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Indonesia is an enormous nation that I come again to time and again. Sumbawa Island was by no means on my listing as I had all the time visited extra vacationer pushed islands like Lombok or Flores however now it was time to fill the hole I had within the lesser Sunda islands. Sumbawa is legendary for its lovely landscapes, seashores, browsing, diving, and whale sharks. It’s undoubtedly off the overwhelmed path particularly given how shut Lombok, Bali, and Flores (house to Komodo Nationwide Park) are however I believe it’s a matter of time earlier than Sumbawa has its second.
I spent every week diving and exploring the island of Sumbawa and completely beloved it. The island is completely large so certainly not did I discover even just a little little bit of the locations which might be out there.
The place is Sumbawa Island?
Sumbawa is situated in the course of the lesser Sunda island chain. It’s sandwiched between Lombok and Flores, which is house to the Komodo Nationwide Park. It’s a big island that spans 15,000km or about 3x the scale of Bali.
Sumbawa is lesser referred to as a vacationer vacation spot than its neighbors Lombok and Flores however that might shortly be altering as extra of the Indonesian islands get developed. I got here right here after a visit to Lombok to discover dive websites that I had not visited earlier than.
The place are the vacationer hotspots of Sumbawa?
Sumbawa is a surprising island that’s in its infancy phases of tourism as I write this in 2024. It’s nonetheless untouched by mass tourism like close by islands of Bali, Lombok, and Komodo however the infrastructure is certainly being laid down for a growth. Till then, this island stays tough to get to however a treasure to people who make the journey.
Whereas the island may be very huge (3x the scale of Bali), there are just a few areas that has been developed for tourism. Even the areas which might be developed for tourism stays distant and undeveloped.
West coast of Sumbawa
The west coast of Sumbawa is a surfer paradise. This space could be reached by ferry from Lombok comparatively shortly and there are a group of various dive resorts and surf camps alongside the coast. The seashores and landscapes are extremely lovely and remind me of a lot of the landscapes in Lombok.
I had debated coming to this a part of Sumbawa because it was simpler to succeed in from Lombok however finally selected Moyo island.
I had dived beforehand in Lombok with Blue Marlin they usually solely dive the strait between Lombok and Sumbawa. The diving there’s fairly good however I needed to strive one thing new. Browsing additionally wasn’t excessive on my precedence listing as there’s a lot browsing to be accomplished in Lombok.
Moyo Island
Moyo island is a distant island simply north of Sumbawa Besar, one of many foremost cities of the island. Sumbawa Besar can also be house to the principle airport of the island which implies it’s “simpler” to succeed in Moyo island. From the airport, it’s a 1h speedboat ferry journey away to Moyo island.
Moyo island is house to an unbelievable underwater panorama that’s nonetheless untouched by the mass diving crowds. The diving and the island itself are each spectacular. After speaking to different vacationers, all of them most popular the diving in Moyo island to that of West Sumbawa which implies I made the precise selection!
Attending to Moyo Island
Moyo island isn’t a simple place to get to. As with all good issues, they arrive to those that wait (or are prepared to attend).
By flight from Bali and Lombok + Ferry
The first approach to get to Moyo island is by flight from Bali or Lombok to Sumbawa Besar (the principle metropolis on Sumbawa), after which a ferry to Moyo island.
There are two every day flights that depart from Bali and make a stopover in Lombok to select up extra passengers (you don’t get off) earlier than ending in Sumbawa. These flights depart within the morning and takes roughly 2h to get to Sumbawa after factoring within the layover in Lombok. The return flight to Bali capabilities on the identical schedule.
From Sumbawa Besar, you possibly can take a ten minute taxi to the small pier at Pantai Goa which can price 100k IDR. That is very expensive for Indonesian requirements however given how distant Sumbawa is, there isn’t a Gojek but so the worth is about by the taxi mafia.
Ferry from Sumbawa Besar to Moyo
From the pier at Pantai Goa, you might have two choices to get to Moyo, the non-public speedboat and the general public ferry.
The general public ferry is 100k IDR and leaves day by day round 1pm. Give or take 1h as a result of they depart when the boat is crammed up with sufficient folks. The general public boat takes barely over 2h and isn’t an actual ferry however extra of a neighborhood passenger boat. The locals switch all their provides on this boat together with livestock. My Wingsair flight from Lombok/Bali landed in Sumbawa round 10:45am and I used to be on the pier by 11:15. This implies you’ll want to attend on the pier for roughly 2 hours to ensure that the ferry to depart.
The non-public speedboat will take half as lengthy and can depart everytime you need. The price of this boat is anyplace between 1.5m IDR and a pair of.5m IDR relying in your negotiation expertise. I used to be with just one extra individual and I mentioned 1.5m is my remaining value which they accepted. We didn’t need to wait two hours on the pier given there was actually nothing across the place so we ended up paying the non-public ferry value. Sadly on my day of arrival, there have been no different vacationers in any other case the price of this boat would have been cheaper on a per individual foundation.
As soon as we arrived on the foremost city on Moyo Island, it was one other 15 minute drive by scooter to the dive resort at Blu EmOcean. Roads on Moyo are very bumpy however it is a distant island village in any case!
