Practical tips for exploring East Sumba

Find out why Sumba is an amazing destination in Indonesia. It is a short one-hour flight from Bali and rewards visitors with stunning natural landscapes and cultural encounters. It might not be the easiest place to visit in South East Asia as tourism is still underdeveloped on the island but if you follow our practical tips, you should have a great adventure in Sumba.

This is my second time in Sumba. On my first trip, I explored the West of Sumba and stayed at Nihi Resort . It was such a good trip that I went back 10 months later, still staying at Nihi Resort but traveling to the eastern part of Sumba. Read below for more info on our road trip from West to East Sumba and practical tips to visit Sumba

Why Trust This Article?

Indonesia has been my home for the past ten years — not a destination I parachute into for a story. I’ve traveled the archipelago from end to end: more than 20 trips to Raja Ampat and Komodo, expeditions through Halmahera, Alor and the Banda Sea, road trips across Sumba and Flores, and countless journeys around Bali in every season, on every kind of transport from private drivers to the public bus. Along the way I’ve slept in everything from Nihi Sumba, once named the best hotel in the world, to remote island guesthouses with no running water or electricity — so when I tell you whether a place, festival or route is worth your time, it’s measured against the whole country, not a brochure. Everything in this article comes from my own visits, with my own photos, and I update it when things change on the ground. More on how I travel and review on my author page.

Waikabubak

We started our journey in Waikabubak in the morning. Waikabubak is the biggest town near Nihi Sumba resort, and the closest airport is Tambolaka

Waikabubak is one of the popular spots in East Sumba. It surrounded by magnificent hills and small traditional villages. This place is widely famous for its astounding megalithic stone graves.

Kampung Tarung village in Sumba

Our first stop was the village of Kampung Tarung, where our guide Juliana is from. It is a pretty traditional village with a beautiful view of the valley. The village was very much alive as they were preparing for a major ceremony. We got invited into Juliana’s home and had a discussion about Sumba’s culture with her family members.

We then started the long drive to East Sumba and made a few stops on the way.

Galu Bakul village and it’s stone monuments

After our village discovery, we moved to another traditional village called Galu Bakul. It is famous for its stone monuments. The village is also famous for its rich culture and history. There are the royal tombs of King of Anakalang. Tourists and explorers from all around the world visit this village to experience its grandeur. These Galu Bakul stone tombs are sacred for the local people of the village. They pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting and maintaining their royal tombs. This shows the rich cultural values of the people of East Sumba.

Passing by the sleeping Giants viewpoint in Central Sumba

Along the road, we then came across the sleeping giant viewpoint. The magnificent hills look like just sleeping giants. The atmosphere up there is pretty pleasant and cool, but the landscape was very dry. Sumba had been suffering a massive drought and some regions had not had rain for the past 6 months.

Mouthwatering lunch at Warung Bangkalan in Waingapu

Don’t trust appearances. This is a tiny place that doesn’t look like much. It was recommended by our guide Juliana, and we probably would not have stopped there without her. The specialty of the place is rice and soups with goat. I had the goat skewers and they might be some of the most delicious skewers I have eaten. And the best value to as a meal there costs 1-2 USD.

Discovering Rende Village

Our next stop was Rende village. The village is a true representative of the Sumbanese culture and traditions. There are houses whose walls are actually made out of buffalo skins! Rende, also known as Rindi, is a village famous for kings and their slaves. This village has a huge history of slavery. The village comprises of stone tombs of the royal families. Ikat weaving is popular around Rende village, so it is a good place to buy Ikats or wooden souvenirs. We met a few people during our time in the village.

Sunset on Walakiri beach in East Sumba

Walakiri beach is one of the most Instagrammed places in Sumba. Here you can enjoy the dancing mangroves which a hallmark trait of this beach. The dancing mangroves at Walakiri beach is especially popular at sunset when you can see the sun reflecting through the mangroves. There are a few bars on the beach so it is a great place for a sunset drink.

TIP: The Mangroves are more spectacular at low tide. We were there during high tide and it looked a bit disappointing so try and time your visit to a sunset or sunrise at low tide.

Ending a long day at Wera beach resort

The Wera beach resort is a perfect place for the perfect stay in East Sumba. It is close to the beach as well. The resort has a very pleasant environment guest. They have 2 bedroom houses for up to 5 persons maximum. Don’t expect the level of sophistication of Nihi Sumba but the cottages were comfortable, clean and pleasantly decorated. The Food cooked by the French owner was delicious. We had a lovely dinner right by the beach.

TIP: Wera beach resort is hard to find, and the road to get there is a dirt road where our car got stuck… It was a bit stressful to get stranded in the middle of the night so the best option of probably to have the owner pick you up with a four wheels drive.

They also organized our transfer to the airport of Waingapu the next day. The airport is about 45 minutes away from Wera beach resort.

Frequently Asked Questions: Sumba Travel & Tips

How do I plan a luxury tour Sumba islands and how to get there?

If you are planning a luxury tour sumba islands, knowing sumba island how to get there is crucial. You can fly direct from Bali to either Tambolaka (West) or Waingapu (East). For instance, the closest airport to nihi sumba is Tambolaka. From there, you can hire a private driver for your entire sumba trip.

What is the best time to visit Sumba?

According to any good sumba travel guide, the best time to visit sumba is during the dry season, from May to October. This is the perfect time for a sumba island travel adventure, ensuring the roads to remote areas like kampung rende and viewpoints like tenau hill sumba are accessible.

What makes Walakiri Beach so famous?

Walakiri beach sumba (or walakiri beach indonesia) is legendary for its sunset. People flock to see the walakiri beach mangrove sunset sumba, where the unique mangrove shapes earn them the nickname the dancing trees of sumba island or simply dancing trees sumba. It is a highlight of any east sumba itinerary.

Is Sumba expensive to visit?

Many people ask, is sumba expensive? While you can find a reasonably priced sumba beach resort, transportation and logistics for sumba travel tend to be more expensive than in Bali because the tourism infrastructure is still developing.

Five practical tips for exploring Sumba

1. The best hotel on the island is Nihi Sumba, and it deserves a few days stays. Horse riding, surfing, spa or just chilling by your private pool, the choice is yours. Don’t miss the school and clinic visit organized by the Sumba Foundation.
2. Sumba doesn’t have taxis or tourism transport waiting at the airport. So you need to pre-book your transport. Our driver, Roi, was great. He can be reached at +6282247719970 and he is on WhatsApp. Be aware that transportation is Sumba is more expensive than in Bali with prices of 800,000 -1,200,000 rupiahs per day normal at the time of our tip
3. A good guide will make all the difference in your trips because what makes Sumba special is its culture and its people. Juliana was our guide, She speaks perfect English and French and was very knowledgeable. It was a pleasure discovering Sumba with her. She can be reached at +6282236216297 and she is on WhatsApp
4. There are 2 airports in Sumba with direct flights from Bali. It is easy to arrive at Tamboloka and depart from Waingapu airport
5. The distance between Waingapu and Tambolaka is about 180 km and takes about 4 hours without stops. There are, however many interesting stops on the way so plan the whole day for the trip ( and it will be a long day!)