Indonesia
Nusa Tenggara
Nusa Tenggara is a sprinkling of 566 islands stretching eastwards from Bali. The six main islands of interest to tourists are Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Komodo, Flores and Timor. In contrast to Bali's lush vegetation, these islands have a rugged landscape of rich volcanic soils and harsh limestone outcrops. Together they have forty volcanoes, 25 of which are still active. wpe84.jpg (11183 bytes)

At least 50 distinct groups of people live in Nusa Tenggara with their own dialect, culture and religious events influenced by animist rites and ancestral worship.

Lombok Island:

Lombok Island is a tropical paradise with magnificent stretches of natural beach, excellent diving and snorkelling off the three coral-ringed Gili Islands and traditional native villages, ancient temples and palaces. Mount Rinjani dominates Lombok with its high peak and two-mile wide caldera which last erupted in 1901. In the crater is a lake called Segara Anak (Child of the Sea) and a new mountain christened Gunung Baru which appeared in 1942.

The people of Lombok are a gentle mix of Hindu-Balinese and native Moslem-Sasaks, each with their own variety of arts, crafts, customs and traditions. Many say that Lombok is like the Bali of long ago. The island lies across the straits from Bali and is quickly reached by ferry or plane.

Once in Lombok, you can enjoy the peace and tranquility along its shores, or explore the island's largest towns of Ampenan, Mataram and Cakranegara. If you are fit you can trek up Mount Rinjani through scenic countryside and picturesque traditional villages and treat yourself to the most spectacular panoramic views.

The countryside has a number of traditional villages worth visiting, including a blacksmith's village, a native weaving village with dome-shaped thatched huts, and the royal water garden of Narmada in which stands the Pura Lingsar, the oldest and most sacred Hindu temple on the island, thought to be the only Hindu shrine in the world where both Hindus and Moslems come to worship.

Famous for its 'ikat' handwoven textiles, Lombok is relatively undiscovered, except for the town of Senggigi which is now a major resort.

Sumbawa:

Sumbawa, once known as 'the sandalwood island' is famous for its horses, beautiful beaches and 2,820 foot tall Mount Tambora, now dormant, which last erupted in 1815 killing 12,000 people. The caldera has two coloured lakes and the rim offers spectacular views as far as the island of Lombok.

The village of Tepas has traditional-style architecture and the former palace in Bima is now being turned into a museum. Sape, where sailboats are still made in the traditional way is a convenient point of departure for Komodo Island. Nearby Moyo Island has a nature reserve with wild oxen, deer, wild boar and spectacular birds.

Komodo Island:

Komodo Island, located between Sumbawa and Flores is quite barren except for its fascinating giant lizard, the Komodo dragon. These monitor lizards are indigenous to the region and grow up to three metres long, feeding on the carrion of goats and deer. The people live in a fishing village and most supplement their income by breeding goats for tourists to feed the lizards. Komodo is now a nature reserve, and is most easily reached by ferry from Flores.

Flores:
Flores was named by early Portuguese settlers and the island still reflects much of their influence in language, music, cuisine, dress and religion. The mountain of Kalimutu offers spectacular views of its three crater lakes which continually change colour. The town of Ende is where Sukarno resided in exile during the early period of the nationalistic movement in 1936 and his house is now a museum. The town shows a marked Arab influence as a result of traders stopping over in the 18th and 19th centuries.
wpe86.jpg (17831 bytes) Sumba:
Sumba has unusual megalithic tombs and numerous old graves carved with interesting motifs such as buffalo horns, horses and nude men or women. Many traditional houses are decorated with horns of water buffalo sacrificed during rituals. In Pasola, colourful horsemen fight around February and March in an exciting local tradition. Sumba is well known for its 'ikat' weaving and beautiful beaches.
Timor:
Timor exhibits some Portuguese influence with the western half (Timor Barat) becoming part of Indonesia in 1945 and the eastern half (Timor Timur) joining as the 27th province in 1974. The provincial capital of Kupang has the only sandalwood oil factory in Indonesia as well as an interesting museum. Camlong, about 45 kilometres away, has a nature reserve with some rare animals and Timor Coast has an abundance of beautiful beaches from which one can enjoy spectacular sunsets.