Brenda Yun Strory : First Impressions of Sumba

Gorgeous Tarimbang Bay

To travel to Sumba is to travel slow, but I much prefer this mode than the bustle of Bali. Even the hassle of getting to the Bali airport was enough to tear my hair out, so the quiet and rural Tarimbang Bay is a breath of fresh air.


My flight was delayed in Bali, so I took a deep breath and just tried to bear the anticipation of Nusa Tengara. Sumba is surprisingly unknown compared to the other islands on the Nusa Tengara chain. I guess it’s that way for a reason, as the accommodations and facilities here are not much to be excited about.


I was greeted at the airport by the owner of the Tarimbang homestay, Marthen. We spent an hour or so doing some much-needed shopping and the like before heading south. The first half of the journey from Waingapu to Tarimbang was quite beautiful and scenic. The whole island is covered with rolling green hills, starkly drier than the lush green of Bali, but pretty in its own way. The second half of the road was quite bumpy and almost reminded me of my travels in Myanmar, taking a 15 hour bus ride on a road that, if paved, would only take 2-3 hours.




The whole journey took just 3 hours by car. I’ve heard it takes twice that long by bus, but it’s also 10 times cheaper. I was pleasantly greeted by Marthen’s family, who showed me to my bungalow – a cute pink bamboo thatched hut with a table and chairs on the patio and a twin mattress with a mosquito net inside. Despite the sparse furnishing, I’m finding my little hut quite comfortable.


“Next door” dwells a South African hotelier named Rod and to my other side are Kay (Australian woman), Peter and Kate (Czech couple), and Tom (Kiwi). Everyone here is very friendly and accommodating – and all of them surf. We had a big dinner in the dining hall, and then prepared for “lights out” at 9 p.m. (when the generator shuts down).


It was difficult getting settled at first, as the generator had drowned out the night noises of geckos, dogs, pigs, chickens, horses and distant motorbikes. I thought I could hear the ocean as well. I finally did go to sleep and was awakened by Rod and Kate preparing for a morning surf at 5:30 a.m. I too readied for my first taste of Tarimbang surf and paddled out to the break by 6:30. It was quite a long paddle. According to the crew (who were all already out at the break), today was the smallest day this week. I wasn’t too upset by that news, though, and caught some pretty decent waves.

The waves at Tarimbang

We had breakfast (a big banana pancake) when we returned to Marthen’s. I fixed some of the holes in my mosquito net and before I knew it, it was time for lunch! It was an enormous lunch, so after reading just a few pages of my book I snoozed for a bit. It just rained, so I’m thinking it might be worth walking down to the bay to hop in for a surf or a paddle, depending on the size.


Tomorrow, I have every intention of writing more meaningful things, but I figured I would take my first day in Tarimbang and relax. More later!




-- ONE WEEK LATER --


It’s now been a week since I arrived in Tarimbang. Since my arrival only 5 other guests arrived: a Frenchman named Bernard, a Belgian named Celine, British guy Daniel, and Aussie/French couple Mark and Laure. Everyone has left camp, and now there are just two of us: Kay and me. Turns out Kay is a very cool 50-year-old surfer chick. I’ve enjoyed sharing the wave with her and we’ve slowly gotten to know each other – enough that we will be traveling to West Sumba together tomorrow.

The food is very decent

Life in Tarimbang is slow but nice. All my mornings have been spent surfing. Then breakfast quickly followed by lunch. The afternoon is spent at the beach. The wind here in Tarimbang is onshore from 10 a.m. on, so my afternoons are usually made up of walking, swimming, snorkeling, reading or napping. One unfortunate thing about all of Indo right now is the heat. By noon the day is sweltering hot – to the point where you’re sweating just sitting still – and there are mini-mosquitoes buzzing in your ear. It’s not very fun during the day, so I’ve made a habit of hitting the beach soon after lunch to catch the onshore breeze and hop in the water. The only problem with this routine, however, is that there isn’t really a good time to do work/typing because it’s too hot, and I have to take two showers. My hair is a matted mess at this point – there’s very little hope due to sun and saltwater damage. I have, however, managed to stay out of the sun enough to avoid a sunburn.


I can’t say I’ve had the greatest luck avoiding mosquitoes, though, but I’m still feeling healthy enough that I haven’t yet taken any anti-malarial meds. I consulted Jason after purchasing 20 tablets of Fansidar only to learn that it has given many people a very severe skin rash and is no longer advised as an anti-malarial medication. After talking to people at the camp, though, the best prevention is long clothes and DEET, which I’ve been pretty good about, but still managed to get at least 5 bites a day. : ( We’ll keep an eye on my health.


So, it’s farewell to Marten’s Homestay tomorrow, after a final morning surf,. The waves consistently declined through the week until this morning, which had some fun-sized high-tide surf. Tomorrow, if the wind lets off, the waves should be good! Depending on the swell, Kay and I will either stay in Waikabubak (if there aren’t waves) or in Pero (western coast) tomorrow. We have every intention of surfing another week or so before making our way back to Bali. Coincidentally, we both fly out of Bali on October 16.

Source : blog.brendayun.com

Sumba will be the next Bali: Association

The chairman of an influential tourism association stated Sunday that an increasing number of local tourism operators have now set their sights on the island of Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), believing it to be the next Bali for international tourists.


