SUMBA ISLAND TRAVEL INFORMATION

• Full Covid vaccination more than 14 days before the flight to Indonesia (2 doses of vaccine or 1 dose for Jansen).
• Travel insurance (It is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended to have when traveling to Indonesia or any other country).
• Install Peduli Lindungi smartphone app.
• Valid passport with more than 6 months for expiration at the time of entry.
• Off-shore Visa or Visa on Arrival.
• Your international return flight ticket.
• Fill in the online customs declaration form through the Electronic Custom Declaration (ECD)
• Consult with Explore Sumba for an amazing trip! That’s all!!!

Children under the age of 18 do not need to have vaccination to fly to Indonesia but must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

Foreign travelers who wish to apply for a tourist visa to travel to Indonesia must register on the official immigration website, where they must complete a form and submit all required documents. After paying the visa fee, it will be sent electronically to their email addresses. The website from which the request is made is a government portal run by the General Directorate of Migration Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

The Indonesia e-VOA tourist visa is a single entry visa that is valid for 30 days stay in Indonesia for the purpose of tourism, government visit, business meeting, purchase of goods or transit. With the possibility of issuing the visa another 30 days once inside the country (more information on how to extend your visa online in section 3 of this article).

Payment can be made with a credit or debit card of Visa, MasterCard or JCB. That way, tourists can complete their visa applications in a single process. The current e-VOA fee is IDR 500,000. Please note that each debit/credit card payment may incur additional fees in accordance with issuing bank’s regulations.

Health and travel insurance, in case you need to see a doctor it is very wise to have everything you need for the hospital close by. Often times, If something happens with you and you cannot prove you have an insurance or don’t have enough money to pay, the hospital will not even help you. Also travel insurance just in case your belongings get stolen or get damaged. This way you can often replace most of it, or at least get a part of the money back.

• It’s recommended to get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and rabies before traveling to Sumba Island.
• Make sure to also bring any necessary prescription medications and a first aid kit.

Mosquitos & Malaria

Malaria is a big problem in Indonesia, especial in the Eastern part: Nusa Tenggara, Flores, Maluku, and Papua. In the area of Lombok, Sulawesi, Bali and Java, Malaria also exists although not common.

Mosquitos that spread Malaria normally comes out during sunset time. It is important to take the pills to avoid Malaria before arriving in Indonesia, in case you are traveling to these areas, elsewhere bring along a good DEET mosquito repellent and apply generously during the trip.

Because Indonesia is in a tropical area there is a malaria risk. The only exceptions are Eastern and Western Java and Bali. All the other islands are certainly a malaria risk zone. If you are staying for just a few weeks we would definitely recommend using them, having the chance of ruining your lifetime trip by simply a few pills would not be worth it!

When check in your luggage in your city of origin, please double check that the luggage tag is correct. If your city of arrival in Indonesia is Jakarta, please note the luggage tag should be CGK, or DPS for Bali.

We suggest to double check the luggage tag when you are traveling in Indonesia as well. This is to avoid problem with missing luggage.

• Pangkalanbun = PKN
• Labuan Bajo = LBJ
• Maumere = MOF
• Makassar = UPG
• Jogjakarta = JOG
• Surabaya = SUB
• Manado = MDC
• Sorong = SOQ

Most of the International airlines give 25-30 KGs free luggage allowance and 10 KG of hand carry. Low cost would be different, please check to the airlines directly.

Domestic airlines give 10-20 KGS of free luggage allowance, and 5-10 Kg of hand carry, depends on the airlines and type of aircrafts.

Any excess would be weighed and paid directly at the airport counter.

Passing the immigration, you will need to collect your luggage and passing the X-Ray of Customs. Depends on the airports, some required all luggage to be passing the X-Ray machine. The customs form will be submitted here. The customs check randomly luggage to be opened and observed. Do not bring it alcohol or cigarette more than permitted. You can only bring 1 litter of alcohol per person. If you are a smoker, Indonesia cigarette costs a lot cheaper than in most country and is very easy to find.

Online Customs Declaration to enter Indonesia:

For those tourists who are going to travel to Indonesia, I would suggest the following to expedite your entry. The more paperwork you do in advance, the faster and smoother your entry will be. Airport WIFI can be a bit spotty, so always have screenshots, etc.