By ferry from Lombok
One other means that many individuals do that journey is by way of ferry from Lombok. I don’t suggest this technique as it’s going to take the complete day and price the identical quantity as merely flying to Sumbawa. From Lombok Labuan Kayangan port on its north east coast, you possibly can take a ferry to the west coast of Sumbawa.
From the ferry station in Sumbawa, you’ll then take a coach bus 4h to Sumbawa Besar city. From the city, you possibly can take the ferry to Moyo (similar because the part above).
What to do in Moyo Island?
Moyo island is a pretty big island that’s not very effectively linked. There are most likely many unbelievable sights to see on Moyo Island however realistically there are just a few which might be accessible for the common individual. Except for diving which is certainly the principle spotlight for me, the principle waterfall on Moyo island is a should go to attraction.
Labuan Aji Village
All journeys will begin in the principle village. Folks nonetheless dwell within the conventional method right here. Homes are easy and life is gradual. The first income supply of the native persons are sesame farming and most maintain themselves off of fishing. There aren’t even any correct warungs in the principle city which is how you’re in a distant place.
I might primarily concentrate on renting a scooter or a scooter with a driver to go to the subsequent a part of this part.
Mata Jitu Waterfalls
The Mata Jitu waterfalls are a completely gorgeous show of nature and a should go to sight when visiting Moyo island. Whereas I got here right here for diving, most individuals really come right here solely to see this waterfall. Even Princess Diana has visited this waterfall. Whilst you may look like this may entice the plenty, that couldn’t be farther from the reality.
I went right here on a morning the place I wasn’t diving from the Blu EmOcean resort. You may both rent a neighborhood to drive you with a scooter, or you possibly can drive your self with a scooter. Each choices will price round 100-150k relying on the day. I elected to drive with my very own scooter as a result of I hate sitting on the again of 1.
The street as much as the waterfall is bumpy and never simple so I don’t suggest this for those who aren’t snug with scooters. It’s a roughly 30 minute bike journey from the principle city to the waterfalls.
As soon as we arrived, it was an absolute factor of magnificence. I actually was left breathless at how lovely this waterfall was. Everybody undersold this place and it undoubtedly defied any expectations I had. Mata Jitu is house to limestone swimming pools that replicate a ravishing turquoise inexperienced water from its white sandy backside. There are a number of terraced swimming pools which might be fed from a big waterfall in the beginning. It jogs my memory of the Krka waterfalls in Croatia however with none folks. I actually can’t describe it and provides it any justice so simply take a look at these images.
Essentially the most superb half? We had been fully alone on this waterfall with no single different vacationer anyplace shut. The water was refreshing and never chilly and I ended up swimming in a number of ranges of the waterfalls. Due to the limestone formations, strolling alongside the sides of the swimming pools was not slippery which made it nice for taking images.
All in all, don’t come to Moyo with out visiting this waterfall because it really is a type of particular locations.
Diving in Moyo Island
Diving in Moyo island is a should. The underwater marine life is implausible and the corals are nonetheless very wholesome. I might say the diving right here might be corresponding to a number of the dive websites in Komodo and even Raja Ampat. Whilst you gained’t see the identical quantity of huge pelagic fish like mantas, the education fish and selection will certainly preserve you busy.
Better of all? There are solely two dive retailers in the entire island so you’ll virtually all the time dive these websites to your self whereas in Komodo, you can be diving with a number of boats on the similar time (Komodo remains to be superb although).
The place to remain on Moyo Island?
There are just a few locations to remain on Moyo Island and on Sumbawa Besar (the mainland). I ended up staying at Blu EmOcean for my keep on Moyo Island. Listed here are the choices:
Blue EmOcean is a ravishing ecolodge situated a number of kilometers north of the principle port city in Labuan Aji. There are solely a handful of locations to remain on the island and the property at Blu EmOcean regarded like a particular place. The resort has modified house owners in recent times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now run by a younger and passionate Brit who has grand visions for the resort.
There’s additionally a dive store situated on the premise which operates every day dives round Moyo reminding me of the Scuba Junkies Komodo resort that I did my divemaster course in. The resort can also be going through due west which implies you’ll see a number of the most superb sunsets of your life at this place. Moreover, given its distant location on a distant island, each night you’re greeted with essentially the most lovely show of stars above you, reminding me of my time spent in Zanzibar on the seashore.
Whale Shark journey in Sumbawa
Indisputably, one of the crucial unbelievable issues you are able to do in Sumbawa is the whale shark tour. The realm round Saleh Bay is house to resident whale sharks that frequent the bay 12 months spherical. This bay has became a sanctuary of types and has essentially the most resident whale sharks out of anyplace else on the earth.
You are able to do whale shark excursions from Lombok on a multi night time tour, a day journey from Moyo island or from the resorts close to Sumbawa Besar. It’s a 2.5h boat journey from Moyo island to Saleh Bay and the day journeys will depart round 3-4am within the morning as one of the best time for the whale sharks is within the morning.
The distinctive factor about Sumbawa is that you’re allowed to dive with the whale sharks and it’s virtually a assure to see whale sharks. That is much like my expertise on my Maldives liveaboard however I used to be by no means capable of dive with the sharks.
Sadly, we couldn’t actually get it collectively at Blu EmOcean to make this journey occur as there merely weren’t sufficient folks to make the journey economical. For that matter, in case you are intent on doing this tour, I might suggest staying at an even bigger resort on the mainland of Sumbawa.
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