Bean – small island settlement in Buyasuri District, Lembata Island
Bean is a small settlement located in East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur) Province, Indonesia, in Kabupaten Lembata, under the administrative unit of Kecamatan Buyasuri. Geographically, it is situated on Lembata Island, which is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands group and, more broadly, the Bali and Lesser Sunda Islands macroregion. According to settlement coordinates (-8.2663868, 123.8132141), it is located on the eastern part of the island. The available source base is limited: the name Lembata itself can refer to the island, the regency, and a literary work, so no detailed encyclopedic description is directly available for Bean settlement; the following presentation is therefore based on the broader geographical and administrative context of the location.
General overview
Bean does not belong to the settlements prominently discussed by Indonesian tourism or regional media, and its name does not appear as an independent entry in broader online sources. Kecamatan Buyasuri, to which the settlement is administratively connected, is one of the eastern districts of Kabupaten Lembata. Lembata Island itself is relatively small in extent, with mountainous terrain, and bears the typical characteristics of the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands: volcanic bedrock, tropical climate, relatively low population density, and the dominance of fishing and agriculture in the local economy. Bean, by its nature, is presumably a small community that bases its daily life on surrounding natural resources and local traditions. It is generally characteristic of the island that the development level of transportation infrastructure lags behind Javanese or Balinese conditions, and access to smaller villages is accomplished through maritime or overland connections. This isolation also determines both the lifestyle of the local community and the experience of visitors arriving there.
Real estate and investment
No publicly accessible, reliable data is available regarding the real estate market in Bean and the broader Buyasuri district. To understand the context, it is worthwhile to consider the general situation of Kabupaten Lembata: the regency is economically among the less developed areas of East Nusa Tenggara Province, where real estate turnover is moderate and land prices are significantly lower than in tourism-developed regions such as Bali or Lombok. Throughout Indonesia, the legal framework applies whereby foreign citizens cannot acquire direct land ownership (Hak Milik), but can only utilize limited, lease-type rights (such as Hak Pakai, Hak Sewa), or invest through an Indonesian legal entity. Over the past decade, some tourism development interest has begun on Lembata Island – primarily related to whaling traditions and natural attractions – however, this has not yet resulted in significant real estate market expansion in the island's smaller, interior villages. In the case of Bean, specific investment data or price levels cannot be provided based on currently available sources.
Safety and security
No settlement-level statistics or detailed official data on public safety in Bean are available in the accessible sources. Generally speaking, East Nusa Tenggara Province – and within it, Kabupaten Lembata – is characterized as a region with lower crime rates compared to major cities, where violent crimes are rare and community cohesion maintains high levels of internal security in small population villages. However, in more remote island areas, the accessibility of emergency and law enforcement services may be limited, which is primarily relevant in cases of accidents or sudden health problems. Travelers should pay attention to general travel advice issued by Indonesian authorities and foreign diplomatic missions, which contain information applicable to the province as a whole.
Tourist attractions
The available source material does not record named attractions in the immediate vicinity of Bean. However, Lembata Island – of which Bean is a part – is known in the Eastern Indonesia region for the whaling community of Lamalera, which has also received attention from the perspective of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. This tradition is linked to the southern coastline of the island and represents one of the primary motivations for interested visitors to the island. The island's natural features – volcanic landscapes, coastal areas, coral reefs – also represent attractions for visitors inclined toward nature walks and diving. It is important to note that these attractions apply to Lembata as a whole and are not necessarily accessible near Bean; precise location and accessibility require on-site orientation.
Summary
Bean is a poorly documented small settlement in Buyasuri District on Lembata Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province. In the absence of direct, settlement-level source material, its character and features can be inferred from the broader region – Kabupaten Lembata and East Nusa Tenggara – general circumstances: a relatively isolated, fishing and agricultural-oriented community with moderate real estate market activity and tourism infrastructure. For those who visit Lembata Island, the Bean area can offer an experience of quiet, authentic island life, while the natural and cultural values characteristic of the island as a whole – including the Lamalera traditions – provide the broader context.
