Lonely Planet Indonesia
Page 66
Rantung Beach Bar & CottagesBUNGALOW$$
(%0819 1700 7481; Rantung Beach; cottages from 550,000Rp; aW)
The mining crowd has enjoyed more than a few sundowners at the vast and open beachside cafe here (dishes 40,000Rp to 80,000Rp); the food always delivers (we love the crunchy cassava chips and huge burgers). Five refined, spacious cottages have queen beds and leafy private decks with sea views. Cheaper surfer crash pads are planned.
Yo Yo's HotelRESORT$$
(%0819 9895 5377; yoyoshotel@yahoo.co.id; Rantung Beach; dm 100,000, s/d from 250,000/450,000Rp, dishes 30,000-80,000Rp; aiW)
A vast beachfront complex with a range of 20 rooms. Deluxe rooms are quite large and well appointed with wood furnishings. Standard rooms are smaller, and a bit worn, but still good value. The 'surf camp' is a clean, hostel-like, fan-only bunkhouse with five bright, air-conditioned rooms (five beds each).
A large two-storey bar and cafe (dishes 30,000Rp to 80,000Rp) overlooks the surf. Monkeys wander the grounds, possibly lured by the Australian Rules Football (AFL) signs.
8Information
Maluk has services. There’s a BNI bank with ATM on Jl Raya Maluk, adjacent to the Trophy Hotel. Internet access is hobbled in Rantung Beach by the lack of a proper phone line: once this is installed, expect fast wi-fi everywhere.
8Getting There & Around
Bemos travel between Taliwang and Maluk (20,000Rp, two hours) almost hourly from 7am to 6pm. Three daily buses leave Terminal Maluk, north of town across from the entrance to the Newmont mine (look for the big gates and massive parking area), for Sumbawa Besar (40,000Rp, four hours).
From Benete Harbour, just north of Maluk, a fast ferry run by the Newmont mine (125,000Rp, 90 minutes) goes to/from Labuhan Lombok one or two times daily. Check times with the Rantung Beach guesthouses.
Sumbawa Besar
%0371 / Pop 54,000
Sumbawa Besar, often shortened to ‘Sumbawa’, is the principal market town of the island’s west. It’s leafy, devoutly Muslim (that legion of nearby karaoke bars notwithstanding), and runs on the bushels of beans, rice and corn cultivated on the outskirts. There’s not much to see here aside from the old palace and a lively morning market. Trips to Pulau Moyo and to nearby villages are worthwhile but take time and money, which is why most travellers simply consider this town a respite on the trans-Sumbawa highway.
Traffic runs in a high-speed Jl Hasanuddin–Jl Diponegoro loop. The best sleeping and eating options are clustered along Jl Hasanuddin.
1Sights
Dalam LokaPALACE
(Sultan’s Palace; Jl Dalam Loka 1; h8am-noon & 1-5pm Mon-Fri, 8-11am & 1.30-5pm Sat & Sun)F
Originally built over 200 years ago for Sultan Mohammad Jalaluddin III, the remains of the Dalam Loka, a once-imposing structure that covers an entire city block, are in fair condition and are still used for political events. You can wander the grounds (unadorned except for some fenced-in deer). Inside the palace are old photos of the royal family, antique parasols and carriages.
Pasar SyketengMARKET
(off Jl Diponegoro; h7am-4pm)
Rise early and hit the steamy, exotic Pasar Syketeng. Its dank alleyways come alive as young and old descend to barter and haggle for every conceivable item, from fish to household goods to live chickens.
4Sleeping & Eating
Basic hotels congregate on Jl Hasanuddin, although there is little reason to overnight in Sumbawa Besar.
Sumbawa Transit HotelHOTEL$$
(%0371-21754; Jl Garuda 41; r 250,000-600,000Rp; aW)
Conveniently located across the main road and to the left as you emerge from the airport, rooms in this low-rise compound are spacious with high ceilings, cheery bathroom tiles and a nice private terrace out front. VIP rooms are larger, quieter and have hot water.
oCipta Sari BakeryBAKERY$
(%0371-21496; Jl Hasanuddin 47; snacks from 20,000Rp; h8am-5pm)
Don't pass through town without a stop at this excellent bakery on a shady stretch of the main drag. Pause for coffee or a cold drink, and be sure to stock up for your journey: the various baked goods, pastries and savoury treats are the best you'll find between here and Bima.
