Upon arrival at the airport of Tambolaka in Waitabula, meet and greet with your driver and guide, the Explore Sumba Team. Before starting our journey, we will go to the local restaurant for lunch first. After that, we will visit Rumah Budaya Sumba (Sumba’s cultural house). This is a good place to start, a place where you can learn about the island. It was built in the style of a traditional Sumbanese house, and the surrounding grounds are dotted with Marapu stone carvings. Among other artifacts, the collection includes ikat, stone and wood carvings, traditional jewelry, and a handful of everyday items you can find here. Next, we go to the Talasi Estate Factory, where you can find the locals producing Sumbanese cashew and coffee. They will also take you to explore their farm and connect with the Talasi community and farmers. You will also get a chance to taste the cashew milk and weejewa coffee, which are produced directly by the farmers here. Then check in at your hotel and take a bit of a break until the perfect time to catch the beautiful sunset on Lendongara Hill. In the quiet place where you can sit and relax while enjoying the stunning hill view, the ocean view from a distance, as well as the panorama of the villages. After the sunset, we go back to the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel, today we will explore more of the south-west part of Sumba Island. We’re going to the Kodi area, and we will make a visit to Weekuri Lake, a crystal-clear lake that makes it a great place to swim and to relax. Spend some time in the lake for a short (or long) dip. Do not miss walking around the rocks and reef, where you can also see the ocean from one side. Next to Weekuri Lake we will find Mandorak Beach, guarded by two huge rock ridges pointing to the middle and crystal-clear water. A lunch box will be provided here because there are no restaurants in the area. Next up will be Ratenggaro Village. Here we will see the traditional high-roofed houses (actually the highest rooftops in all of Sumba), made all by hand and traditionally. This village is the only one of a few traditional villages left in the area, and while the village is just a compound of some houses, each house can accommodate up to 50 family members. During the harvesting season, however, most of the villagers will stay in their fields to work and only leave the elders and children in the village. This village is beautiful because it is built in front of the beach. After visiting the village, we will go to Pero Beach to enjoy the sunset. Then back to the hotel.
After breakfast, we will check out of the hotel today, and go to explore West Sumba. On the way, we will visit a local market where you can engage with the locals and see how they sell their local products directly. Try to connect with them with our guide’s assistance! Continuing to make a visit to the Waikacura area, you can do a short trek in the ricefield, where you can also enjoy the beautiful view of the small river located in the middle of the ricefield. Then we go to the local restaurant for lunch. Next on our adventure will be the Lapopu Waterfall. After a drive through the endless hilly and green landscape of Sumba, you will arrive near the waterfall. To visit the waterfall, you will need to do a short hike of approximately 15 minutes and cross a bamboo bridge to get there. There is a nice spot to sit down where you can watch the water find its way down the hill. After that, we will go to your hotel.
Having breakfast and checking out of the hotel. Today we will go to the east part of Sumba, and during the long drive we will make some stops along the way. The first place we will visit will be the village of Praijing. Praijing village is a traditional village uphill, surrounded by lots of greenery. This is one of the few villages where we can actually get a beautiful overview of the entire village and get an idea of how the village is conducted. Take some time to walk around the village; the elders occupy most of the houses, and kids are always around to share their smiles.
Next, we drive to East Sumba. On the way, we make a visit to the village of Anakalang, located in central Sumba. In this village, you will get a chance to visit the big megalithic tomb owned by the late king of Sumba in Pasunga Village. Lunch boxes will be provided. Next, we go to your hotel in east Sumba for check-in. Take a bit of a rest until the perfect time for the sunset at Walakiri Beach. We will be watching the sunset here while exploring the beach and its beautiful mangroves. Don’t hesitate and walk towards the small, magical trees that are growing inside the water. When the sun has disappeared, we will go to the hotel, where you can take a rest.
Enjoying the breakfast at the hotel. When you have had enough rest, we will start our adventure today to explore the beauty of the waterfall and savannah in East Sumba, where you can see the horses, the cows free to walk to find their own space and foods. On the way to Tanggedu waterfall, we will have a view of the Puru Kambera Savannah. You can make a stop here to enjoy the ambience. Tanggedu is a stunning waterfall in East Sumba. To get into this waterfall, we need to do about 20 minutes of flat trekking and about 15 minutes of passing the stairs. The view that you will get along the way is really amazing. Your lunch box will be prepared. After the trekking, we will visit Puru Kambera Beach. Relax on the beach until the time you want to go back to the hotel.
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel , we will continue our trip to do the last visit of our trip today, to the village that produces Ikat Tenun, the traditional Sumbanese fabrics / costumes. You may try to wear the Ikat Tenun and make a family picture by wearing a Sumbanese traditional costume here. Then we go to the airport for your flight back home or to your next destination. End of trip.
