MATARAM - West Nusa Tenggara tourism business get fast grow up after 1987. This progress is faster about thirty five years better than normal condition. But the progress is just in Lombok Island not all this province yet. Lombok Island is so close from Bali Island that gets popular before.

In the first period the tourism progress just visited less twenty six thousand people from another country and just fiftythree people from Indonesian. Based on tourism note about visiting to Lombok Island at 1993 get up more than one hundred fourty thousand people from many countries and about one hundred seven thousand Indonesian people was came in. They are visit to Lombok Island about one hundred fifteen thousand people from many countries and Indonesian about seventy eight thousand people.

At Sumbawa Island any four regent government are Sumbawa Besar west Sumbawa at west of Sumbawa Island, Dompu at center island and Bima at east Sumbawa Island.

At dry session almost this island is very barren. All of it in island is look brown area. But in this island are much natural resources and many best tourism object.

BIMA REGENT
Bima have strategic position because this regent is transit place who will go to Komodo Island vise versa. Based on NTB tourism office at 1993 said any more nine thousand people from many countries were stay in Bima regent and more twelve thousand Indonesian. This area is usually said gold triangle location between Bali Island, Komodo Island and Toraja at South Sulawesi Island.

There ara many original beach at Bima that beautiful view also beside at Senggigi beach or Kuta Tanjung An at Lombok Island. At Bima are Lamere beach at Matamboko bay in Sape area that near to komodo Island. Another place is Asakota (gate to Bima city by sea) that have archeology from Dutch and Japan era.

The archeologies are about Dutch castle and Japan cave with oil tank. Also have Malay language at Arabic letter at Islam cemetery at Nisa Island (now said Goat Island) that Knew well is Abdul Karim Daeng Makule who bring Islam religion in Bima. For support the progress at this island, Bima government was increased ways quality from Sape area that had about many billion rupiahs.

Some attractions get from art tourism object at Bima palace kingdom as Sultan Salahudin inheritance that changes as Asi Mbojo art museum. In this gate any flagpole made ex ship’s mast war Bima kingdom.

Another kingdom collection is kingdom cloth and Al Quran that hand wrote has measurement about thirty and fifty centimeters. At this museum also can see private king house family that the king’s fifth daughter (Siti Sulaeha princess) stay on. And than Samparaja culture museum by Siti Maryam is Sultan Salahudin’s daughter.

As long as Raba-Bima ways to Sape (east Bima) have many object other like Jurang Pengantin more two hundred meters from sea surface. From this place can see all Bima city landscape many lightly in the night.

At Ntori village at Wawo area just two kilometers from Sape area have unique rice barn. Because in there have about one hundred rice barn collective people in one local. The race barn is said as Jompa form and Lengge form.

The race barn is locked and hence protected each other. ”To open this race barn of course must have permit from hold the key at the special time,” Abdul Manaf M Said Husny (La Sangi) said. He had as head of Bima tourism office. In the village surrounding has Wawo pesanggrahan (villa) that was kingdom villa. At Maria village popular as handcraft stone ”Wadu Ake.”

What a pity all potential source not yet well manage in this city. Even though compare with Lombok tourism object manage. In Lombok have more merchant who sale many thing like t-shirt, handcraft, pottery and so on. Lombok’s people have feel tourism multiplier effect. About way behind condition at Bima is agreed by La Sangi. Because in Bima no have much art shop as souvenir sale center at each tourism object.

DOMPU REGENT
Dompu tourism object have Satonda Island that no people life in there. Satonda custom visiting many guest that transit to Komodo Island from Bali vise versa. Every week the island visiting regular guest by cruise ship from Bali also. This island include gold triangle destination Tamosa (Tambora, Moyo and satonda tourism object). Tambora is Tambora volcano object that attract mountain climbing object. Moyo Island at west of Sumbawa Island is popular as tent resort that ever visited Lady Diana from Great Britain Kingdom and William prince from Dutch kingdom. And Satonda wide about two kilometers have beautiful beaches and under sea view. This island has also salt lake as wide deepest about seventy meters.

In this area have pig hunting object also. The pig is trouble maker for public farm field in there. Tourism object else is visiting coffee plantation and mede (cashew nut) plantation that managed by PT Bali Anacardia joint with local people who is transmigration from Lombok Island. The plantation area is about five thousand hectare since three years ago. That’s way at north of Dompu call is agro tourism object.

