly bigger than before but the feeling that you’ve arrived somewhere new, exciting and virtually unchartered still remains.

On first impressions, the opposite seems to be true. As I left the proud new terminal, I was met by one of the resort’s fleet of converted open-air land cruisers, a vehicle more associated with an African safari than a tropical getaway. It’s the perfect taster for what will follow – Sumba’s landscape and culture is in many ways closer to the arid African bush than her verdant tropical neighbours to the west.

Tarimbang Beach, East Sumba

The traditional villages in Sumba are built on high ground, making it easier to defend attacks from enemy villages. In an island where headhunting and bloody wars are not such a distant memory, the position of a village was very important to its survival. Although attacks no longer occur, the island’s annual Pasola festival reveals the population’s continued skills at warfare. Here rival villages compete in a frenzied horseback battle, staged to appease animist gods while sacrificing blood to ensure a fruitful harvest. Part of Sumba’s ancient Marapu religion, this is just one in a series of rituals, sacrifices and festivals that fill the Sumbanese calendar.

Bwanna Beach

HOW TO GET THERE
Getting in to Sumba is not that difficult, for there are regular flights from Denpasar to Tambolaka such as on Garuda Indonesia (www.garuda-indonesia.com).

WHERE TO SLEEP
Currently buzzing as an alternative holiday destination, accommodations in Sumba : Oro Beach Bungalows, Newa Hotel, Sinar Tambolaka Hotel, Sumba Sejahtera Hotel, Melati Hotel.

WHERE TO EAT
Gula Garam Resto, Ro'o Luwa Resto & Cafe, Warungku, Depot Lamongan