Rote
A slender, rain-starved limestone jewel with powdery white-sand beaches and epic surf, Rote floats just southwest of West Timor, but has an identity all of its own. For tourists it’s all about the surf, which can be gentle enough for beginners and wild enough for experts.
Stunning Pantai Nemberala is home to the world-renowned T-Land break, and there are dozens of hidden white-sand beaches, aquamarine lagoons and seldom-surfed waves on the beaches south and north of Nemberala. To find them you’ll roll through thatched traditional villages, over natural limestone bridges and through an undulating savannah that turns from green in the November to March ‘wet season’ to gold in the ‘dry season’, which also happens to be when the offshore winds fold swells into barrels. The whole experience has a nostalgic Endless Summer feel. And don’t overlook the tiny offshore islands where you can find gorgeous ikat, more silky white sand and life-affirming turquoise bays, and, of course, more surf.
Historically, the simple local economy revolved around the majestic and nutritious lontar palm. Then in the late 17th century, after a bloody campaign, Rote became the source of slaves and supplies for the Dutch. But the Rotenese also took advantage of the Dutch presence, adopted Christianity and, with Dutch support, established a school system that eventually turned them into NTT’s best-educated islanders. This allowed them to influence the much larger island of Timor both politically and economically for generations.
8Information
AMoney There's a BRI ATM in Ba'a but it usually refuses foreign cards. Bring plenty of rupiah as exchanging cash is difficult.
AInternet access Sparse, but you can get 3G data in some places, including Nemberala.
8Getting There & Away
Air
AWings Air operates a flight between Kupang and Ba'a (30 minutes, three times weekly). It usually leaves in the afternoon, which can allow for a same-day connection from Bali, although transporting surfboards can complicate the transfer and add to the costs (Wings Air charges 200,000Rp per board).
Boat
The swiftest and most comfortable way to reach Rote is via the Baharai Express (executive/VIP 160,000Rp/190,000Rp, two hours), a fast ferry that departs from Kupang at 9am daily, docks at Ba’a and returns at 11am. Book your ticket in advance and arrive at the dock by 8.30am. Be warned, this service is sometimes cancelled due to rough seas.
There's also a daily slow ferry (54,000Rp to 65,000Rp, five hours) that docks at Pantai Baru, north of Ba’a.
8Getting Around
Local touts will try to convince you that to get to Nemberala from the fast-boat port in Ba'a you’ll have to charter a bemo (from 300,000Rp, two hours), or hire an ojek (from 150,000Rp). But just outside the harbour gates you can easily flag down a public bemo (with/without surfboard 30,000/60,000Rp). You can also arrange with your hotel for a car to pick you up for about 400,000Rp.
Many of the resorts offer transfer packages from Kupang's airport via the fast ferry and on to the resort. These are undeniably seamless, but can cost US$100 or more.
Once you’re in Nemberala, hire a motorbike (80,000Rp per day) through your hotel or guesthouse, and explore.
LONTAR PALM
Rote remains dependent on the drought-resistant lontar palm. The palm is extremely versatile; its tough yet flexible leaves are woven to make sacks and bags, hats and sandals, roofs and dividing walls. Lontar wood is fashioned into furniture and floorboards. But what nourishes the islanders is the milky, frothy nirah (sap) tapped from the tankai (orange-stemmed inflorescences) that grow from the crown of the lontar. Drunk straight from the tree, the nirah is refreshing, nutritious and energising. If left to ferment for hours, it becomes laru (palm wine), which is hawked around the lanes of Rote. With a further distillation, the juice is distilled into a gin-like sopi – the power behind many a wild Rote night.
Ba’a
Ba’a, Rote’s commercial centre, is a sleepy port town that snakes south along the island’s west coast among banyan trees, and banana and coconut groves. The fast ferry and flights land here. Some houses have curious boat-shaped thatched roofs. The town doesn’t offer enough of a reason to linger, although the coast from the ferry port at Pantai Baru south to Ba’a is sparsely populated and has some superb beaches.
