About Sumbawa

There are only 1 million people living on the entire island of Sumbawa, mostly in small towns and villages. The local people farm rice, onions, beans, tobacco and coffee, as well as running livestock. The pace of life is slow and relaxed. You'll find friendly people everywhere. Linguistically, Sumbawa is separated into East and West. Sumbawanese is spoken in the West, and Bima in the East. Near the resort, the local languages are Bima and Bihasa.

Sumbawa's history is fraught with turbulence, largely because of its rich natural resources. The Dutch fought for control of Sumbawa from 1605 until the early 1900s. Sumbawa has also been controlled by a Balinese kingdom called Gelgel.

Despite western and Indian influences, animism (the belief that inanimate objects have spirits) is still prevalent in the tribal culture of the Sumbawans.

For more information, please use our contact form, or call Christian Schnieder at 808 478-2902 (011 1 808 478 2902 from outside the US), or John Scafe at 08 1 236 373122 (011 62 81 236 373122 from outside Indonesia).