Tarung is home to five tribes, each with their own small, thatched shrine where only the local ratu (priest) is allowed to pray and commune with the marapu. Between October and November Tarung is the scene of an important month-long, ancestor-worshiping ritual, the Wula Podhu. This is an austere period when even weeping for the dead is prohibited. Rites consist of offerings to the spirits (hundreds of chickens are sacrificed), and people sing and dance for the entire final day. Leave a donation of 50,000Rp.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Lembaga Studi & Pelestarian Budaya Sumba
19.01 MILES
Just 3km west of town, this Catholic-run NGO is in a working coconut plantation and has an excellent cultural museum. It was developed by Fr Robert Ramone…
6.85 MILES
Downhill from the riverside settlement of Taramanu, just after the sports field, you'll meet a good road that leads to a huddle of about 30 thatched, peak…
6.95 MILES
Best known for its nearly 200-year-old Watu Kajiwa, the deeply traditional, sprawling village of Praigoli is notched in the dusty, leafy hills above Sumba…
10.82 MILES
You'll need your own wheels or a driver to access this slice of paradise, which is part of Patiala Bawa village, but the privacy and serenity is worth it…
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At Gallu Bakul, 2.5km down the road from the modernising village of Kabonduk, is Sumba’s heaviest tomb, weighing in at 70 tonnes. At its eastern end is a…
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Right beside the main road to Waingapu, 22km east of Waikabubak, Kampung Pasunga boasts one of Sumba’s most impressive tombs. The most interesting grave…
0.08 MILES
It’s only a short stroll from most hotels to Prai Klembung, a nearby village with hefty concrete-slab tombs in an overgrown but atmospheric setting…
0.46 MILES
Has very impressive tombs and stone graves, with rows of houses with thatched roofs. Leave a donation of 20,000Rp or 50,000Rp if there are a few of you.
Nearby Sumba attractions
0.08 MILES
It’s only a short stroll from most hotels to Prai Klembung, a nearby village with hefty concrete-slab tombs in an overgrown but atmospheric setting…
0.1 MILES
It’s only a short stroll from most hotels to Prai Klembung and then up the hill that juts from the centre of town to Tarung and Waitabar. Kampung Waitabar…
0.46 MILES
Has very impressive tombs and stone graves, with rows of houses with thatched roofs. Leave a donation of 20,000Rp or 50,000Rp if there are a few of you.
6.85 MILES
Downhill from the riverside settlement of Taramanu, just after the sports field, you'll meet a good road that leads to a huddle of about 30 thatched, peak…
6.95 MILES
Best known for its nearly 200-year-old Watu Kajiwa, the deeply traditional, sprawling village of Praigoli is notched in the dusty, leafy hills above Sumba…
10.78 MILES
At Gallu Bakul, 2.5km down the road from the modernising village of Kabonduk, is Sumba’s heaviest tomb, weighing in at 70 tonnes. At its eastern end is a…
10.82 MILES
You'll need your own wheels or a driver to access this slice of paradise, which is part of Patiala Bawa village, but the privacy and serenity is worth it…
11.75 MILES
Right beside the main road to Waingapu, 22km east of Waikabubak, Kampung Pasunga boasts one of Sumba’s most impressive tombs. The most interesting grave…