Nemberala
Nemberala is a chilled-out fishing village on an exquisite white-sand beach. It's sheltered by a reef that helps form the legendary ‘left’, T-Land. Don't expect an isolated vibe here as there's been an influx of visitors, expats and vacation home owners who have bought up large swatches of beachfront in the area. New businesses are opening to serve these new devotees.
Still, Nemberala hasn't gone all flash: the local pigs, goats, cows, chicken and other critters still freely wander the beach and resorts, and you still need to avoid getting conked on the head by a falling coconut.
2Activities
The T-Land wave gets big, especially between June and August, but it’s not heavy, so the fear factor isn’t ridiculous. Like other once-undiscovered waves in east Indo, the line-up gets busy in the high season.
If you rent a motorbike and drive the spectacularly rutted coastal road north or south, you’ll notice that you’re within reach of a half-dozen other desolate beaches and a few superb uncharted surf breaks. Beginners take note: just north of the Nemberala fishing-boat harbour is a terrific novice break called Squealers.
Many resorts rent high-quality boards from about 100,000Rp per day.
4Sleeping & Eating
The surf season peaks between June and September. Accommodation range and value are solid, but there isn’t a lot of rooms – book ahead. While most of the lodges and guesthouses are all-inclusive, some local warungs have appeared, so you do have options to vary up your vittles.
Ti RosaBUNGALOW$
(%0821 4633 7016; per person incl meals from 200,000Rp)
Run by sweet Ibu Martine, this fine collection of eight lime-green, concrete bungalows is super clean, shaded by palms and is the cheapest beach option available. Budget surfers love it so much, some book rooms for the whole season. Turn right at the first intersection in town, and head north along the dirt road for 500m.
Lualemba BungalowsBUNGALOW$$
(%0812 3947 8823; www.lualemba.com; s/d incl meals 500,000/900,000Rp )
This highly recommended spot is set 500m inland from the beach. Attractive, thatched lontar bungalows feature stone foundations, and private verandahs strung with hammocks. Rates include boat rides to the surf break and neighbouring islands, three meals and use of mountain bikes. The restaurant (mains from 40,000Rp) is open to nonguests and serves fine, hearty chow and excellent ice cream.
Anugrah Surf & Dive ResortBUNGALOW$$
(%0852 3916 2645, 0813 5334 3993; surfdiverote.com; s/d incl meals from 500,000/800,000Rp; s)
The 28 cute, compact, lontar-palm bungalows here range from newish to older, and come with a variety of patios and mandis, wooden furniture, outdoor bathrooms and more. It's right on the beach opposite T-Land. The restaurant, which is decked out with ikat tablecloths, serves ikan bakar (grilled fish) amid a menu that changes daily. Reserve ahead during surf season.
oMalole Surf HouseSURF CAMP$$$
(%0813 5317 7264, 0813 3776 7412; www.rotesurfhouse.com; per person incl 3 meals US$140-200; aiW)
Built by surf legend Felipe Pomar, this surf lodge blends comfort, cuisine and style better than anywhere else in Rote. The four rooms are set in a large wooden house and guesthouse with day beds, ikat bedspreads, limitless laundry and more. You'll hit the right waves at the right time via the house boat. Closed during the wet season.
Sublime international seafood is but one highlight of the kitchen, which carves fresh sashimi, bakes fresh bread, and blends spectacular soups and curries. Mountain bikes, fishing trips and island excursions are also on offer.
The level of comfort and elegance here feels effortless (it isn't) and belies its extremely remote location.
Nemberala Beach ResortRESORT$$
$
(%0813 3773 1851; www.nemberalabeachresort.com; s/d surfers from US$275/380, nonsurfers US$235/340; as)
Right on the ocean, this relaxed four-star, all-inclusive spot has spacious slate-and-timber bungalows with ceiling fans, outdoor baths and freshwater showers. There’s a swimming pool, volleyball court and pool table, and a terrific beach bar where sundowners can easily phase into late-night cocktails. It’s closed during the wet season.
The food has received mixed reviews of late, but it does have a speedboat to whisk you out to nearby surf breaks, and it offers excursions to limestone caves and tidal lagoons. Fishing trips for dog-toothed tuna and mackerel can also be arranged.
