Besides Bali, Lombok and Flores, the islands of Sumbawa, Sumba, Timor and Alor also belong to the Lesser Sunda Islands.

I have never visited Sumbawa and Sumba myself. From the stories I hear, you can expect more or less the same as on Flores, albeit that the infrastructure is lagging behind. There is little tourism to be found on the two islands. Apart from a few luxury beach and surf resorts, the accommodations are very simple.

On the Indonesian part of the island of Timor too, (western) tourism is not yet established, but you can take a nice trip along very local traditional kingdoms. The island of Rote also belongs to west Timor and has many surf schools and resorts. The capital Kupang is a hub for flights in East Nusa Tenggara.

The island of Alor has stolen my heart. When you arrive at Alor the island looks like "WELCOME!" to call. A fantastic island to relax and enjoy the underwater world, super sweet and proud Aloreese and beautiful villages.

The islands have a tropical climate. There are however some differences in temperature on the islands. Inland the temperature is most of the time a bit higher than on the coast. On top of the volcanoes it’s much colder. The higher you go the lower the temperature.
As on many islands in the archipelago the rainy season is from about December to March (included).

Sumbawa is located in the southeastern part of the Indonesian archipelago, between Lombok in the west and Flores in the east. The surface of the island is approximately 15,600 km². The island is therefore about half the size of Belgium and has approximately 1 million inhabitants.
The surf spots are the main attractions for tourists. Culturally, Sumbawa doesn't have as much to offer as the other Lesser Sunda Islands. From the eastern capital Bima you can visit traditional Donggo villages.

The dry and mountainous island of Sumba is located south of Sumbawa and Flores. The island measures approximately 11,000 km², making it more than twice the size of the province of Gelderland.
Culturally, it is one of the richest islands in Indonesia, where adat (tradition) still plays a major role everywhere. It is one of the areas on earth where animism is still very much present.
Much of the island is arid and dry. The south coast is steep, the mountains reach the sea. Only a single river breaks through the mountain ridges to form a wide fertile plain (Lamboja and Wanokaka). There are some motorways, but generally the island is difficult to travel.

The Pasola festival takes place every year around February and March. It is a traditional war ritual in which two groups on horseback and with spear attack each other.

Surfers can opt for a backpacker accommodation or the super luxurious Nihiwatu resort.

The island of Timor consists of the western Indonesian part of Timor and the independent, eastern Timor Leste since 2002. In the corridors I mean by Timor the Indonesian part of the island. Timor is often only visited on the way to Alor.

However, a short tour gives a good idea of ​​Timor. There are many traditional villages, of which you should definitely visit Boti. With a bit of luck you will speak the King of Boti. In the village of Oebelo you can see how the traditional string instrument Sasando is made and played.

Surfers can enjoy themselves on the waves at the island of Rote.

Alor is an archipelago with 92 islands, of which Pulau Alor and Pulau Pantar are the largest. Alor is east of Flores and north of Timor.

Many residents of Alor still live in a traditional way. They live in houses of bundled trees with thatched roofs or simple houses made of concrete and work as farmers or fishermen. The traditional Lego-Lego dance is the heart and soul of Alorese society. This dance, where old and young dance hand in hand from sunset to sunrise, can be watched all over Alor.
The Alor archipelago is a first-class diving destination. In this volcanic area there is a huge variety of dive spots: vast coral, steep walls, sloping walls, anemones, but also beautiful muck dives are part of the underwater arsenal. In addition to macro you regularly come across eagle rays, hammerhead sharks and sometimes also the mola-mola sunfish.

An encounter with the dugong (sea cow) Mawar is special. A local ex-fisherman takes you in a boat to the island of Sika and calls his boyfriend there, who always shows up.
Island hopping is an absolute must. You are on the road with a local boat for a day and visit, among other things, the island of Ternate, where the local gin Sopi is brewed, make various snorkeling sessions and enjoy pearly white beaches.

With a bit of luck you will see the local fishermen setting out their fish traps, where they can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes without breathing. You will certainly encounter the spear fishers along the way.
At the end of the afternoon, large schools of dolphins show themselves and lucky ones have a chance to spot a couple of whales!

Alor has a small airport, where Wings Air and Trans Nusa airlines operate daily flights with Kupang on Timor since 2018. In addition, NAM Air has been flying direct to and from Bali several times a week since 2019.