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Sumba by Motorcycle <>

Jan 104 min read

Indonesia | October 2024 |


Sharing info after a ride around the west and central areas of Sumba on a Honda 150 Adv. There's obviously more to the island than what I rode, but I covered the major POI and more. In a nutshell: this was an awesome trip and I highly recommend it.


Though sometimes referred to as "the new Bali", Sumba is still an outer frontier of Indonesia. Aside from a small number of surfers, luxury tourists, and hardcore local and international travelers, not many people go to Sumba. And that's what makes it a great place to go.


Duration & Distances

  • 4 days w/ 2 stops / ~15 hrs riding / 500 km



Trip reports

Links to detailed descriptions of my rides from/to, and stays at the latter:


Why Sumba?

Indonesia is my favorite country. Amongst a long list of positive attributes, it's a riders paradise - though not many international riders go there. Having toured extensively in Bali, east Java, north Sumatra, Bali to Flores, I was keen to get to a new place in the archipelago, Sumba had been on the radar for a long time, so it was an easy choice to go there next, and it's easy to get to from Bali. While Sumba's is best known as a surfer paradise that retains a megalithic culture and is home to a globally top-ranked VIP resort, it's also a great place to moto tour.


Planning & Essentials

  • Research: Prior to arrival I did some research online about moto touring - and there was not much there. So, as is my preference, most of my plan was developed on the fly once I got there.

  • Start point: Tambolaka is the main entry point and center of tourism, with most of the action on the west side of the island. You can also fly to Waingapu, though the options were limited.

  • Route: the path I took seems to be a logical one, most people on bikes do the main tourist locales on the west coast. The east side of the island looks interesting, but I have a premonition roads are rough, and not many people venture forth other than hard-core surfers.


Bike & Gear

  • Rental: I booked a Honda 150 ADV from Sumba Rental Bikes. This is a 5-star operation run by a German guy, highly recommended. This was a good bike for Sumba, with rugged tires and crash bars, a good idea for the sometimes nasty road conditions.

  • Riding gear:

  • Luggage:

  • Camera: I take a lot of photos, some videos. My current rig is a GoPro 12 and iPhone 15. As mentioned above, I use the Go Pro on a clip mount that I attach to my backpack shoulder strap. It's set to voice activation and I keep the beep sound turned on, that way I know the camera is taking a photo or video while I am riding. I use the iPhone for major photo opportunities that require a stop and keep it in my tank bag for easy access.



Cost

  • Sumba is great value, like everywhere in Indo. I spent about $60/day including bike rental.

Paperwork

  • Docs: I carried the usual: passport, motorcycle DL & IDP (both Singapore) and bike registration.

  • Insurance

    • Motorcycle: surprisingly, Sumba Bike Rental offers insurance

    • Travel/Medical: I use World Nomads travel insurance which covers motorcycle riding and other action-oriented activities, US$675 for 6 months.


Roads & Driving

  • Roads: I experienced a 50/50 mix of decent paved roads, and poor washboard old paved roads.

    • Tambaloka to Rua: around the coast it was mostly good, with some poor quality in the mountains, then on to the main north-south highway.

    • Rua to Waingapu: very decent corss island highway

    • Waingapu to Tambaloka: mostly poor quality washboard

  • Driving: totally safe.



Weather

  • Excellent the whole time I was there.


People, Communication & Safety

  • Sumba is different than other places in Indo I have been to, people are not as outwardly friendly or smiley - not that that matters, but it is a bit jarring at times.

  • English is not widely spoken.

  • It was very safe for me.


Mobile & Wifi

  • I bought a 30-day unlimited data Telekomsel SIM on arrival to Bali, $25. Service was decent in Sumba, though I couldn't stream with it.

  • Didn't bother with wi-fi.


Accommodation

  • Was great, decent local style guesthouses for a decent price.

  • I used Agoda for almost all of my bookings, as in all my travels.



F&B

  • Food was great, and seafood is exceptional.

  • There are not many chain convenience stores.

  • Alcohol is not easy to find.


Sights

  • The west side of the island features many famous beaches and traditional villages.

  • Wildlife: didn't see any.



Questions?

Drop me a line at terraxplor1@gmail.com, happy to help.

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