Making the most of Kodi Sumba
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
As cruise ships are not able to dock here you will be tendered ashore close to Bondokodi.
Printable map to take along.
Sumba island covers an area of 11,150 square km which is now populated by about 350,000 people.
The island of Sumba is well known of its sandalwood, horses, impressive megalithic tombs, typical hand woven textile ("ikat"), and still untouched beautiful beaches.
Nearby places
Passengers disembark in Waigapu, largest town of Sumba. Prailiu village which is an Ikat weaving center is 3 km away. Kwandu village with its megalith tombs is 10 km away.
Food and shopping
In Indonesia eating with your hand (instead of utensils like forks and spoons) is very common. The basic idea is to use four fingers to pack a little ball of rice, which can then be dipped into sauces before you pop it in your mouth by pushing it with your thumb. There's one basic rule of etiquette to observe: Use only your right hand, as the left hand is used to clean yourself in the bathroom. Don't stick either hand into communal serving dishes: instead, use the left hand to serve yourself with utensils and then dig in. Needless to say, it's wise to wash your hands well before and after eating. Eating by hand is frowned on in some…
Money
ATMs are common in any major cities in Indonesia.
Be careful when using credit cards, as cloning and fraud are a major problem in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but American Express can be problematic. At smaller operations, surcharges of 2-5% over cash are common.
Staying connected
The sole official language is Indonesian, known as Bahasa Indonesia.
Internet: Prices vary considerably, and as usual you tend to get what you pay for, but you'll usually be looking at around Rp 5,000 per hour. In large cities, there are free hotspots in certain shopping malls, McDonald restaurants and Starbucks cafes. Some hotels provide free hotspots in the lobby.
mobile phones emergency number: 112