W NUSA TENGGARA OFFERS ADVENTURES DURING TAMBORA FESTIVAL by Fardah

  Jakarta, April 6, 2018 (Antara) - April 2018 is the right time for adventure lovers to visit West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), where the Tambora Festival will feature various challenging events, from maritime activities to mountain climbing.

        Comprising the Lombok and Sumbawa islands as well as hundreds of smaller islands, NTB Province is blessed with beautiful white-sand beaches, forest-covered mountains and a distinct culture.

         The Tambora Festival, which was held for the first time in 2015, will mostly take place in the Doro Ncanga savanna field in Dompu District, Sumbawa Island.

         The first Tambora festival was launched to commemorate the massive eruption of Mount Tambora in April 1815.

          Mount Tambora is located on the northern coast of Sumbawa Island. The 2,851m volcano remains active. Before its eruption, Mount Tambora was some 4,300m (14,000 feet) high. After the eruption, a caldera spanning some 6km (3.7 miles) across was left behind.

        The Tambora Festival is expected to attract up to 1,500 foreign tourists and thousands of domestic tourists.

          Taking place between April 1 and 11, the Tambora Festival consists of 24 events in several locations across five districts on Sumbawa Island. Among the events are the Extreme Marathon Tambora Challenge 320K, a surfing festival at Lakey Beach in Dompu, and a buffalo race in West Sumbawa.

        In Bima Municipality, a Mount Tambora climbing event will be organized on April 9. In Sumbawa District, a cultural discussion will be held at Dalam Loka Palace.

       In Dompu District, 12 activities are also being organized as part of the festival. They include a creative economic promotion, reforestation of Mount Tambora, and an adventure race by members of the Indonesian Motor Association.

         The peak event of the Tambora Festival will be held in Doro Ncanga on April 11, according to Lalu Moh Faozal, head of the NTB tourism office.

        As for the 320-km long Tambora Challenge marathon, as many as 47 domestic and foreign athletes, participated in the one of the world's longest marathons, which was flagged off by West Sumbawa District Head Musyafirin, on April 4, 2018.

         The fourth Tambora Challenge is organized on April 4-7, to promote West Sumbawa tourism by exploring Sumbawa Island.

        "We hope this event will help promote tourist destinations in West Sumbawa so more domestic and foreign tourist would visit," the district head said.

        The start was from Pototano, West Sumbawa District, and its finish line is in Doro Ncanga.

        The marathon comprises two categories, namely full ultra marathon and relay ultra marathon.

        At least four festivals organized by West Nusa Tenggara this year, has included in the National Calendar of Tourism Events. The four events are Bau Nyale Festival, Tambora Festival, Lombok - Sumbawa Cultural Festival, and Moyo Festival in the National Calendar of Tourism Events.

       The 2018 Bau Nyale Wonderful Festival was held at the Seger Beach, Kuta Village, Lombok District, on Mar 6-7, to promote tourism of the Mandalika Special Economic Zone.

         "We, from the ITDC, as the manager of the region, are very grateful, as the event has become a magnet to attract tourists to Mandalika," I Gusti Lanang Bratasuta, the general affairs head of the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), stated recently.

        The ITDC, which has built several hotels in the region, lauded the Bau Nyale festival, which translates to sea worm-catching.

          Bratasuta expressed hope that more events, including international ones, would be held in Mandalika.  The Bau Nyale tradition has been practiced for hundreds of years in Lombok.

        Meanwhile,  Tour de Lombok Mandalika (TdLM), which has been classified by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) as a 2.2 category race, will be held in Lombok Island, on April 13-15 this year.

         Cyclists from 18 countries have confirmed their participation in  the 2018 TdLM international cycling event, which will be divided into three stages.

         The race will start in Kuta Mandalika-Mataram City, and finish in Sangkareang Park. Mataram city, NTB¿s the provincial capital.      
    The second stage is Mataram-Sembalun in East Lombok, covering a distance of 172.4 km. The start will be from the NTB Islamic Center complex, and the finish line will be in Sembalun village in East Lombok.

        Located in the foot of Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Sembalun won an international award as the Best Halal Honeymoon Destination in 2015.

       Lombok is being designated as an international-class sport tourism destination through this cycling race.

        On May 4 this year, West Nusa Tenggara Province will also organize an extreme 100k Rinjani marathon. ***1***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 06-04-2018