Sumba

Sumba is a large, dry island in eastern Indonesia, an hour by air from Bali and a different country in feel. The landscape is savannah and limestone rather than rice terrace and volcano, the coast has long empty beaches and a serious surf break at the western end, and traditional villages with high peaked clan houses are still lived in rather than preserved for visitors. There are only a handful of places to stay and they book a long way ahead. The dry season runs roughly April to October; the wet months bring heavy afternoon rain and some properties close.