Aneka Rasa JayaCHINESE$
(%0371-21291; Jl Hasanuddin 14; mains from 25,000Rp; h8am-3pm & 6-10pm)
Clean and popular, this Chinese seafood house plates tender fish fillets, shrimp, squid, crab and scallops in oyster, Szechuan, and sweet-and-sour sauce. The soto kepiting (crab soup) is good, as is anything with noodles.
8Information
There are numerous banks and ATMs all along Jl Hasanuddin.
Kantor ImigrasiIMMIGRATION
(Immigration Office; Jl Garuda 131; h8am-3pm Mon-Thu, to noon Fri)
Extend your tourist visa; it'll take at least two days.
Klinik Lawang GaliHOSPITAL
(%0371-626567; Jl Sudirman 18-20; h24hr)
Hospital with ambulance services.
8Getting There & Away
Air
The airport is very close to the centre. Transnusa (%0371-7162 6161; Jl Garuda 41 ) has flights to Bali, and Garuda has flights to Lombok.
Bus
Sumbawa Besar’s main long-distance bus station is Terminal Sumur Payung, 5.5km northwest of town on the highway. You can book tickets at the station and at Tiara Mas (%0371-21241; Jl Yos Sudarso; h9am-6pm). Destinations served include the following:
ABima 80,000Rp, seven hours, several daily
AMataram (Lombok) 80,000Rp (including ferry ticket), six hours, several daily
APoto Tano 30,000Rp, three hours, hourly from 8am to midnight
8Getting Around
It’s easy to walk into town from the airport, just turn to your right as you exit the terminal. The walk is less than 1km. Alternatively, you can arrange transport with local guesthouses.
Bemos cost 3000Rp for trips anywhere around town.
Around Sumbawa Besar
You'll need private transport to navigate Sumbawa's outskirts effectively. Some of the best ikat and songket (silver or gold-threaded cloth) sarongs are made by members of a women’s weaving klompok (collective) in the conservative mountain village of Poto, 12km east of Sumbawa Besar and 2km from the small town of Moyo. Traditional designs include the prahu (outrigger boat). You’ll hear the clack of the weaver's looms from the street and are welcome to duck into their humble huts. The most intricate pieces take up to 45 days to produce.
If you're doing the trans-Sumbawa slog with your own wheels, stop for lunch at Warung Santong (Pantai Santong; meals 30,000-60,000Rp; h24hr), a tasty fish shack teetering on the rocky shore at the island’s midway point. Dine on fresh catch, grilled or fried, in the ‘dining room’, or in one of the stilted pagodas at the water’s edge.
Pulau Moyo
A gently arcing crescent of jungled volcanic rock, Moyo – all 36,000 hectares of it – floats atop the gorgeous azure seas north of Sumbawa Besar. The same size as Singapore, it has almost no commercial development and is peopled by just six small villages. The majority of the island, and its rich reefs, form a nature reserve laced with trails, dripping with waterfalls and offering some of the best diving west of Komodo. Loggerhead and green turtles hatch on the beaches, long-tail macaques patrol the canopy, and wild pigs, barking deer and a diverse bird population all call Moyo home.
Accommodation is limited to just one luxury resort, although there are plans to develop more modest options. It is possible to visit Moyo on a day trip from Sumbawa Besar.
2Activities
Boats from the mainland will take you to the snorkelling spot Air Manis, and the even better Tanjung Pasir (it has a great beach). Good reefs with a plunging wall can be found all around the island if you are prepared to charter your boat for a bit longer. Just northeast of Pulau Moyo is small Pulau Satonda, which also has good beaches and tremendous snorkelling. There are no places in the area to rent snorkelling gear, so bring your own.
There are only two ways to dive at Pulau Moyo. You can join a Ba
li- or Lombok-based, Komodo-bound liveaboard, or check in to the luscious Amanwana, the swankiest dive camp on the planet.
The seas around Moyo get turbulent from December to March and boat captains understandably may refuse to risk a journey.
4Sleeping
oAmanwana ResortRESORT$$$
(%0361-772333, 0371-22233; www.amanresorts.com; all-inclusive jungle/ocean-view tents from US$1100/1300; aiW)
On Moyo’s western side, Amanwana is the ultimate island hideaway. Guests stay in lavish permanent tents with antique wood furnishings, king-sized beds and, of course, air-con. But nature still rules here. The resort is built around diving, hiking and mountain biking. Guests arrive by private seaplane or helicopter from Bali, or from mainland Sumbawa on an Amanwana boat.
