The city of Waikabubak is a sub-district and is the capital of West Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Waikabubak is the second largest city on Sumba Island after Waingapu, East Sumba Regency. Although it is a small and humble town, there are many attractions that you can explore in this town.

Airports in Waikabubak

Tambolaka Airport

Tambolaka Airport is an airport located in Sumba Barat Daya District, East Nusa Tenggara. The airport has a runway of 2,300 meters. Tambolaka Airport is an old airport inherited from Japan in 1945. Tambolaka was later repaired in 1982 with paving and repair of runways for small DC-3, Twin Otter and Cassa aircraft. In 1996, the runway was extended again to be able to land Fokker 27 aircraft. Then in 2005, thickening and extension of up to 1,600 meters could be carried out so that it could accommodate Fokker 28 type aircraft. The Tambolaka Airport runway until 2015 has a total runway of 2,300 meters with a width of 45 meters with a 10/28 Threshold Runway Direction. If you are coming from the Philippines, you can board a plane at Ninoy Aquino International Airport to get to Waikabubak. However, there are no direct flights available from Manila to Waikabubak. You need to transit at other airports before making a flight to Waikabubak.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Waikabubak

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travellers to find the cheapest flights to Waikabubak. All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Waikabubak.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Waikabubak?

The peak and busiest times of Waikabubak are in March followed by Jun and April. Hotel prices, as well as flight tickets, will be higher than any other months. However, you can still get great deals if you book a flight or accommodation ticket earlier. The lesser month with travellers is in September. You can get cheap flight tickets and hotels if you are visiting Waikabubak that month.

Waikabubak, West Sumba Regency has a tropical climate with two seasons namely the dry season and the rainy season. The rainy season in West Sumba Regency is relatively short compared to the dry season. Low rainfall is 700 mm - 1200 mm per year with rainy days of around 70-90 days especially from November to March. The air temperature ranges from 25 °C - 33 °C with a minimum temperature of 21.8 °C and a maximum of 33.9 °C in the dry season.

You can visit Waikabubak to celebrate the Pasola Festival, which they will ride a horse while holding a spear.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Waikabubak?

Mananga Aba Beach – If you want to go to the beach, tourists can go to Sumba Barat Daya Regency. It only takes one hour to get to Sumba Barat Daya from Waikabubak. In Southwest Sumba, many beaches can be considered as virgins. The beauty of the North Coast of Sumba Island can be found there. One of the beaches that can be visited is Mananga Aba. The beach is located 15 kilometers from Tambolaka Airport. In Mananga Aba, the atmosphere is still tranquil and the beauty is still preserved. However, you need to bring food and drinks if you visit here as there are no food stalls.

Tarung Tradition Village – If you want to see the life of the people of Sumba who are Merapu believers, Tarung Tradition Village is the place. Tarung Tradition Village is in a location not far from the city centre. Visitors can come to the location in less than fifteen minutes from Waikabubak. This village is located in the highlands in Loli District, West Sumba. To visit the traditional village of Tarung, tourists are not charged an entrance fee. Only a special box is provided for generous donations.

Wai Liang Market – is selling goods of Sumba souvenirs in the form of bracelets, necklaces, woven materials, white honey bees, Sumbawa honey bees to Sumba clothing.