Sumba, Indonesia

Flashing back to one amazing week exploring Sumba with Alam Indonesia last March. I’ve been incredibly lucky to see so many beautiful places around the world but unfortunately I’ve only been to few places in my own country. I know that’s quite embarrassing but that’s because I want to save the best for the last. But since I visited Komodo Islands few years ago, I promised myself to visit at least one new place in Indonesia each year. And this year I couldn’t be more happier to make it to Sumba. If you haven’t heard about Sumba before, this beautiful island located in eastern Indonesia or around an hour flight from Bali. I joined 5 days 4 nights tour with Alam Indonesia ( you can find them on Instagram @alam_indonesia ) for USD 350/person. The tour includes accommodation, transportation, meals 3 times a day and tour guide. However you still have to purchase your own flight ticket from Jakarta or Bali to Tambolaka and then Waingapu to Denpasar. Alam Indonesia offers various tours with different days, so just in case you can’t spend 5 days to explore Sumba, they even offer 3 days 2 night tour. The tour starts at Tambolaka where you’d explore places like Ratenggaro and Mbawana beach, Weekuri Lagoon and the local village for the first 2 days. After that they’d take you to Lapopu and Waimarang waterfalls, Wairinding and Tanarara hills also another local village where you can purchase a special batik from Sumba.

I found Sumba not only magical and stunningly beautiful ( the nature just incredible and if you love photography like me, it’s a perfect place to hunt good portraits ) but it was also a very humbling experience. Just to be home for a while, to appreciate the beauty Indonesia has to offer and to celebrate how far I’ve come. I am very lucky and blessed to have experienced things I never thought I could, also to have access to chase my dreams - while back home, here in Sumba I can see not everyone can have the same privilege. But even though they don’t have a lot, I can see they’re incredibly happy and wouldn’t think twice to share. Talking about the art of having just enough, pure happiness and gratitude.

Sumba reminds me to create bigger…to give back. While life has been incredibly kind to give me more than I deserve, I ask myself what is it that I can do today to give back? Perhaps it doesn’t have to be a huge thing, any act of kindness is more than enough. And a commitment to never stop improving myself, to always experimenting with my art, do things from the heart for one day they would lead me to bigger opportunities and you never know who you are inspiring.

P.S. Also visit Orang Sumba Portrait Series and Komodo Island

Orang Sumba Portrait Series

Notice life’s simple joys and tiny miracles

I’ve been dreaming about Sumba since two years ago when I celebrated new year’s eve sailing around Komodo Islands. I remember I just landed in Labuan Bajo, my guide greeted me with a huge smile and it just felt so good to be home. To speak Bahasa Indonesia again, to see the kids running and laughing, to eat rice, tofu and sambal with my hands, to walk and have a conversation with local people. Ooh simple things in life. From that moment I promise to visit new places in Indonesia at least once a year. In the end of the day there’s no place, like home.

I am completely aware of how incredibly lucky and blessed I am to have seen and experienced so many things out there but spending some time at home, exploring Sumba even for a very short time was a very humbling experience. You don’t realize how far you come and how lucky you are to have access, space, time, opportunities to create and chase your dreams until you see everyday life in Sumba. These beautiful people even though they don’t have a lot of things, they look incredibly happy and enjoying life. They don’t mind to share food and laugh even if they only have so little meals for dinner. They would open the door and invite you as if you’re a part of their families. They’d also tell you to take pictures of them and smile sooo wide it warms your heart. As I pointed my camera, trying to capture the memory and their beautiful smiles - I ask myself how can I give back to the people who give me so much, to life who shows me miracles and surprises that sometimes I think I don’t deserve it. Perhaps the answer just be kind to one another, be grateful, do what you love - love what you do, never stop creating… I am grateful for my first time in Sumba, certainly won’t be the last.

If you haven’t heard of Sumba before, this island located in eastern Indonesia. You can fly to Waingapu or Tambolaka from Denpasar, Bali or Jakarta. It is highly recommended to join an open trip to Sumba organized by few travel companies that you can find on Instagram like Alam Indonesia, Kakaban Trip or Wondernesia.ID. With rates starting from USD300 for 4 days 3 nights or USD350 for 5 days 4 nights per person, you don’t have to worry about tour guide, transportation, meals, accommodations anymore, it’s all inclusive except you still need to purchase your own flight tickets to and from Sumba. What if you want to explore Sumba on your own? You can do that, but keep in mind Sumba is one of underdeveloped areas in Indonesia, so you can imagine raw nature, hard to get internet connection, people don’t really speak English so it’s highly recommended to travel with local people. Is it safe? OF COURSE! Get ready to fall in love with Sumba…