Wairinding Sunrise Ride
2 hours · Beginners · from USD 55
Meet in the dark, mount as the sky turns grey, reach the first ridgeline as the sun clears the horizon. Walking pace, with stops for photographs in the best light.
East Sumba
Savanna Horse Riding Tours
The closest Indonesia comes to an African horseback safari — open grassland hills, grazing herds on the ridgelines, and a sure-footed Sandalwood pony under you.
Book Savanna Ride
Routes
Three Savanna Routes
From a two-hour sunrise loop to a full-day crossing with lunch on the plateau.
Wairinding Sunrise Ride
2 hours · Beginners · from USD 55
Meet in the dark, mount as the sky turns grey, reach the first ridgeline as the sun clears the horizon. Walking pace, with stops for photographs in the best light.
Tanarara Ridge Ride
Half day · 4–5 hours · Novice+
Higher hills, longer sightlines, and optional trotting sections. A rest stop with drinks at a viewpoint no vehicle can reach — usually with the landscape to yourselves.
Lendongara Crossing
Full day · 7–8 hours · Experienced
Our flagship route: a point-to-point crossing with a picnic lunch on the plateau, passing grazing herds and small villages. A support vehicle meets the group at road crossings.
Why East Sumba Is Called the Africa of Indonesia
Fly into Waingapu, drive twenty minutes inland, and the landscape stops looking like Indonesia. The hills of East Sumba are treeless, wind-brushed grassland folding into one another for kilometres.
Three areas anchor our savanna riding. Wairinding has the most photographed hills on the island, with layered ridgelines that catch first light. Tanarara sits higher and quieter, with longer sightlines and almost no other visitors on a weekday. Lendongara is the widest grassland of the three.
Most visitors know Sumba for its beach rides. The savanna is a different experience entirely: instead of surf and sand, horizon-to-horizon grassland that turns vivid green after the rains and burns gold through the dry months.
Green Season or Golden Season
The savanna has two personalities and both are worth seeing. Neither is better — they are simply different photographs.
Green season runs December to March. The hills turn vivid green after the rains and the skies build dramatic cloud. Mornings are cooler, with occasional afternoon showers, so we favour early starts.
Golden season runs June to October and gives the iconic dry-grass look with reliable light. Photographers who can choose freely often aim for late May or early June, when the gold is arriving but haze has not yet built up.
Rider Levels and What to Bring
Complete beginners are welcome on the sunrise ride. The pace stays at a walk, ponies are chosen for calm temperament, and a guide leads your horse until you are comfortable on the reins.
The half-day route suits riders with some experience; the full-day crossing is graded intermediate and up because of the hours in the saddle rather than the terrain.
- Long trousers and closed shoes
- A windproof layer — pre-dawn savanna is cold
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Helmets and water are provided
- Small daypack for the full-day crossing
- Pickup included within Waingapu
Frequently Asked Questions
Is savanna riding harder than beach riding?
Slightly, because of the slopes — but the ponies do the hard work. The sunrise ride stays at a walk on gentle gradients and is genuinely beginner-friendly. The longer routes involve more climbing and more hours in the saddle.
Are the horses safe for someone who has never ridden?
Yes, on the routes graded for beginners. Sandalwood ponies are hardy and easy to work with, and we pick the calmest individuals for first-timers. Helmets are provided and any nervous rider can have their pony led the whole way.
How do I get to the savanna region?
Fly into Waingapu (Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport) in East Sumba, with connections from Bali. Wairinding is about a 30-minute drive from town. All tours include pickup within Waingapu.
Can I see wild horses on these routes?
You will often pass grazing village herds on the Lendongara crossing. Free-roaming horses are the specialty of the coastal grassland at Puru Kambera — many guests ride the savanna one day and join the wild horse safari the next.
Book Your Savanna Ride
Departures run daily in golden season. The sunrise ride fills early in July and August — send your dates, group size and riding experience and we will confirm in one reply.