4Sleeping
Most accommodation options are located down trails 10m to 500m from the road; they are signposted from the highway.
oLena HouseBUNGALOW$
(%0813 3940 7733; www.lenahouseflores.com; Wodong; r from 150,000Rp)
Chill out in one of eight clean bamboo bungalows, operated by a sweet family and set on a spectacular stretch of beach, with jungled mountains painted against the eastern horizon. The owners arrange snorkelling trips, but you may be just as happy to let your mind drift as you watch local fishers ply the glassy bay in their dugouts.
Sunset CottagesBUNGALOW$
(%0812 4602 3954, 0821 4768 7254; Maumere-Larantuka Rd Km 25; r without/with bathroom from 150,000/250,000Rp)
Nestled on a secluded black-sand beach, with views of offshore islands, Sunset Cottages is shaded by swaying coco palms. The thatched, coconut-wood and bamboo bungalows of varying ages have Western toilets and mandis (Indonesian baths), with decks overlooking the sea. Snorkel gear is available for hire; order ahead for fresh fish.
AnkermiBUNGALOW$$
(%0812 466 9667; www.ankermi-happydive.com; r 300,000-400,000Rp; a)
These cute, tiled and thatched bungalows have private porches with stunning sea views (fan-only) or garden views (with air-con). The dive shop, Happy Dive, is the best in the Maumere area (two-tank dives from €65). They grow their own organic rice and vegetables on-site, and meals are fresh and delicious.
8Getting There & Away
Wodong, the main village in the area, is on the Maumere–Larantuka road. Take any Talibura, Nangahale or Larantuka bemo or bus from the Lokaria terminal in Maumere (3000Rp). A bemo from Wodong to Waiterang costs another 1000Rp. A taxi or chartered bemo from Maumere is around 80,000Rp. Buses pass by throughout the day.
Larantuka
%0383
A bustling little port of rusted tin roofs at the easternmost end of Flores, Larantuka rests against the base of Gunung Ili Mandiri (1510m), separated by a narrow strait from Pulau Solor and Pulau Adonara. It has a fun street-market vibe at dusk, when streets come alive with the commerce of fresh fruit and fish, but most visitors stay just one night on their way to Kupang or Alor. Easter is a particularly good time to be in this Christian-majority town, as there are huge processions of penitents and cross-bearers.
4Sleeping & Eating
oAsa Hotel & RestaurantHOTEL$$
(%0383-232 5018; asahotel-larantuka.com; Jl Soekarno Hatta; r from 360,000Rp, mains from 25,000Rp; a)
The best place to stay has an impressive complex overlooking the harbour, 5km east of the centre. The 27 modern and well-designed rooms are in one- and two-storey blocks, and have fridges and balconies. There is a good restaurant (mains from 25,000Rp), and a bar with views.
Hotel LesthariGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0383-232 5517, 0852 5303 1152; Jl Yos Sudarso; r 250,000-300,000Rp; a)
Choose from 11 clean rooms, some with double beds dressed in colourful sheets. Rooms have private patios and are within walking distance of the pier; the more expensive ones have hot water.
Rumah Makan NirwanaINDONESIAN$
(Jl Yos Sudarso; mains 15,000-30,000Rp; h7am-9pm)
Still the best choice in the heart of town, just don't expect miracles. The soto ayam (chicken soup) is tasty and the house sambal scintillating.
8Information
The ferry pier, shipping offices and the main bus terminal are in the southern part of town. Bank BNI (Jl Fernandez 93) has multiple ATMs around town.
8Getting There & Away
Ferries run to Kupang (105,000Rp to 154,000Rp, 15 hours, two per week) and Kalabahi (economy 115,000RP, VIP 170,000Rp, 24 hours, one per week).
The main bus terminal is 5km west of town. Buses (60,000Rp, four hours) and cars (80,000Rp, three hours) to Maumere run frequently between 7am and 5pm.
8Getting Around
Bemos (3000Rp) run up and down Jl Niaga and Jl Pasar, and to outlying villages.
Ojeks also run to the pier and bus terminal for about 10,000Rp.
Alor Archipelago
The final link of the island chain that stretches east of Java is wild, volcanic and drop-dead gorgeous. There are crumbling red-clay roads, jagged peaks, white-sand beaches, and crystal-clear bays that have some remarkable diving – with plenty of pelagics and sheer walls draped in vast eye-popping coral gardens.