“We are increasing a promotional and marketing campaign to introduce the island on the global stage,” The Association of the Indonesia Tour and Travel Agency (Asita) Bali chapter chairman Aloysius Purwa said.


“The island has magnificent natural beauty, as well as cultural heritage. It will easily become the country’s next prime international destination — the next Bali,” he said.


He pointed to the island’s unique cultural heritage and ancient belief system as the first factor that would draw visitor attention. The indigenous belief system, known as Marapu, which is centered on a megalithic culture of majestic stone structures, would amaze visitors, he said.


“Everywhere in Sumba, visitors can come across rustic, ancient villages with large stone structures at their center. The stones function as either ancestral tombs or a venue for elaborate and colorful sacrificial rituals, which mesmerize tourists who are fortunate enough to visit the island,” he said.


Sumba’s traditional architecture and unique cultural events, such as Pasola, which involves a mock battle between spear wielding warriors on horseback, as well as the beauty of Sumba’s handwoven double-ikat clothes would certainly charm visitors.


“The island also boasts magnificent natural beauty with white sandy beaches offering a panorama that no beach in Bali could surpass. Diving and snorkeling spots are abundant on the island’s northern shores, while its southern shores offer a challenging paradise for surfers,” he said.


The island also has superior infrastructure. The main roads have an average width of 30 meters and there are two airports — Tambolaka in West Sumba and Waingapu in East Sumba.


“Currently, there are 15 regular flights per week from Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport provided by Lion, Merpati and Transnusa. It takes a one hour flight to reach Sumba and the island also has a ferry harbor in Waikelo. All these facilities mean that the island is ready to receive a large number of foreign visitors,” he said.


The association had also suggested the local administration provide sea plane services for connection to the island’s most beautiful beach, Pantai Kita, and the neighboring island of Komodo; home of the world famous Komodo dragon.


“It will take only 15 minutes for a sea plane to reach Komodo. The availability of this sea plane service will increase the attractiveness of Sumba in the eyes of international tour operators wishing to offer their clients with as many travel options as possible,” he added.


Sumba, with a current population of 800,000, has only one resort, Nihiwatu Resort, which has been acknowledged as one of the world’s five best eco-hotels. Despite its expensive rate of US$600 per night, the resort has always been fully booked.


“We need medium class boarding facilities to attract visitors from mid-level incomes and we also need to establish a tourism school to train local youths,” he added.


Purwa disclosed that the association had established contact with the local administration in order to develop a joint tourism development strategy. West Sumba Regent Jubilate Pieter recently travelled to Bali to present his plan before representatives of more than 80 tour operators.


“The relevant agencies and local administrations should prepare the necessary legislation in order to prevent unrestrained tourism development from taking place. Sumba should not repeat the mistakes made by Bali, where lack of legislation and law enforcement had given birth to unchecked development and environmental degradation,” Purwa advised.


Jubilate Pieter asked the tour operators to include Sumba in offers made to international buyers. He promised to improve the tourism facilities in Sumba and to develop the island in a selective manner.

Source : The Jakarta Post

Sumba Horse, an Endangered Identity

A group of bay, black, and gray horses ran through the savanna in Wunga village in Hahar subdistrict, East Sumba district, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
In the Sumba society, a horse is a symbol of transportation with great cultural value. It also has a historical value. Whenever people hear the word Sumba, they will imagine horses.
Horses have been part of the people of Sumba, one of the southern islands of Indonesia, since the mid 1800s, far before the Netherlands imported Ongole cattle and established Sumba as a cattle breeding center in 1914.


House Member, John Umbu Detta, in Kupang said that Sumba horses are an eastern breed believed to derive from Mongolian horses. Their spread to Asia was believed to occur with the spread of Hindu religion.
Sumba horses are closely related to the culture of the people. In every cultural event, horses are always involved. “In the Pasola festival, tens, even hundreds of horses are involved in the horseback javelin-throw event,” said Tuya Nggaba (46), a farmer from Pahunga Lodu, East Sumba.

Horses are seen as the ride of the ancestors. Whenever a horse in the savanna neighs, it means an ancestor is riding the horse. That is why herders must always wear traditional Sumba outfits whenever herding horses.
Besides being used as a burden animal, livestock, racing horse, or a ride to herd cattle, horses are also used in weddings (for the groom to gift to the bride’s family) and mass mobilization.

The price of a common horse would range between 2 to 8 million rupiahs, while race horses could worth from 10 to 250 million rupiahs, depending on how many times the horse had won regional or national competitions. The more trophies, the higher the price.

Lately, race horses represent high social status in the Sumba society. Even outsiders are involved in the business of buying and selling race horses. Horses are sold to Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, and throughout East Nusa Tenggara, with prices reaching up to 250 million rupiahs for one horse.
The population of Sumba horses had declined in the middle of the 20th century because of Anthrax. The population had bounced back through cross-breeding with Australian horses.

Currently, said Umbu Detta, the population of Sumba horses continues to decline and could become extinct because the horses are freely sold to other areas such as Bima, Makassar, Denpasar, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta. Sumba horses are commonly bought to pull carriages/transportation, for racing, slaughter, or as dairy horses such as those in Bima.

The population of Sumba horses is estimated to be just 50,000. Head of the Livestock Service Office of East Sumba District, Robert Gana, ensured that Sumba horses would never become extinct.  (KORNELIS KEWA AMA)