Kupang is great little city on the west coast of Timor.
It is a short hop over to Darwin and a good entry point to begin your
travels in Indonesia. You can get your 30 day visa on arrival in most
cases.
That is not enough time to see all of Indonesia but it is enough for a decent holiday.
I am told that you can get a 60 day visa if you apply for it in Darwin at the consulate there.
There is a fast and a slow ferry to Rote Island, renowned for it's
surfing off Nemberala and its mellow atmosphere and good people.
There
are regular ferrys to Flores and a Pelni ship comes along every once in
a while going to Makasar or Bali but be sure to check the Pelni
schedule first or you could be waiting around for a few weeks for it to
show up.
Merpati has regular flights Kupang - Denpasar for around 600,000
rupiah. It costs about 700,000 from Denpasar - Kupang. Not sure
why but that is the way it is. At one time Merpati flew to Dili from
Kupang but has discontinued that route.
The bemo terminal in town is the center of activity. There are 10 different routes these bemos take.
The number is on the roof and the different routes use different colored bemos. The fare is 2000 rupiah.
Warungs or food stalls set up there under a big pavilion at night.
The bigger busses have their terminals further out. They go to Soe, Kefa and Atambua.
There are motorcycle taxis called ojeks that can buzz you around for 10,000 rupiah.
From the airport to town they might want 25,000 to 30,000 rupiah. The airport and ferry terminals are a ways out.
There are a few internet places but they have not caught on there yet.
A good one is at the Telkom. They have 10 computers but only 3 seem to be working. It is about 6,000 rupiah an hour.
A few really good restaurants are open at night. During the day not much is open.
Karang Mas is a small eatery near the bemo terminal that isn't too bad.
There is a small room in the back that overlooks the sea and isn't so
dark. There ars bars over the windows but at least it is bright and
cheerful.
A good cheap place is the Pantai Laut which is near the beach by the
sea as it's name indicates. For 6,000 rupiah or so you get the special
of the day which is usually delicious. It is just up the way from
Teddy's Bar.
In
Kupang it would be good to organize some wheels if you are going to
stay there any length of time because the city is spread out and you
will always have to rely on someone giving you a lift otherwise.
It is pleasant enough to walk in the cool of the evening but during the day the sun can be a scorcher.
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