Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2015 | Page 124

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Travel | Alor

The Alor Dive vessel, fully equipped with
washroom and kitchen, used to take us out to
the various dive sites.
Alor Dive offers the complete diving experience,
with a full range of equipment available for rent
and expert guidance through Alor’s dozens of
fascinating dive sites.
Snorkelling is also a great way to appreciate the
island’s beautiful coral and underwater life.
In these waters you’re almost always
guaranteed a memorable underwater encounter.

The local villagers
welcome us with smiles
as tribe leader Papa
Darius greets us.
“Welcome to Takpala
village,” he says while
carrying a moko.

and stylised aquatic animals are immediately
appealing, even for a layman like myself.
But as an Indonesian, it is pleasing to see the
variety and diversity of our nation’s many
cultures reflected in our myriad textiles.
In his book on the Alorese, Vatter describes
an island that had changed little in hundreds
of years, inhabited by people of racially very
diverse stock. More than 85 years since
his expedition I get that same sense as
I walk among the warm, welcoming
and harmonious tribespeople.
Next we visit with the Abui tribe of the
Takpala village in northern Alor. The local
villagers welcome us with smiles as tribe
leader Papa Darius greets us. “Welcome
to Takpala village,” he says while carrying
a moko. He strikes it four times as his
tribespeople begin to perform a traditional
dance called lego-lego. We’re standing in what
they call the mesang, a sort of town square
where all their ceremonies are held. At the
centre of the mesang is a tall pile of stones
called the mesbah. All of the houses in this
village face inward towards the mesang and

mesbah, forming a circle, to emphasise
communication and fellowship
among the people.
While most Alorese have been converted
to either Christianity or Islam, animist
beliefs and practices still thrive behind the
monotheist veneer. To me, many of their
rituals represent an active connection and
balance between nature and humanity
that is long lost among modern societies.
Back in town, I catch up with Thomas
Schreiber, owner and operator of Alor Dive
(www.alor-dive.com). I soon learn from him
that, just as it is on the surface, the waters
here are teeming with diversity too.
Alor is one of the most remarkable places
to go snorkelling and diving in Indonesia.
But due to some very strong currents and
eddies, it is best to explore these waters
with someone who knows them well.
Thomas tells me there are 45 dive sites
within the Alor Archipelago, with 20 of them
considered to be in prime condition and