Half of north Dompu is not have good transportation way. Distance between Dompu to Calabahi as length about one hundred six kilometers must drive about four hours and feel so hard way and make tired. Because of the condition Dompu not more visited many guest from many countries or Indonesian. If people come there they are custom by sea.

At south Dompu have best local for surfing support that is Lakei beach. Lakei is famous between world surfers as best location, because the beach have special wave. Lakei beach location is just length about thirty kilometers from Dompu city. Years later Lakei is world surfers’ destination.

According Irianto that have Malingi cottage, Lakei is popular because the wave wider it is make easy for them. This condition is probably surfer get action for eighty people in one time. It is special local for them.

A special else is five wave type like periscope, nangas, Lakei peak, Lakei pipe and capeal stone. All of this is very perfect for surfers’ expert. In Lakei beach was many good cottage complete all property at the location. Lakei area wide is about six hundred hectare. This beach is just about twelve kilometers from Hu’u area.

Surfer from over countries if they feel to get along well they can stay until many weeks in there. Even thought now in there is no session for surf activity, because every month can get best wave. ”But this is not for new comer surfer,” Peter Loddon said. He is a nurse at Melbourne Australia that take comment about Lakei beach.

SUMBAWA REGENT
At Sumbawa regent more ready to commercial torusim business than Bima and Dompu. At there have some of tour package offer. As a iron industry at Talwa area at Batu Bulan village as far as twelve kilometers from Sumbawa Besar city.

These villages have been offer at tour destination program for Bali Sea Dancer cruise ship to dock at Badas harbor at Sumbawa Island. in Talwa we can see make process iron handcraft like chopping knife and knife (Solingen-at German-red). Usually many people had buy these handcraft that sale about twenty five thousand up to forty thousand rupiahs per knife.

Some special and interest art culture get show as welcome moment in there. Like Ratib rebana dance who show by twelve women. They will to take guest dance together.

Next object is visit to Ai Beling waterfall abiut thirty kilometer from this village. To get location we must walking before about six kilometers. This ways was good although rather slope upward.

Ai Beling was Sultan Muhammad Djalaludin III a hunting forest area. About one hectare flat stone spread out area in there and the water flow from this stone. The tall of this waterfall about two meters. The water that falling down to our body as massage is feel relax and good for healthy.

But in there must attention because many well if we not know it. The well deepest is about more than five meters and it is turn water. People that tall about one hundred sixty centimeter if go dawn the well is can not step on the well based.

Another choice object is visit to Pemulung area that has rice pound process with traditional way attraction by women. The rice pound activity at under stage house (rumah panggung-traditional house). They are welcome for other people look at their house. The same goes they are welcome too for share wedding procession knowledge. It is start from bride prepare who get cry under her sarung (traditional cloth) cover custom until she appear at dais on which the bridal couple sit.

In there have chance look for many variation handcraft result include children cotton crocheted. They are expressly showed it. Offered material like traditional saxophone made Lontar leave (palmyra palm) and Rebana (traditional percussion) Sumbawa.

More interesting attraction is Barapan kebo (Barapan/balapan is racing. Kebo is carabao/water buffalo). Every carabao couple have jockey who stand up above a flat at behind. The competition place at rice field that wet area.

Scor of the racing is the carabao run to get a Saka pole at area point. The point controlled a Sanro (shaman) who lead carabao not to strike the Saka pole by his mantras. It is both compete between Sanro and jockey with different reason. If the carabao success strike the Saka pole is mean this carabao is winning.

In this attraction give chance to guest try as the carabao jockey. That’s special experience for them and than they have chance to give the prize for the winner jockeys. After this moment the jockey will ask them to go around and to dance. ”It is nice and fantastic,” said them.

At Sumbawa regent have high precious history archaeology. It is a Bala Kuning who is Sultan Sumbawa’s house. Include in all house property, his kingdom’s cloth and gold kopyah (Islam hat made from gold).

Sumbawa was going forward their tourism business first compared Bima and Dompu. Many tourism entrepreneurs at Mataram guide their guest to Sumbawa on one day tour package.(supriyantho khafid)