The cultural diversity here is simply staggering. In this tiny archipelago alone there are over 100 tribes who, by some accounts, speak eight languages and 52 dialects. The terrain and lack of roads isolated the 200,000 inhabitants from one another and the outside world for centuries. Although the Dutch installed local rajas along the coastal regions after 1908, they had little influence over the interior, where people were still taking heads into the 1950s, and indigenous animist traditions endure.
Though a network of simple roads now covers Pulau Alor, boats are still a common form of transport. The few visitors who land here tend to linger on nearby Pulau Kepa or dive these waters from liveaboards.
Kalabahi
%0386 / Pop 61,000
Kalabahi is the chief town on Pulau Alor, located at the end of a spectacular 15km-long, palm-fringed bay on the west coast. Yet the town’s main drag is a long, concrete sprawl that doesn’t so much as hint at the sea. Thanks to the punishing heat, the streets only come to life in the morning, and again an hour before sundown.
1Sights & Activities
Hanging around the docks, which are closer to the heart of town than is immediately apparent, is the perfect way to absorb the remote, off-the-grid, languid tropical vibe.
Pantai MaimolBEACH
The best beach near Kalabahi is this ribbon of white sand 10km out of town on the airport road. You can easily laze away a few hours here. Plans are in the works for a bungalow resort.
Museum Seribu MokoMUSEUM
(Museum of 1000 Drums; Jl Diponegoro; h8am-2pm Mon-Fri)F
Named for its collection of moko (bronze drums; the 1000 is purely figurative), this humble museum located just west of the market has some good English booklets about the collection, which includes fine ikat, ceremonial clothes made from bark and, yes, drums (some of which bear designs dating to Southeast Asia in 700 BC).
Alor DiveDIVING
(%0386-222 2663, 0813 3964 8148; www.alor-dive.com; Jl Suharto; 2-tank dives from €80; h8am-4pm)
This long-running dive shop run by a German expat organises all manner of diving trips, from one day to a week or more. It has years of experience in the beautiful local waters.
4Sleeping & Eating
Kalabahi's choice of accommodation is unlikely to persuade you to linger. You can spend an enjoyable evening around the main dock, when several warungs set up shop and serve excellent fish and other Indo treats.
oCantik HomestayHOMESTAY$
(%0813 3229 9336, 0386-21030; Jl Dahlia 12; r 150,000-200,000Rp ; a)
Seven simple, tiled rooms in a family home, tucked into a shady, compact residential neighbourhood. The owner rents motorbikes; room rates include breakfast.
The lady of the house cooks lunch and dinner (meals 20,000Rp to 25,000Rp), which can mean ridiculously good fish, fried to crispy, moist perfection and served with a stunning veggie dish made out of papaya flower. It's served simply at one long table.
Hotel Pelangi IndahHOTEL$
(%0386-21251; Jl Diponegoro 34; s/d with fan 90,000/180,000Rp, s/d with air-con 150,000/300,000Rp, s/d VIP 250,000/325,000Rp; aW)
Set on the main drag, these reasonably well-tended rooms flank a leafy courtyard. Many of the rooms are dark, however the VIP ones have private bathrooms and small terraces out front.
Pagi MartSUPERMARKET$
(Jl Suharto; h8am-8pm)
Alor's one supermarket is where you can get any vital supply you might need (beer, ice cream, sunscreen…) while here at – if not the end of the world – then almost the end of Nusa Tenggara.
oRestaurant MamaINDONESIAN$$
(%0813 5382 3280, 0386 222 2845; mains
25,000-65,000Rp; h10am-10pm)
Alor's best views are from this wood-and-bamboo dining room perched over the bay on stilts, 50m west of the big waterfront market. It does all the seafood delights and competent Indo fare such as nasi goreng (fried rice). The house special is ikan kuah assam mama, an addictive local fish soup with a fiery, tamarind-inflected broth.
8Information
Bank BNI (Jl Sutomo; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri) has an ATM.
8Getting There & Away
Transnusa and Wings Air make the one-hour flight to Kupang. The tiny airport is comically disorganised, and 13km from Kalabahi. Check in early to avoid the mad scrum that often develops.
