merantau
Senior Member
Ferries are the lifeblood of Nusa Tenggara Barat and Nusa Tenggara Timor. Without them the cash economies of the islands east of Bali would wither and die. The markets are in the islands to the west - Lombok, Bali, and Java - and the ferries are the link.
View attachment 31925 At Pelabuhan Kayangan (Heaven Port) east Lombok, the lower slopes of Rinjani volcano in the background.
Ferry travel is cheap and usually reliable however, in late 2013, the KMP Munawar went down off Lombok with the loss of two lives. It lies on the bottom about five fathoms down and will eventually become a dive site when some enterprising operator realizes the potential.
I think the Indonesian Government bought a bulk lot of these ferries second-hand from China. They're certainly hauling a lot of rust around.
They usually have comforting words emblazoned on their sides, such as: "We bridge the nation.", "We Serve the Nation", or "We Love Indonesia."
Arriving in Poto Tano, Sumbawa. In dry season, it's as desolate and parched a spot as you'd find anywhere. Perfect spot for a gulag in the tropics. A few incredibly tough souls dig for gold in the knobs of hills surrounding the town. At low tide the women seek out marine edibles in the shallows.
T.he ferries are twin-screw, catamaran-hull, about 65 mt long. They can take 3 trucks apart at their widest, two at the ends
You can buy snacks on board and there are plenty of vendors on shore too.
The road across Sumbawa is 95% excellent. Built as part of an Australian Govt. Aid package.
I had to carry extra gear as I was planning on climbing Mt Tambora again.
The Regent's office in Sumbawa Besar city.
The track to Post 3. I never made it. Got about 7 km along it. Came to some steep rocky, sandy spots. Got up them after a few tries. Had bike sliding backwards. Toppled over twice, lost some bark on shin. It was hot as hell. No one around. I figured it was only going to get tougher and I still had 20 - 30 km to go. So did the smart thing and turned back. I really needed a mate to help. Next time eh! Saw a few wild horses and some beautiful pheasant.
In Sumbawa farmers use the kejawade tree to make fences. It's constantly pruned to provide forage for stock in the dry season.
This is where I ended up after turning back - Hu'u Beach.
It's a well-known surf break but not for beginners. Just after I left a surfer got dumped and was taken to Dompu Hospital in a coma. They could not assist so he was helicoptered out to Mataram. Don't know the end result.
View attachment 31925 At Pelabuhan Kayangan (Heaven Port) east Lombok, the lower slopes of Rinjani volcano in the background.
Ferry travel is cheap and usually reliable however, in late 2013, the KMP Munawar went down off Lombok with the loss of two lives. It lies on the bottom about five fathoms down and will eventually become a dive site when some enterprising operator realizes the potential.
I think the Indonesian Government bought a bulk lot of these ferries second-hand from China. They're certainly hauling a lot of rust around. They usually have comforting words emblazoned on their sides, such as: "We bridge the nation.", "We Serve the Nation", or "We Love Indonesia." Arriving in Poto Tano, Sumbawa. In dry season, it's as desolate and parched a spot as you'd find anywhere. Perfect spot for a gulag in the tropics. A few incredibly tough souls dig for gold in the knobs of hills surrounding the town. At low tide the women seek out marine edibles in the shallows. T.he ferries are twin-screw, catamaran-hull, about 65 mt long. They can take 3 trucks apart at their widest, two at the ends You can buy snacks on board and there are plenty of vendors on shore too. The road across Sumbawa is 95% excellent. Built as part of an Australian Govt. Aid package. I had to carry extra gear as I was planning on climbing Mt Tambora again. The Regent's office in Sumbawa Besar city. The track to Post 3. I never made it. Got about 7 km along it. Came to some steep rocky, sandy spots. Got up them after a few tries. Had bike sliding backwards. Toppled over twice, lost some bark on shin. It was hot as hell. No one around. I figured it was only going to get tougher and I still had 20 - 30 km to go. So did the smart thing and turned back. I really needed a mate to help. Next time eh! Saw a few wild horses and some beautiful pheasant. In Sumbawa farmers use the kejawade tree to make fences. It's constantly pruned to provide forage for stock in the dry season. This is where I ended up after turning back - Hu'u Beach. It's a well-known surf break but not for beginners. Just after I left a surfer got dumped and was taken to Dompu Hospital in a coma. They could not assist so he was helicoptered out to Mataram. Don't know the end result.
