East of Lombok, the scorched, mountainous island of Sumbawa is often perceived as an inconvenient but necessary bridge between Lombok and Komodo, but it does hold some fine west-coast beaches , as well as spectacular coral just offshore at Pulau Moyo . In the east, the exceptional reef breaks at Hu'u have become legendary amongst surfers. Sumbawa is a strictly Muslim enclave and both male and female travellers should dress conservatively.

Historically, the Sumbawan people in the western half of the island have always been influenced by the Balinese and the Sasaks of Lombok, while the Bimans in the east share linguistic and cultural similarities with the Makarese of Sulawesi and the peoples of Flores and Sumba. Up until the end of the sixteenth century, Bima Region was still mostly animist, ostensibly ruled by a succession of Hindu rajahs with Javanese origins but, when the Makarese of Sulawesi took control in the early seventeenth century, they converted the people to Islam . The Dutch only really controlled the area at the beginning of the twentieth century, and were ousted by the Japanese in World War II. Soon after, Sumbawa became a part of the modern republic of Indonesia. Transmigration and the wholesale reaping of the sappanwood and sandalwood forests have put huge pressure on the little land that is useable and Bima's once illustrious bay is now filling with silt as a result.

Ferries to and from Lombok (90min) dock at POTO TANO , at the extreme western end of Sumbawa; buses meet all incoming ferries and run south from the harbour to Taliwang (1hr; Rp2000), and north to Alas (45min; Rp2000), Sumbawa Besar (2hr; Rp3000) and sometimes all the way to Bima (9hr; Rp10,000). Ferries to and from Flores (9-12hr) use the port at Sape . Pelni ferries dock at Bima .