Places
Every beach, waterfall, hill and traditional village of Sumba worth the drive: how to get there, when to go and how to visit with respect.
Central Sumba (Sumba Tengah): what to know before you go
The regency most travellers drive straight through hides Sumba's greatest stone tombs, a jungle waterfall and quiet villages on the Anakalang plain. Here is why to stop.
Southwest Sumba (Sumba Barat Daya): what to know before you go
The airport, the lagoon, the high-roofed villages of Kodi and the February Pasola: Southwest Sumba is where most trips begin. Here is how it fits together.
West Sumba (Sumba Barat): what to know before you go
The smallest regency packs in a cool highland capital, clan villages on every hill, jungle waterfalls and two Pasola fields: a practical guide to West Sumba.
East Sumba (Sumba Timur): what to know before you go
Two thirds of the island, a few hundred thousand people and a lot of sky: how East Sumba works, where to go and what to sort out before you leave Waingapu.
Waingapu, Sumba: what to do in East Sumba's main town
Horse-trading port, market town and gateway to the savanna: how to spend a day in Waingapu and use it as a base for East Sumba.
Londa Lima Beach, Sumba: Waingapu's nearest white-sand beach
White sand, calm water and savanna hills running down to the sea, a short drive from town: an easy swim and a quiet afternoon on Sumba's north coast.
Waimarang Waterfall, Sumba: the turquoise pool in the forest
A short, steep walk down through the trees to a bright blue pool ringed by limestone walls: how to reach Waimarang and enjoy it before the crowds.
Tambolaka, Sumba: the airport town, what to do and what to know
Most travellers only pass through, but Sumba's western gateway has the island's largest market, a cultural museum and beaches minutes from the runway: a practical guide.
Laiwangi Wanggameti National Park, Sumba: forest and highest peak
Cloud forest, cockatoos and the 1,225 m summit of Sumba in the remote south-east: how to plan a visit to the island's wildest corner.
Kerewe Beach, Sumba: surf, karst islets and quiet bays in Lamboya
A long right-hand wave, rock islets at the western end and hidden coves over the hill: what Kerewe (Kerewei) is like, how to reach it and what to know.
Bukit Persaudaraan, Sumba: Waingapu's easy sunset hill
A grassy limestone hill across from Waingapu airport, with rice fields, the town and the sea below and old wartime caves on top.
Pau village, Sumba: the weavers of the old Umalulu kingdom
In the Melolo river delta, noblewomen still weave the raised patterns of pahikung cloth: a quiet, rewarding stop for anyone who loves textiles.
Watu Maladong Beach, Sumba: rock islands, tides and access
Limestone towers rising from a turquoise bay on the south coast of Kodi, one with an arch you can walk under at low tide: how to get there and how to stay safe.
Waikabubak, Sumba: a guide to West Sumba's highland town
A small, cool hill town where clan villages sit inside the town limits and buffaloes walk home through the streets at dusk.
Rende village, Sumba: royal tombs and ikat in the south-east
Massive carved stone tombs between two rows of tall houses, in the old domain of the kings of Rindi: what to know before visiting Rende and Praiyawang.
Kodi, Sumba: villages, beaches and Pasola in the far west
The westernmost corner of Sumba, where tall thatched roofs meet the Indian Ocean: what Kodi is, how to get there, when to go and how to travel it respectfully.
Manupeu Tanah Daru National Park, Sumba: visitor guide
The last big lowland forest of western Sumba, home to the Sumba hornbill, the Sumba cockatoo and the island's most famous waterfalls.
Prailiu village, Sumba: the royal weaving village in Waingapu
Tall thatched roofs, carved stone tombs and the click of backstrap looms, a few minutes from Waingapu airport: how to visit Kampung Raja Prailiu respectfully.
Wainyapu village, Sumba: tombs, tall roofs and how to visit
One of the largest traditional villages in Kodi, facing Ratenggaro across a river mouth, with stone tombs by the hundred and a Pasola field at its edge: how to visit with care.
Marosi beach, Sumba: getting there, surf and safe swimming
Almost 4 km of soft white sand curving around a lone rock island on Lamboya's south coast, with waves that draw surfers from May to October.
Tarimbang Beach, Sumba: the south coast bay and its surf
A horseshoe of white sand between cliffs and forest, with a long right-hand wave breaking out on the reef: why Tarimbang is worth the long, winding road.
Ratenggaro village, Sumba: how to visit respectfully
Towering thatched roofs and centuries of stone tombs on a lagoon by the Indian Ocean: how to reach Ratenggaro, what to give, what to avoid and when to go.
Waikelo Sawah waterfall, Sumba: cave river and swim stop
An underground river bursts from a limestone cave into rice fields: a cool, easy stop on the road between Tambolaka and Waikabubak.
Puru Kambera, Sumba: savanna, wild horses and a calm beach
Golden grassland where Sumba's horses graze free, then a long casuarina-lined beach with gentle water: an easy half day from Waingapu.
Pero Beach, Sumba: fishing village, surf and sunsets in Kodi
Painted wooden houses, outrigger canoes and a long reef break at the western edge of Sumba: how to reach Pero, when to go and how to enjoy it with respect.
Matayangu waterfall, Sumba: the jungle trek and what to know
A 75 m fall pouring from a cave into a blue-green pool, reached only on foot through some of Sumba's last lowland forest.
Tanggedu Waterfall, Sumba: the canyon pools of East Sumba
Turquoise water braiding through a carved limestone gorge after a long walk across the savanna: what it takes to reach Tanggedu and how to enjoy it safely.
Bawana (Mbawana) Beach, Sumba: getting there and what to know
Golden sand under tall cliffs on Sumba's south-west coast, reached by a steep stairway: what is left after the famous arch fell, how to get there and how to stay safe.
Lapopu waterfall, Sumba: how to get there and when to go
Sumba's tallest waterfall spills down a staircase of rock inside the national park, a short forest walk from the road.
Walakiri Beach, Sumba: the dancing mangroves at sunset
Small, twisted mangrove trees standing in shallow water, black against an orange sky: how to time the tide and the light at East Sumba's best-known sunset beach.
Mandorak Beach, Sumba: how to get there and what to expect
A pocket of white sand between two limestone cliffs, opening to the ocean through a narrow gap: what Mandorak is like, how to reach it and how to visit without surprises.
Tarung village, Sumba: visiting Waikabubak's ritual heart
A hilltop clan village in the middle of a town, where Marapu priests still set the calendar of the sacred month.
Wairinding Hill, Sumba: when to go, how to get there, what to know
Rolling grass hills that turn from green to gold with the seasons, half an hour from Waingapu: the most famous view in East Sumba and how to see it well.
Weekuri Lagoon, Sumba: how to get there, when to go, what to know
A pool of clear salt water fed by the Indian Ocean through the coral, on the far western tip of Sumba: how to reach it, when the light is best and how to swim safely.
Praijing village, Sumba: how to visit and what to know
Terraces of towering thatched roofs on a hill above Waikabubak, a living Marapu village that now runs its own tourism.