Sumba Island, The Exotic and Mystic Herritage

If you’re flying over Sumba island, a long gray, treeless and brownish savanna welcomes you mysteriously. Is there any living? Sumba is a rocky, hot and dry place to live in.  It stretches along the coast southeast of Sumbawa. In the colonialism period, Sumba was well-known as the land of “sandalwood”. It is now divided into two main administrative districts, east Sumba and west Sumba. Two thirds of the population inhibits the coast line of Waingapu, the capital of east Sumba district, and one third at waikabubak (the capital west Sumba district). However, Sumba is recently divided into three or four districts. The highlanders are known as “orang mahu” and “orang Kambiara or Kambare” for the coastline region inhabitants.

Both districts are almost similar in climate, the dry season during May to December and the wet season from December to April.  Geographically, however, west Sumba is a green and fertile land for agriculture. East Sumba, on the other hand, is the land of cattle (horse, cows and water buffalo which are culturally part of ritual life).

Several regular flights in a week from Denpasar, Mataram and Kupang,   Sumba becomes an easy island to visit. Number of buses crosses throughout the island connecting the villages and towns. The full-decorated in-town transport of “bemo” are known as “mini-mobile clubs” because they play either hard or soft music which is stunned you along the way. Number of hotels and restaurants could be easily found around Waingapu, Melolo, Waikabubak, etc.

The ancient and mystic cultural life of west and east Sumba are quiet similar. Sumba is a very attractive island to visit in eastern part of Indonesia because of its distinguished cultural life of spectacular rituals, megaliths graves, unusual peaked house and its colorful  “tenun ikat”, the traditional hand-made cloths. Life and death rituals approve the ancient spiritual life of “Marapu”, the God of ancestor. Huge megalithic tombstones picture the nobility of ancient life that full of brotherhood and loyalty toward the communal system. The high peaked houses, ”uma marapu” , is the holy house to place the Marapu’s goods. The “tenun ikat” is colorful and decorated with shells, beads, animals (birds, horse, lizards, dogs), supernatural motifs (skull tree). The foreign motifs, ie. dragon from Chinese ceramics, rampart lions from the Dutch coat of arms and many  Indian silk motifs reflects that Sumba was not an isolated island in the centuries. Traveling to Prailiu (my village) and another village such as Lambanapu, Rindi uma lulu, Prai Yawang (Melolo) will be amazed by these finest and old values of the clothes.

Sumba is an island of traditional events that are annually performed. Horse racing in East Sumba is periodically held in either on Indonesian independence day or some national days. “Pasola”, the fighting horsemen in West Sumba is world-known as the most fair and heroic ritual performed on the earth.

The dance in sumba mostly are dynamic, yelling the spirit of struggle. “Kataga” from west sumba is a very energetic on step tapping and hand harmonized with their heirloom swords. “Harama” the sword dance from east Sumba performs glory of winning the war bringing the head of enemies onto the “Patola ratu”, the skull tree. They are really amazing and wordless.

Facing the Indian Ocean, the beautiful beaches and great waves, Sumba will be an unforgettable island for the surfers and snorkers. Melolo, kalala, Halura island in east sumba are incredible beaches for snorkeling and surfing. “Rua beach” with its high-long and big waves in west sumba is known as the paradise of surfers, especially the Aussies.  “Wangga meti”, a cold 1225 meters  mountain in east is the highest mountain in Sumba island. It gives you different picture of the island. A big forest with its number of birds and wild life live around the mountain.  Visiting Sumba, therefore, could be an adventure of ancient life. Welcome to Sumba.