Sumbawa is like two islands in one, featuring strong differences in geography and language between the East and the West. The people of Sumbawa have been living off the wealth of the sea and the riches of the volcanic soil for centuries, and it has started to welcome international tourism only recently.

Sumbawa, located east of the Wallace Line, is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. While its immediate neighboring islands of Lombok in the west and Flores and Komodo with its famous Komodo dragons in the east have already gained fame, Sumbawa still leads a shadowy existence. At 15,448 km², Indonesia's ninth largest island has little in common with its neighboring sisters, but still has a lot to offer.

In addition to a quite unusual shape that visually divides the island in half, Sumbawa also has its own island charm, which is certainly not least influenced by the still active Tambora volcano and Saleh Bay with its whale sharks. Mountainous, with lush forests and even more lush grasslands, hidden waterfalls, enchanting small lakes and picturesque coasts, the island presents a diverse landscape. And basically, located in the heart of the coral triangle, in addition to wonderful diving spots that you can have all to yourself, there are also stunning waves that invite you to surf.

For great muck, wall and drift diving opportunities, this area is ideal as its pristine, rugged coastline and rich marine biodiversity offers the perfect conditions. Explore Sumbawa Besar, the area’s main city, to discover a busy traditional town with colorful markets, or head towards the north to the well-known Moyo island. Most of Moyo is a natural reserve with dense forests of teak, tamarind and banyan trees and rich biodiversity. Famous among birdwatchers for the diverse bird population, wildlife lovers will also appreciate spotting numerous species of bats, macaques, barking deer’s and wild pigs, among other endemic animals. Excursions to the caves and the waterfalls will not disappoint.

More to the East, on the Atlas Strait, the town of Poto Tano is the departure point to discover the Eight Islands, a handful of small inhabited islands famous for their waters teeming with marine biodiversity. The region around Poto Tano and the Atlas Strait is likely to become the next eco-tourism destination in Indonesia.

Anyone else traveling to Sumbawa is interested in an enchanting and diverse natural setting, wants to feel the authentic life of eastern Indonesia and, in addition to being open-minded, also has a certain appetite to explore unknown things. That is what it takes to get involved with what is so different in the far distance.

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