Introduction

In this Sumabwa itinerary we're assuming you're arriving on a ferry from Flores and heading west, though you could just as easily be flying into Bima from further afield and tracking west from Sape. If you're starting in the east, just turn your screen upside down as you read this. Can't spare a month? Take a look at our one-week and two-week itineraries for Sumbawa.

When to go

Sumbawa shares the same climate system as Lombok and Bali, namely the wet season is roughly mid-October to mid-April, with the rest of the year dry. The best surfing in Sumbawa is between April and September. Climbing Tambora is not recommended in the height of wet season and the peak may well be closed. Tourism wise, Sumbawa is pretty much never busy.

Climbing Tambora

If you're planning on climbing Tambora, we'd suggest setting aside a minimum of four days to do so as you'll need an absolute minimum of two days to climb the peak and return to Pancasila, and we'd certainly recommend a day to recover. Pancasila is also quite out of the way, and it will take the best part of a day to get there.

Day by day

Day 1 – Sape
Sape is no great shakes when it comes to accommodation. There are a couple of places just inland from where the Flores ferry docks and they are pretty much bottom of the barrel, but comfort yourself in knowing everywhere else you stay in Sumbawa will be better than where you stayed in Sape. So why are you staying here? So that you can do a boat trip to nearby Pulau Bajo, where you can snorkel off White Sand and Santigi beaches. They're probably not drop dead amazing if you've just come from Komodo, but they are not half bad. Grab dinner in Sape proper (a five-minute ojek ride away) and in the morning get a bus to Bima.

Day 2-3 – Bima
Even the most generous visitor probably wouldn't describe Bima as a highlight of Sumbawa, but it is an inoffensive enough place to warrant a couple of nights and it does form a handy base for exploring the surrounds. As you'll be arriving mid-morning, we'd suggest finding a hotel and a bite to eat, then visiting the Sultan's Palace, the hilltop cemetery and perhaps the port terminal for some sunset pics.

On your second day, you have two options, in opposite directions, so unless you want to give Bima an extra day, you'll need to pick one or the other. Southwards, a couple of hours by scooter, lies the impressive/abandoned Rontu Beach. Think "beach that would be heavily developed if it was anywhere but Sumbawa". Northwards, you can travel what we've coined the "Sangeang loop", a scooter ride (or car drive) which takes you north from Bima through some impressive hill scenery then along the coast to Sangaeng, where you can see traditional boat-building and the spectacular Gunung Api volcano offshore. If we had to choose, we'd go for the Sangaeng loop. Regardless of which you do, grab a mid-morning bus on day three to Dompu – the earlier the better.

Day 4-5 – Dompu
Dompu is primarily a transport hub that roughly marks the point where the trans-Sumbawa road has a southern spur to Lakey Beach and a northern spur to Pancasila and Gunung Tambora. For those with a bit of time, it is also a handy base to visit two outlying sites. On the afternoon of the day you arrive, ask your hotel to arrange you an ojek to visit Krama Bura, a terraced rice field area just to the north of town. Best visited in the early morning or late afternoon, when the rice is close to harvest, it is a very pretty scene. Get to bed early as you have a big day tomorrow.