Bungin Island is a remote island located off the Bali Sea and administratively is one of the villages in the district. Alas, Kab. Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. The island is located 70 kilometers west of the center of Sumbawa Besar sub-district. From the mainland, Bungin Island can be reached by motorboat or an artificial road. Bungin Island village is known as the most populous island in the world. This small island is inhabited by residents of the Bajo tribe from South Sulawesi. Almost no vacant land can be found on this island. Every year this very dense island continues to expand due to reclamation to accommodate the addition of newly married families. On average each year, there are 100 new houses on Bungin Island. The origin of the Bajo tribe to inhabit this island is when the first settlement there was pioneered by Palema Mayu, one of the six sons of the Selayar king, in the 19th century. According to a developing folklore, Palema Mayo came to Sumbawa before the eruption of Mount Tambora on the mainland, in 1812. At that time, Bungin Island, which had white sand, was still empty and only covered with mangrove trees.
This island has history in various versions, namely:
The first version, this island has been inhabited by the Bajo tribe from Sulawesi, the forerunner of the island’s settlers, who used to only use this island (originally called gusung) for drying nets. Then the gusung, which often rises and falls, is buried with rocks, becoming the plain which until now has been called the location.
The second version, this island was originally inhabited by 12 brothers from Selayar Island before Mount Tambora erupted, which is around 1800. Of them only 7 people are remembered by their names by the sources studied, each Mbo Leso, Mbo Beda Mangintan, Mbo Sakati, Mbo Mamaha, Pua Maha, Mbo Gigih, Mbo Punggawa, and Mbo Salina, the famous youngest.
At one point he was kidnapped by pirates from Johor and taken to Labuan Bajo in Manggarai, West Flores. When pitted against a fellow prisoner, Mbo Dalina secretly agrees with her future opponent to attack the person who complained them. He fled and returned to Bungin Island. Thanks to his immunity and fighting power, he assigned himself to guard the waters of Sumbawa from pirate attacks.
As a result, the Dutch actually suspected Bungin Island as a pirate hideout. Mbo Salina was accused of conspiring with pirates and sentenced to death. This island was also hit by a fire in 1904. So, are you interested in spending your vacation time on this Bungin Island? Come on, advance Indonesia’s tourism potential for mutual progress.
Source : wikipedia