The resort sponsors turtle hatcheries, deer breeding and reef-protection projects. There’s a full-service spa and a dive school with private courses and dive trips. You can charter a luxury liveaboard for private seven-day cruises to Komodo National Park and further on to the Bandas in Maluku and Papua's Raja Ampat archipelago.
8Information
The website www.moyoisland.com has info about the island, which is the centre of much speculation regarding future tourism development.
8Getting There & Away
Take a public bemo (10,000Rp, one hour) or your own wheels to Air Bari, a small harbour 22km northeast of Sumbawa Besar. You can charter a boat here for a day trip to Pulau Moyo. Bargain hard for a journey to Tanjung Pasir (from 1,500,000Rp), which is the closest place to Air Bari, about 3km across the water. You may also be able to hitch a ride on one of the regular service boats (from 200,000Rp).
East Sumbawa
%0373
Twisted into a shape all its own, and linguistically and culturally distinct from the west, the eastern half of Sumbawa sees the most visitors thanks to accessible year-round surf near Hu’u village. Adventurous souls may also want to tackle majestic Gunung Tambora, a mountain that changed the world.
Gunung Tambora
%0373
Looming over central Sumbawa is the 2850m volcano Gunung Tambora. Its peak was obliterated during the epic eruption of April 1815.
But you’re here to surmount the peak. From the summit you’ll have spectacular views of the 6km-wide caldera, which contains a two-coloured lake, and endless ocean vistas that stretch as far as Gunung Rinjani (Lombok). A basic climb to the crater rim takes at least two days; if you want to venture down into the spectacular crater – one of the world's deepest – add another five days. Much of the mountain was declared a national park in 2015.
The base for ascents is the remote village of Pancasila near the town of Calabai on the western slope. Here you can organise climbs. Contacts include Pak Saiful (%0859 3703 0848, 0823 4069 9138; Pancasila) and the Rik Stoetman (%0813 5337 0951; visittambora.wordpress.com; near Pancasila). Both can rent rooms (from 100,000Rp to 200,000Rp), and handle transport and logistical issues. Guides and porters cost about 200,000Rp to 300,000Rp per day.
8Getting There & Away
The road along the peninsula from the trans-Sumbawa highway to Calabai is much improved. You can cover the 57km in under two hours with your own wheels, or hop on a very crowded bus from Dompu (40,000Rp, four to five hours) to Calabai. From Calabai take an ojek (motorcycle that takes passengers; 30,000Rp) to Pancasila.
THE YEAR WITHOUT SUMMER
After a few days of tremors the top blew off Gunung Tambora on 10 April 1815 in what is the most powerful eruption in modern history. Tens of thousands of Sumbawans were killed, molten rock was sent more than 40km into the sky, and the explosion was heard 2000km away (by comparison, the 1873 eruption of Krakatoa was one-tenth the size).
In the months and years that followed, weather was affected worldwide as the cloud of ash blotted out the sun. In Europe 1816 came to be known as 'the year without summer'. Crops failed, temperatures plummeted, disease spread and tens of thousands died across the globe. Historical evidence is everywhere, including in the works of JMW Turner, whose paintings from the period feature shocking orange colours in the dim, ash-filled skies.
Two books vividly illustrate how Tambora's eruption changed the planet: Tambora by Gillen D'Arcy Wood and Tambora: Travels to Sumbawa and the Mountain that Changed the Earth by Derek Pugh. The latter author has a lot of useful information for climbing Tambora today on his website (www.derekpugh.com.au).
Pantai Lakey & Hu'u
%0373
Pantai Lakey, a gentle crescent of golden sand, is where Sumbawa’s tourist pulse beats, thanks to seven world-class surf breaks that curl and crash in one massive bay, and a string of modest beach guesthouses, all linked by a beachside path which contributes to the fun atmosphere.
Hu’u is a small, poor and very friendly fishing village, 3km north of Lakey. It’s suffused with the scent of drying fish and blessed with breathtaking pink sunsets.
The area is the centre of a recent push to increase tourism on Sumbawa. New roads hint at future large projects; you can now easily drive east from Hu'u, and north to Bima via Parado, enjoying some superb sea views along the way.
