Four days on Sumba built around the horses: firm-sand beach rides, a swim with your pony and a sunset in the saddle, planned around your dates. Rides start from USD 200 per person.
Plan My 4 DaysMost visitors fit a single ride into a Sumba trip. Four days turns that around: the riding becomes the reason for coming, and the beaches become the ground you ride on rather than a view from the car.
It is enough time to ride somewhere different every day without wearing yourself out — one ride a day, each timed to what the tide and the light are doing.
It is planned rather than bought off a shelf. Every ride is its own session, and we put the four days together with you around your dates, where you land and how confident you are in the saddle.
A suggested order rather than a fixed itinerary. We move rides around the tide, the light and your arrival time.
1.5–3 hours · All levels · starts from USD 200
Meet your Sandalwood pony and ride the shoreline at walking pace. Firm sand is the most forgiving surface there is, so day one is about getting comfortable, not covering distance.
Beach Horse Riding
Half day · 4–5 hours
With a ride behind you, go further: out through Pero village to swim at Weekuri Lagoon in the southwest, or along the savanna ridges if you are staying in the east.
Weekuri Lagoon Ride
2.5 hours · Walk-and-trot confidence · starts from USD 200
Horse swimming needs walk-and-trot confidence, which is why it waits for day three. A short beach ride builds trust first, and you wear a life vest the whole time you are in the water.
Horse Swimming
2–2.5 hours · All levels
Finish in the golden hour — among the mangroves on Walakiri's tide flats in the east, or on the Nihiwatu sunset ride in the west. Rides set out about 90 minutes before sunset.
Sunset Horse RidingBeach riding on Sumba follows the tide. Low tide opens wide stretches of firm sand; at Walakiri the mirror-flat shallows only appear near low tide, and because low tide moves about fifty minutes later each day, exact times are confirmed the day before.
Mornings bring the calmest water, which is why horse swimming starts early, while sunset rides leave between 3:30 and 4:30 PM depending on the season. One ride a day across those two windows is what keeps four days unhurried.
Choose one side of the island. Tambolaka Airport, in the southwest, is about an hour from Nihiwatu, and Weekuri Lagoon is on the same side; Waingapu is thirty minutes from Walakiri in the east. The two airports are around four hours apart by road.
April to October brings the clearest skies and the clearest lagoon water, and rides run year round. For the welfare of the horses, the rider weight limit is 85 kg (187 lbs).
The fourth ride runs to the same standard as the first: a safety briefing before you mount, and a pony matched to your experience.
Wear long trousers and closed-toe shoes — riding boots help but are not required — and bring sunscreen, a hat and a camera. On the swimming day, add swimwear or quick-dry clothing and a change of clothes.
Not a fixed one. Four days of riding is put together around your dates, arrival airport and riding level, so the rides and the price are confirmed with you rather than set in advance.
Yes. Start at walking pace on firm sand, which is where beginners are most comfortable. Horse swimming needs walk-and-trot confidence, so it comes later in the four days — or take a beginner lesson first and swim later in your stay.
Rides start from USD 200 per person each. A private full day is from USD 325, and a private horse-swimming session from USD 295. Tell us which rides you want and we will quote all four days together.
Fly into the side you want to ride. Tambolaka is about an hour from Nihiwatu in the southwest; Waingapu is thirty minutes from Walakiri in the east. The two airports are around four hours apart by road, so four days of riding is easiest on one side.
Neither trip includes horse riding — both are sightseeing tours. If you are booking one, ask us and we will tell you which rides can be arranged around your dates.
As early as you can. Horse-swimming sessions are capped at four riders and book out in the dry season, and private rides from June to September need at least 48 hours' notice.
Send us your dates, arrival airport and riding level, and we will come back with four rides matched to the tide and the light.