Ferries leave from the ferry terminal 1km southwest of the town centre; it's a 10-minute walk or a 3000Rp bemo ride. There are two weekly to Kupang (116,000Rp to 170,000Rp, 18 hours), and one to Larantuka (115,000Rp to 170,000Rp, 24 hours).
Pelni (%0386-21195; Jl Cokroaminoto 5, ticket office; h8am-2pm Mon-Sat) ships leave from the main pier in the centre of town (the Pelni office is opposite the pier) and visit Rote, Ende, Bima, Bali and more on a monthly schedule. ADSP ferries serve Kupang and Larantuka.
8Getting Around
The airport is 13km from town. Taxis cost a fixed 100,000Rp.
Transport around town is by bemo (3000Rp).
Rent a motorbike at Cantik Homestay for 100,000Rp per day.
Ojeks are easily hired for 120,000Rp per day.
Pak Marlon is the best local guide. He can organise trips across Alor and his English is excellent.
Drivers charge from 300,000Rp per day.
ALOR OFFSHORE
Alor's dive operators regularly visit upwards of 40 dive sites, sprinkled throughout the archipelago. There are wall dives, slopes, caves, pinnacles and really good muck diving in the Alor bay. What makes Alor special isn't the huge number of pelagics, but rather the completely unspoiled reefs with intact hard and vibrant soft corals. The water is absolutely crystal-clear. Dive sites are never crowded, and pelagic disclaimer aside, you may well see a thresher shark, a pod of dolphins or even migrating sperm whales wander past. Just know, there is frequently unpredictable current and the water can be cold (as low as 22°C), which is what keeps the coral well nourished and spectacular. It's best to have 30 dives under your belt before venturing into these waters.
All divers must pay a marine park fee of 35,000Rp per day to fund the management of a 400,000-hectare marine park. For several years the WWF has been trying to influence the government to develop a park management plan, but so far without success.
Sandwiched between Pulaus Pantar and Alor is Pulau Pura, which has some of Alor’s best dive sites. Pulau Ternate, not to be confused with the Maluku version, also has some magnificent dive and snorkel sites. (Who are we kidding, it's all magical here.) Uma Pura is an interesting weaving village on Ternate, with a rather prominent wooden church. To get there charter a boat from Alor Besar or Alor Kecil (150,000Rp).
Around Kalabahi
Takpala is a stunning traditional village etched into a hillside about 13km east of Kalabahi. There are several lopo (traditional high-roofed houses), held together with lashings, scattered beneath mango, papaya and banana trees. The villagers are charming, and will be more than happy to teach you how to use a traditional bow and arrow, or to roll you one of their home-cured cigarettes, which go well with a pinch of betel. To get here take a Mabu bus (5000Rp) from the terminal at Kalabahi market. Walk about 1km uphill on a sealed road from where the bus drops you off.
You can also do a fascinating village tour of Alor’s bird's head – the island's distinctively shaped northern peninsula. From Kalabahi head to Mombang, up through the clove trees and coffee plots of Kopidil (where they make ceremonial clothes out of tree bark) to Tulta, and then down to the stunning sweep of white sand and coconut palms that is Batu Putih. It’s backed by granite bluffs and cornfields, and cradles a turquoise and emerald lagoon 10km north of Mali. You’ll either need to hire a motorbike (100,000Rp) or charter an ojek (150,000Rp per day) for this. Bring plenty of water, a boxed lunch, pinang (betel nut), smokes, a few essential food items, and the best Bahasa Indonesia you’ve got to share with your new friends. Or ease the process considerably and hire Pak Marlon (%0853 3896 1214; [email protected]; per day 200,000Rp), an excellent guide.
For hikers or motorcyclists who like rugged back country, consider a longer trip; two or three days hiking along the verdant, mountainous spine of Central Alor. One route connects Mainang with Kelaisi and on to Apui. Another loop begins in Ateng, stops in Melang and ends in Lakwati. These are all very poor, purely traditional villages. The roads and trails are very bad, so these are not easy journeys. You'll be sleeping in basic village accommodation (per person from 50,000Rp), and meals will be extremely basic too. Not all villages have latrines, and you'll need to bring extra food and water. Be prepared.
The fishing village of Alor Besar is where you'll find Al Quaran Tua, a 12th-century Quran integral to the seeding of Islam in the Alor archipelago. Take care if you choose to handle the handmade parchment. It's held at the town mosque, Masjid Jami Babussholah, which is open to tourists by donation from sunrise to sundown.