Villa SantaiBUNGALOW$$$
(%0812 3941 4568; surfroteisland.com; s/d incl meals from US$120/210)
Hugely popular for its highly personalised service, this small resort started with two luxurious bungalows and added a third in 2015. The top one has sweeping views of the powdery white sand and T-Land. The food is fresh, local and copious. There's a full bar and many end their day with a G&T sundowner, soaking up the surf action.
Around Nemberala
You really must explore this lonely limestone coast by motorbike in order to absorb its majesty. If you prefer a heavier, hollow wave, your first stop should be 3km north of Nemberala at Suckie Mama’s.
About 8km south of Nemberala, Bo’a has a spectacular white-sand beach and consistent off-season surf. Set on a notch in the headland that bisects this absurdly wide and almost unjustly beautiful bay, Bo'a Hill Surf House (%0813 3935 1165; www.surfrote.com; per person incl meals 800,000Rp ) has lovely bungalows set on a three-hectare site with gorgeous views. The eco-cred is strong here. The owner grows fruit and herbs, raises pigs and ducks, collects honey, and is a superb guide to local delights on land and sea.
From Bo’a continue south over the dry rocky road – look out for monkeys – and after you traverse the natural limestone bridge, negotiate the descent and reach Oeseli village. Then make a right on the dirt road, which leads to another superb beach with some good waves, and a huge natural tidal lagoon that shelters local fishing boats and floods limestone bat caves. There's an ideal kitesurf launch here too.
The southernmost island in Indonesia, Pulau Ndana can be reached by local fishing boat from Nemberala. It’s currently a military camp, but for years it was uninhabited. Legend has it that the entire population was murdered in a 17th-century revenge act, staining the island’s small lake with the victims’ blood. Ndana has wild deer and a wide variety of birds. Its beaches are prime turtle-nesting territory, and the snorkelling here is superb.
Boni is about 15km from Nemberala, near the northern coast, and is one of the last villages on Rote where traditional religion is still followed. Market day is Thursday. To get here, rent a motorcycle in Nemberala.
Pulau Do’o is a flat spit of pale golden sand with terrific though finicky surf. You can see it from Pantai Nemberala. Further on is the stunning Pulau Ndao, which has more powdery white-sand beaches, limestone bluffs, and a tidy, charming, ikat-weaving, lontar-tapping fishing village that is home to nearly 600 people who speak their own indigenous dialect, Bahasa Ndao. There are some fantastic swimming beaches up the west and east coast, and good though inconsistent surf off the southern point. Ndao is 10km west of Nemberala. To get here you’ll have to charter a boat (800,000Rp to 1,000,000Rp, maximum five people). You could easily do both islands in one trip.
Sumba
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Sumba is a dynamic mystery. With its rugged undulating savannah and low limestone hills knitted together with more maize and cassava than rice, physically it looks nothing like Indonesia’s volcanic islands to the north. Sprinkled throughout the countryside are hilltop villages with thatched clan houses clustered around megalithic tombs, where villagers claim to be Protestant but still pay homage to their indigenous marapu with bloody sacrificial rites. Throw in outstanding hand-spun, naturally dyed ikat, and the annual Pasola festival – where bareback horsemen ritualise old tribal conflicts as they battle one another with hand-carved spears – and it’s easy to see that Sumba runs deep.
It's one of the poorest islands in Indonesia, but an influx of welcome government and NGO investment has brought recent improvements in infrastructure – best seen in Tambolaka, the island's version of a boomtown. And change has trickled down to traditional villages, as well. Thatched roofs have been switched to tin, tombs are now made from concrete, traditional dress is rare, and remote villagers expect larger donations from visitors. Some traditions persist, however. Sumba’s extensive grasslands make it one of Indonesia’s leading horse-breeding islands. Horses still serve as a mode of transport in more rugged regions, they remain a symbol of wealth and status, and they can still win a bride.
