Tanarara Hills
Rolling savannah hills with a winding road cutting through the valley below, turning from green to gold with the seasons.
The image people come for
If one image stands for East Sumba, it is probably Tanarara: ridge after ridge of rolling hills overlapping into the distance, with a sealed road curving through the valley below.
Two different places, depending on when you come
From November to June the hills are fully green. From July to October the grass dries out and turns golden. Both are worth seeing, but they look nothing alike. If the golden savannah is what brought you here, come in the dry season.
The right hours
Before 9am or towards sunset. Outside those windows the light is flat and the ridges lose the shadow that gives them shape.
One thing to expect
Local children often offer to guide you or ask for money. We suggest bringing notebooks or pens as an alternative, and we tell guests about this before arriving so it is not a surprise.
Other places in East Sumba
Waterfall
Tanggedu Waterfall
A waterfall inside a stepped rock canyon with blue pools, reached well beyond where the car can go.
Waterfall
Waimarang Waterfall
A clear turquoise pool ringed by limestone walls, reached by descending a natural staircase of rock and roots.
Beach
Walakiri Beach
A beach scattered with dwarf mangroves shaped like dancing figures, and the best place in East Sumba to watch the sun go down.