 Nusa
Tenggara is a sprinkling of 566 islands stretching eastwards from
Bali. The five main islands of interest to tourists are Lombok,
Sumbawa, Sumba, Komodo, and Flores. 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.
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.
 The
beautiful Gili islands of Lombok are paradise, with white sand
beaches, few people and some great snorkeling and diving spots.
Nightlife in this area may be a good alternative or even for a
night dive; others are a complete escape from the crowds and offer
some fabulous trekking and beautiful panorama for the more adventurous.
As well as scenery, Lombok offers terrific sightseeing and shopping,
with some villages producing famous Lombok pottery and silk weaving
at reasonable prices. Whether you get the car or motorbike and
drive yourself, or arrange for a driver to show you the way, you
will find a country with little influence yet from modern development
and tourism. Even on the road, the bulk to traffic is the cidomo,
or horse and cart.
When there are so much more of everything to see, meanwhile,
you have such a limited time, a good planning becomes very essential
to help you to make the most of your time away.
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.
 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.
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