Now the customs declaration is necessary to fill it out online, they no longer give on the plane; the typical pink paper of before. Then, when you arrive at the airports in Indonesia, there are computers so that people can fill out that form online. So, if you have it already filled, you will also save waiting time in the queue destined to carry out that procedure.

Fill in the online customs declaration form through the Electronic Custom Declaration (ECD) website.

Once you have filled out the form, you will receive a QR code that you must scan when passing through the customs department of the airport.

Remember that the Electronic Custom Declaration ECD can only be filled out 3 days (72 hours) before the departure of your international flight to Indonesia.

If upon arrival in Indonesia you find out that your luggage does not arrive, please go to the LOST & FOUND office at the airport to reclaim your luggage. Please inform them your next destination, and give our contact number so we can help to follow up.

You need to request for reclaim number, name and phone number of the person in charge, phone number of the Lost and Found Office. Please take photos of all the information needed and send us by e-mail or WhatsApp.

There are two airports on Sumba Island, Indonesia:

1. Tambolaka Airport (TMC) – located on the western side of the island near the town of Waikabubak.
2. Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport (WGP) – located on the eastern side of the island near the town of Waingapu.

Both airports have domestic flights connecting to other parts of Indonesia, such as Bali and Jakarta.

If you contracted the tours through us, there will always be a person from our agency that you can find at the airport. He will hold a board with your name, right on the exit gate of the airport. If you don’t find him there, please keep looking for a while as situation can get hectic at the airport especially in the peak hours.

If you still cannot find him, please contact us through our 24h emergency number. You will find our contact number in the voucher that we will send you upon receiving complete payment.

• There are a variety of accommodations available in Sumba Island, ranging from budget-friendly homestays to luxury resorts.
• Popular areas to stay include Waingapu, Tambolaka, and Sumba Barat Daya.
• It’s recommended to book accommodations in advance, especially during peak travel seasons.

Are you planning a trip to Sumba and wondering where to stay? Look no further! Our blog post covers everything you need to know about tourism, infrastructure, and accommodation on the island. Discover the best places to stay and get insider tips on how to make the most of your visit. Click the link below to read the full article and start planning your dream Sumba getaway today! Don’t miss out on this comprehensive guide to one of Indonesia’s most beautiful destinations. Read our post now! Where to stay in Sumba: Tourism, Infrastructure & Accommodation

Sumba Island is located in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, about 400 kilometers east of Bali.

The best time to visit Sumba Island is during the dry season, which runs from May to September. The rainy season, from October to April, can make travel difficult and some areas may be inaccessible.

You can reach Sumba Island by air from Bali or Kupang. There are daily flights from Bali to Waingapu, the main town in Sumba Island. You can also take a ferry from Bali or Kupang, but the journey can take up to 24 hours.

Sumba Island is known for its stunning beaches, traditional villages, and megalithic sites. Some must-see attractions include the Weekuri Lagoon, Pasunga Village, Tarung Village, and the Puru Kambera Beach.

The currency used in Sumba Island is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). ATMs are available in larger towns, but it’s advisable to bring enough cash with you, especially if you plan to visit rural areas.

There are a lot of Money Changers in Bali, Jakarta, Lombok, Makassar and Jogjakarta. But less option on the other cities. If you are heading to a smaller area, it’s best to change the money beforehand to avoid problem.

Money Changers (also Banks) only take new bills with no flaws. Bills of 50 or 100 value higher than 20, 10 or 5.

Do NOT change the money in the small shops even when they seem to offer a better rate. These are scams.

Indonesia has a tropical climate, the average temperature is around 25-30 degrees Celsius, and somewhat humid. Indonesia only has 2 seasons: dry and wet. November – March is rainy season. As the size of Indonesia is super big, the rain does not apply at the same time at the whole country, nor will it rain the whole period. In some areas, the rainy season means 2-3 hours of rain in the morning or in the afternoon.

Best months for traveling are from April to October when it is drier.

Sumba Island is known for its spicy and flavorful dishes, which often use fresh seafood and locally-grown ingredients. Some popular dishes include ikan bakar (grilled fish), nasi goreng (fried rice), and sate (grilled meat skewers).

