Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 300

large double s with m inibar, TV, bathtub and a/c
(Rp150,000). Rp50,000
Hotel Cendrawasih Jl Cendrawasih 130 T 0371 24184.
Slightly out of town, to the north, this smarter-than-
average establishment offers excellent value for money.
All but the cheapest rooms are concrete bungalows and
have sm all balconies , and the setting is pleasant and
peaceful. Rp100,000
★

route. If you need to relax on the beach
after a hard day's travel, charter a boat
(15min; a negotiable Rp50,000-75,000
return) from the harbour out to the
island of Pulau Kambing , where you'll
find relative seclusion.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The airport is 20km away on the main road
to Sumbawa Besar. Buses stop in both directions, and
taxis meet arrivals. Merpati (Jl Sukarno Hatta 58; T 0374
42857, W merpati.co.id) and Trans Nusa (Jl Sulawesi 26;
T 0374 647251, W transnusa.co.id) have regular flights to
Bali; the latter also has daily flights to Lombok.
Destinations Bali; (3-4 daily; 1hr 15min) Lombok (daily;
30min).
By bus Most buses to Bima arrive at the bus terminal just
south of town, a short walk or bemo ride to the centre.
There are several night-bus agents on Jl Pasar that offer
a/c and standard buses to all major destinations, including
Mataram and Sumbawa Besar. Buses to Sape leave roughly
hourly from the main bus terminal.
Destinations Mataram via Sumbawa Besar (1-2 daily;
12hr); Sape (hourly; 1hr 30min); Sumbawa Besar (6-7
daily; 7hr).
By ferry Pelni ferries dock at the harbour, 2km west of
Bima and served by dokar and bemo. The Pelni o ce is
about 1.5km out of the centre at Jl Kesatria 2 ( T 0374
42046, W pelni.co.id), by the port, though you can also
book tickets in town through the agent at Jl Kaharuddin
36. If you need to catch one of the early-morning ferries
from Sape to Labuanbajo, tell your hotel the night before
and the bus to Sape should pick you up at 4am.
Destinations

Hotel Tambora Jl Kebayan T 0371 21555. The best
option in town, with plenty of rooms ranging from basic
to mid-range. Bizarrely, the cheapest rooms have
Western toilets and a quiet location at the back, while
the mid-range ones, with squat toilets, face the busy
reception. Th e friendly s taff are an excellent source of
information. Rp100,000

EATING
Jl Hasanuddin is lined with restaurants, and you can also
find plenty of warungs around town, with the main cluster
next to the stadium.
Happy Jl Hasanuddin 43A. A small, simple canteen
offering all the local staples at low prices (less than
Rp20,000), including nasi campur , bakwan (meatball
soup), and a range of fresh juices. Daily 11am-9pm. 4

DIRECTORY
Banks BNI bank on Jl Kartini has an ATM and is the best
place to change foreign currency or travellers' cheques;
it offers better rates than most banks further east in Nusa
Tenggara. There are a couple of other ATMs around town,
including outside the Hotel Tambora .
Internet Rasya Global Net, Cendrawasih 33, provides
internet access.
Pharmacy Kimia Farma, Jl Cendrawasih 1.
Post o ce Jl Yos Sudarso 101 (Mon-Thurs 8am-3pm, Fri
8-11am & Sat 8am-1pm).

Makassar (Sun; 28hr); Surabaya (Wed; 34hr);
Waingapu (Fri; 13hr); Kupang (Fri; 27hr).

INFORMATION
Tourist o ce Jl Gajah Mada, about 2km east of town just
before the bridge (Mon-Sat 8am-2pm; T 0374 44331).
English-speaking and helpful; to get here, catch a blue
bemo heading east from the BNI Bank on Jl Hasanuddin.

BIMA
he rather sleepy port town of BIMA is
quiet but friendly. Its people have a
strong sense of Bimanese identity,
offering an insight into the patchwork of
ethnicities you'll find throughout Nusa
Tenggara. he town is centred around the
market on Jalan Flores; most of the
accommodation lies to the west of the
Sultan's Palace , whose museum (Mon-Sat
8am-5pm; Rp5000) houses a rather
shabby collection of traditional costumes.
he area around Bima, Wawo, boasts a
distinct style of traditional thatched
house; examples can be seen at Maria and
Sambori, both on the Bima-Sape bus

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Bima is distinctly lacking in proper restaurants, but there
are plenty of warungs and padang places, especially around
the market.
Hotel Favorit Jl Pahlawan Dara T 0374 45285.
Conveniently if noisily located next to the bus station,
with clean roo ms at very low rates - even the cheapest
have showers. Rp70,000
Hotel La'mbitu Jl Sumbawa 4 T 0374 42222. The best
option in town, with large clean rooms in a cool, airy
building, an d small suites available from Rp280,000.
Rp150,000