Sumbawa in Indonesia is surrounded by many small islands. The islands are naturally beautiful and still in pristine conditions, and so unique in their own way.
One of such unique islands is Bungin.
Bungin Island has no coastline and green land. The absence of green land makes it difficult for cattle on this island to find food. Because of the difficulty, the cattle here are even forced to eat rubbish and the remnants of paper or cardboard.
Bungin is known as one of the densest islands in the world. This density is what makes Bungin so popular. The island is located in Alas District, Sumbawa Besar, Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province. You don’t necessarily ride a bot to get to this island as it is connected via a man-made road.
With an area of around 8.5 hectares, the island which is situated in the open sea of Bali is mostly inhabited by the Bajo Tribe.
The Bajo has existed on the island of Bungin since 200 years ago. Most of the Bungin people are the descent of the Bajo Tribe from South Sulawesi, known as the sea nomads and skillful divers.
Bajo spread from the southern Philippines to many islands in central and east Indonesia. Bungin is one of such islands chosen by them.
Unlike a common island in Bungin you will not find a beach or coast.
The houses on this island are built on sand and coral mounds that cling to each other and there is almost no space left. Unlike anywhere else, building a house here does not require land at all. Usually, the inhabitants set up the house foundation using dead coral.
Every inch of the island has been fixed with people’s homes. You will only see houses standing side by side.
As soon as you set foot on Bungin Island, you will be greeted with a very crowded village nuance. The island has some floating restaurants that serve many seafood dishes.
The price is very affordable. Tourists can enjoy fresh fishes and choose the fishes directly from the fish breeding ponds.
Even though dubbed as the most populous island, residents of Bungin Island remain pleasant there, they feel warm and comfortable and do not want to move to the nearest island on the mainland of Sumbawa which is still unpopulated.
Another option to enjoy Bungin Island is sitting on the pier in a crowded environment and accompanied by sunlight that begins to dim becomes an unforgettable experience.
Currently, there is almost no empty land on the island because every year the island continues to get wider. Reclamation is the only option to have a house to accommodate the newly married family.
Averagely, there are 100 new houses every year on this island. The island which has 8.5 hectares wide is occupied by around 3,400 people.
From the mainland, Bungin Island can be reached using a motorboat or by land through an artificial road.
From Lombok Island you can travel from Kayangan Harbor, East Lombok heading to Poto Tano District, Sumbawa. The trip will take approximately six to eight hours to arrive at Bungin Island.
Bungin has a lot of visitors annually. This is the place for those who have a strong social awareness to visit and observe this wonderful society.