The daily diet in Indonesia exists mainly of rice, noodles, chicken and fish. These will be prepared in a great variety of ways, often either fried or boiled and served with a soup. You will often see Warungs (little restaurants at the side of the road) serving Nasi/Mie goreng (fried rice/noodles) with spices and vegetables. Westerners often rate the food as sweet or quite spicy. Having said this, the food can be really good at the more upmarket restaurants. The more upmarket restaurants can sometimes cost you up to 3/4 times as much as a Warung, this will often still be 30-50.000 Rupiah (USD 3-5). In the highly touristic parts of Bali and Java you can find loads of western restaurants, these are often more expensive. Also you can find the known fast-food chains from Europe and America, like: McDonalds, Burger King and KFC.

The official language of Sumba Island is Indonesian, but many locals also speak the Sumbanese language. English is not widely spoken, so it’s advisable to learn some basic phrases in Indonesian.

When you are in the more touristic places this will not be a problem. However when you head out to the smaller villages the amount of English speaking people will rapidly decrease. So it would definitely be a good idea to bring a phrasebook, also a good idea would be to learn some of the basic sentences. It is much easier than you think!!

Make sure to pack light, breathable clothing, as well as a hat and sunscreen to protect against the sun. Comfortable walking shoes are also a must, especially if you plan to explore rural areas. Don’t forget to bring insect repellent and any necessary medication as well.

WHAT TO BRING?

• Flight tickets (and copy)
• Passport with Visa (or Visa stamped, and copy)
• Travel Insurance
• Personal medication (include contact lenses)
• Waterproof bag to put all important documents
• All documents for your trip: vouchers, tickets, contacts
• Credit card (in some major cities, credit card is widely accepted in restaurants and shops, charge might be applied)
• Cash in Euro or USD
• Camera, Battery and Charger
• Adaptor (We are using 220V in Indonesia)
• Toile terries
• Sunscreen and Sunglasses
• International driving license (in case you plan to drive on your own)
• Mosquito Repellent with DEET

WHAT TO WEAR?

• Comfortable pants and shirt
• Comfortable walking shoes (or trekking shoes if your trip include some trek) and sandals
• Shorts
• Couple of pairs of socks
• Waterproof Jacket

UNDERWATER TRIP

• Dive Insurance
• Dive certificate
• Certificate of Nitrox, for those who are using Nitrox.
• Dive equipment except Tanks and Weights
• Swimsuit/Dive suit
• Adaptor DIN an INT
• Flashlight
• Sunscreen SPF +40
• Waterproof bags

LANDTOUR & TREK

• Bring a long small backpack to bring the important stuff you need for daily trip. You may leave the rest of the luggage at the hotel.
• Travel Insurance, which covers trekking and sport risk.
• Trekking shoes, preferably Gore-Tex
• Pullover as it could get chill in the night
• Raincoat and Hats
• Small flashlight or head flashlight
• Towel
• Wet Tissue

Indonesia in general is a safe country, violent crime is a rare occurrence. Smaller crimes do happen a lot, but this will mainly happen in the more touristic spots where there is more money to be spent. But this happens all around the world in big cities. So keep your belongings on a safe spot, especially in crowds. When you just keep your eyes and ears open and pay attention around you, it is likely nothing will happen. Often women travel around in Indonesia, they encounter few problems. Westerners do receive more attention, this can come in sincere compliments from waiters, tour guides etc to the less desirable car-honking or shouting. Good ways to avoid this is to dress conservatively or travel around with a male companion.

This totally depends on the way you want your holiday to look like. If you plan on travelling a lot by plane and want to see a lot the cost will of course go up real quick. But if you are just traveling over a much smaller piece of Indonesia and eat at the Warung or cheaper restaurants, go for the smaller hostels you can certainly manage with 30-35 USD per day. This can get cheaper when travelling as a couple or with friends, as you can split rooms and bills.

There are more than 70 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Some explosion like what happened in Sangian, Raung or Rinjani, have caused many airports closed temporarily.

If there is any problem caused by Force Majeure that could delay or cancel the trip, we will do our best to assist our guests. We will give options that guests can choose: refund (whenever possible), alternative ways to reach the destination, alternatives of activities or tours, etc, etc. We will do our best to help and assist the guests to keep the trip enjoyable and minimize the extra costs needed. Guests, however, have to understand that the changes made is beyond our control and there might be an extra cost for this that should not be bear by us.

We cannot predict nor know beforehand if something is going to happened. Guests are recommended to purchase travel insurance on their own.

You may check further details the Terms & Conditions on our website.