Mount Tambora

Mount Tambora is an active stratovolcano on Sumbawa Island in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, straddling Bima and Dompu regencies. Rising to 2,851 meters, it is renowned for the massive 1815 eruption, the largest in recorded history. Now part of Mount Tambora National Park, it features a vast 6-kilometer-wide caldera, diverse tropical forests and savanna, and is a major trekking destination offering panoramic views and significant geological and historical interest.

Visitors can expect a challenging multi-day trek through tropical forest, savanna and volcanic terrain to the rim of a vast caldera approximately 6 km wide and 1,100 meters deep. The summit area offers panoramic views of Sumbawa Island, surrounding sea and nearby islands, a crater floor with volcanic features, diverse flora and fauna, and trailheads at Pancasila, Kawinda Toi and Doroncanga with camping areas along the routes.

Mount Tambora is historically significant for its eruption on 10-11 April 1815, considered the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 7. The eruption significantly altered the mountain's height from an estimated 4,300 meters to 2,851 meters, formed the present caldera, and had global climatic effects. The area was later designated as Mount Tambora National Park in 2015 to protect its geological and natural heritage.

The mountain holds cultural significance for local communities in Bima and Dompu on Sumbawa Island and is associated with the lost Tambora culture that existed before the 1815 eruption. It is a prominent natural landmark and a focus for eco-tourism and conservation education within West Nusa Tenggara.