Sumbawa Besar, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

🇮🇩 Sumbawa Besar is a town on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, and is the second-biggest settlement on the island after Bima. It is the administrative capital of the Sumbawa Regency within the province of West Nusa Tenggara.

Languages Indonesian is widely spoken in Sumbawa Besar, with some local languages such as Sumbawa. Several people can also speak Balinese.

Transport Public transportation in Sumbawa Besar may include bemo, dokar (a traditional horse-drawn vehicle), and becak.

There is one airport, Sultan Muhammad Kaharuddin III Airport (formerly Bandar Udara Brangbiji), serving small flights to and from Mataram, Lombok.

The harbour of Sumbawa Besar is of minor importance. However, Poto Tano (id), the most important harbour of Sumbawa, is 90 km (56 mi) to the west.

There is no railway on Sumbawa.

Tourism and sights Sumbawa Besar has a few historic buildings from the Dutch colonial period.

The former palace of the sultan, the Istana Dalam Loka, was built in 1885 with 99 columns, and without the use of a single nail; well-known Sultan Jalaludin III reigned.

Surroundings The village of Poto, about 12 km (7.5 mi) east of Sumbawa Besar, is known for its traditional architecture and ikat weaving.

Air Beling, a waterfall with a height of 50 metres (160 ft), is near the village of Semamung, and is located in a forest previously used as royal hunting grounds.

Mount Tambora, an active stratovolcano whose 1815 eruption was one of the world’s most powerful, lies 40 km (25 mi) to the north-east of Sumbawa Besar.

The Batu Bulan Dam was built from 1998–2003 with financial aid from Japan, and is used for the irrigation of 5,576 hectares of land.

Culture Regional Specialties Sumbawa has several regional specialties, these includes: Food • Sepat • Gecok (Sumbawa) • Singang • Pelu lenga • Rambarang

Cakes • Manjareal • Permen jadi • Putri mandi • Janda berenang.