There are also nice white-sand beaches in both Alor Besar and nearby Alor Kecil, with excellent snorkelling. The best is at Sebanjar, 3km north of Alor Kecil. The water here is wonderfully cool, with a gorgeous soft-coral garden offshore. Alor Kecil is also the jumping-off point for beautiful Pulau Kepa.
4Sleeping
oLa Petite KepaDIVE RESORT$$
(%SMS only 0813 3910 2403; www.la-petite-kepa.com; bungalows incl meals per person 225,000-450,000Rp, dives from €32)S
The top destination in the Alor archipelago is this French-owned, solar-powered dive resort, which offers 10 bungalows, three of which are replicas of traditional Alor homes and have shared baths. The delicious meals, crafted from fresh ingredients (the sambal could launch a thousand ships), are eaten family style. The resort has a boat for the quick shuttle from Alor Kecil.
Most of the bungalows are standard thatched bamboo casitas with attached outdoor baths. All have sea and island views. There are two beaches, including an exquisite sliver of white sand on the west side with spectacular sunset views and good snorkelling offshore. Snorkelling equipment is available, and snorkellers can join the dive boat for 100,000Rp per day. In July and August divers get priority for bookings. Reserve your room well in advance.
The resort recycles, and conserves water and power.
8Getting There & Away
Buses and bemos to Alor Kecil (3000Rp, 30 minutes) and Alor Besar leave from the Kalabahi Pasar Inpres (market). You can also take a taxi from the airport (150,000Rp to 200,000Rp).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
PANTAR
The second-largest island of the Alor group is way off the beaten track. A daily ferry from Kalabahi (45,000Rp, two hours) docks at Baranusa, the island’s sleepy main town, with a straggle of coconut palms, a homestay, and a couple of general stores. Smouldering Gunung Sirung (1372m) draws a few hearty climbers each year. From Baranusa take a truck to Kakamauta and walk for three hours to Sirung’s crater. Bring water from Baranusa and stay with the kepala desa (village head; 50,000Rp) in Kakamauta.
Pantar is also home to an upscale dive resort. Alor Divers (%0813 1780 4133; www.alor-divers.com; week-long dive packages from €1000), built and operated by a French-Slovenian couple on the island’s eastern shore, caters exclusively to divers and their plus-ones. Guests stay in smart, thatched bungalows, and dive at least twice daily. Orcas, and sperm and pilot whales migrate off the west coast in June and December.
West Timor
With amazing traditional villages, rugged countryside and empty beaches, West Timor is an undiscovered gem. Deep within its mountainous, lontar-palm-studded interior, animist traditions persist alongside tribal dialects, and ikat-clad, betel-nut-chewing chiefs govern beehive-hut villages. Hit one of the many weekly markets in tribal country and you’ll get a feel for rural Ti
mor life, while eavesdropping on several of some 14 languages spoken on the island. In West Timor even Bahasa Indonesia is often a foreign tongue. Except, of course, in Kupang, the coastal capital and East Nusa Tenggara’s top metropolis, which buzzes to a frenetic Indonesian beat.
History
The Tetun (or Tetum) of central Timor are one of the largest ethnic groups on the island, and boast the dominant indigenous language. Before Portuguese and Dutch colonisation, they were fragmented into dozens of small states led by various chiefs. Conflict was common, and headhunting a popular pastime.
The first Europeans in Timor were the Portuguese, who prized its endemic cendana (sandalwood) trees. In the mid-17th century the Dutch landed in Kupang, beginning a prolonged battle for control of the sandalwood trade, which the Dutch eventually won. The two colonial powers divvied up the island in a series of treaties signed between 1859 and 1913. Portugal was awarded the eastern half plus the enclave of Oecussi, the island’s first settlement.
Neither European power penetrated far into the interior until the 1920s, and the island’s political structure was left largely intact. The colonisers spread Christianity and ruled through the native aristocracy, but some locals claim Europeans corrupted Timor’s royal bloodlines by aligning with imported, and eventually triumphant, Rotenese kingdoms. When Indonesia won independence in 1949 the Dutch left West Timor, but the Portuguese still held East Timor. In 1975 East Timor declared itself independent from Indonesia; shortly afterwards Indonesia invaded, setting the stage for the tragedy that continued until the East’s independence in 2002.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 73