2Activities
This is one of Indonesia's best surfing destinations. Lakey Peak and Lakey Pipe are the best-known waves and are within paddling distance of the various hotels and guesthouses. You’ll need to rent a motorbike or hire an ojek to get to Nungas, Cobblestone and Nangadoro. Periscope is 150m from the sand at the far north end of the bay near Maci Point, which is another good spot. When the swell gets really big, there’s a beach break at Hu'u, as well.
Most surfers share the cost of a boat (from 800,000Rp, maximum five people) to get to the breaks and back. Waves can be very good (and very big) year-round, but the most consistent swell arrives between June and August. From August to October the wind gusts, which turns Pantai Lakey into Indonesia’s best kitesurfing destination – it's regarded as one of the 10 best in the world. Kites descend on Lakey Pipe and Nungas when it's pumping.
Inexperienced surfers should be cautious. Waves break over a shallow reef, and serious accidents do happen.
Joey Barrel's Board ShopSURFING
(Jl Raya Hu'u; hhours vary)
Out on the main drag, this small shop offers ding repairs, board rental (per day from 50,000Rp), surfing supplies and board sales. It's open when the owner isn't at the breaks.
4Sleeping & Eating
There are plenty of decent-value digs strung along Pantai Lakey; most have their own cafes and bars. A paved beach walk follows the shore, linking guesthouses. It has stands selling refreshments and a few simple warungs.
Puma Bungalows & RestaurantBUNGALOW$
(%0373-623061; Jl Raya Hu'u; r 90,000-350,000Rp; a)
Expect 23 colourful concrete bungalows with tiled roofs and shady front porches, plus sprawling, palm-shaded grounds with fabulous views. Cheaper rooms are fan-only. The two-storey cafe (mains 30,000Rp to 50,000Rp) has sweeping views and a rickety, bamboo vibe; the ginger prawns are popular. On some days yoga classes are held.
Lakey Beach InnGUESTHOUSE$
(%0373-623576; www.lakey-beach-inn.com; Jl Raya Hu'u; r 90,000-250,000Rp; aW)
Enjoy tasty homestyle fish dinners, pizza and Indo classics at the large and driftwoody waterfront cafe (mains 25,000Rp to 60,000Rp). Rooms are basic – the cheapest have fans and cold water. French owner Rachel is a legendary local character.
oVivian's Lakey Peak HomestayHOMESTAY$$
(%0878 6698 1277; www.lakeypeakhomestay.com; off Jl Raya Hu'u; r 250,000-300,000Rp; aW)
Set along a little lane between the beach and the main road, this five-room family compound offers the area's warmest welcome. Rooms are newish and large with nice furnishings. The yard is shaded by banana trees and there's a genial cafe-cum-day room.
Aman Gati HotelRESORT$$
(%0373-623031, 0821 4473 4511; www.amangati-hotel.com; Jl Raya Hu’u; r 600,000-750,000Rp, oceanfront villas from 1,000,000Rp; aiWs)
The most upscale place on the beach, this Balin
ese-run, three-star resort has 57 attractive modern rooms. Some are perfectly oriented to the break; others, in the cheaper older building. have higher ceilings and bigger beds. All come with wood furnishings, hot water and satellite TV.
Surf Houses Lakey PeakHOUSE$$
(www.lakeypeaksurf.com; small/big houses from 290,000/320,000Rp; W)
Bertrand Fleury, a world-class kitesurfer, hosts kite pros from July to November for the wind season. When he's gone he rents out his two excellent wooden houses, set right on the Nungas break. Each sleeps up to five with full kitchen, private decks and outdoor baths. Rates vary greatly by the number of people and length of stay.
Blue LagoonBUNGALOW$$
(%0813 3982 3018; Jl Rya Hu'u; r 200,000-350,000Rp; aW)
A vast one-storey complex that stretches back from the beach, Blue Lagoon has well-looked-after, tiled rooms with private patios. All are spacious, but some are in better shape than others. The most expensive rooms have air-con, hot water and satellite TV. The waterfront restaurant (mains 30,000Rp to 50,000Rp) and bar draws a crowd.
Mama'sINDONESIAN$
(Beach Path; mains 20,000-30,000Rp; h8am-7pm)
The namesake owner sits out front of this simple little stall all day peeling veggies for her excellent local fare. Choose a few mains, serve yourself and lap up classic homestyle cooking. It's right on the beach path near the vast Blue Lagoon complex.