History
According to local legend, a great ladder once connected heaven and earth. Down it clambered the original earthlings to Sumba, where they settled at Tanjung Sasar, on the northern tip of the island.
Though 14th-century Javanese chronicles place Sumba under Majapahit control, Sumbanese history is more a saga of internal wars over land and trading rights between small kingdoms. Despite their mutual hostility, they often depended on each other economically. The inland regions produced horses, timber, betel nut, rice, fruit and dyewoods, while coastal people concentrated on ikat production and trade with other islands.
The Dutch initially paid little attention to Sumba because it lacked commercial possibilities. But in the early 20th century they finally decided to bring Sumba under their control and invaded the island. In 1913 a civilian administration was set up, but Sumbanese nobility continued to reign as the Dutch ruled through them. When the Indonesian republic ceased to recognise the native rulers’ authority, many of them became government officials. These long-time ruling clans continued to exert hegemony by monopolising local government appointments.
It all came to a head during the 1998 Waikabubak riots. Initially sparked by demonstrations against such nepotism, and Suharto-era corruption in general, the bad political blood developed into a full-scale tribal conflict perpetrated by a horseback posse of at least 3000 men. Armed with machetes, they rode through town killing at least 26 people.
These days Sumba is benefiting from outside interest and investment. Better air links to Denpasar and Kupang point to a more connected future.
DON'T MISS
BEST OF SUMBA
Deserted beaches Sumba is ringed with ribbons of powdery white sand, including Pantai Marosi in the southwest.
Ratenggaro One of the best traditional villages, with intricate carvings and peaked thatched roofs.
Pasola Legendary tournaments to measure toughness and bravery, held in February and March.
Culture
Ikat
Sumbanese ikat is the most dramatic and arguably best executed in Indonesia. Natural dyes are still preferred by weavers who sell their wares to serious collectors in Bali and beyond. The earthy orange-red colour comes from kombu tree bark, indigo-blue and yellow tones are derived from loba leaves. Some motifs are historical: a record of tribal wars and precolonial village life. Others depict animals and mythical creatures, such as marapu.
Traditionally, ikat cloth was only worn ceremonially. Less than 100 years ago, only members of Sumba’s highest clans and their personal attendants could make or wear it. Dutch conquest broke the Sumbanese royal ikat monopoly and opened up an external market, which increased production. In the late 19th century ikat was collected by Dutch ethnographers and museums, and by the 1920s visitors were already noting the introduction of nontraditional designs, such as lions from the Dutch coat of arms.
Villages
A traditional Sumba village usually consists of two parallel rows of houses facing each other, with a square between. In the middle of the square is a stone with another flat stone on top of it, upon which offerings are made to the village’s protective marapu. These kateda (spirit stones) can also be found in the fields around the villa
ge and are used for offerings to the agricultural marapu when planting or harvesting.
The village square also contains the stone-slab tombs of important ancestors, once finely carved, but nowadays virtually always made of concrete and occasionally covered in garish bathroom tiles. In former times the heads of slain enemies would be hung on a dead tree in the village square while ceremonies and feasts took place. These skull trees, called andung, can still be seen in some villages and are a popular motif on Sumbanese ikat.
A traditional Sumbanese dwelling is a large rectangular structure raised on stilts, and held together with lashings and dowels rather than nails: it houses an extended family. The thatched (or nowadays often corrugated tin) roof slopes gently upwards from all four sides before abruptly rising to a peak.
Rituals accompanying the building of a house include an offering, made at the time of planting the first pillar, to find out if the marapu agree with the location. One method is to cut open a chicken and examine its liver. Many houses are seasonally decked out with buffalo horns or pigs’ jaws from past sacrifices.
Religion
The basis of traditional Sumbanese religion is marapu, a collective term for all Sumba's spiritual forces, including gods, spirits and ancestors. At death the deceased join the invisible world, from where they can influence the world of the living. Marapu mameti is the collective name for all dead people. The living can appeal to them for help, especially their own relatives, though the dead can be harmful if irritated. The marapu maluri are the original people placed on earth by god; their power is concentrated in certain places or objects, which are kept safe in the family's thatched loft.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 76