Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2015 | Page 125

Travel | Alor
© Nick Rains; © Nick Rains

among the world’s best – comparable
to although not yet as popular as what
you might find under the surface at
Raja Ampat and neighbouring Komodo
Island. “There are several world-class
dive destinations in Indonesia,
but I decided to set up here in
Alor for its sheer underwater
diversity,” says Thomas.
He takes me to explore the pristinely
clear bays that are strewn across the
archipelago, with plenty of intriguing
pelagics and sheer walls draped
in vast eye-popping coral gardens.
The waters are an unusually stunning,
almost arctic crystal blue. While there
are no guarantees, sunfish, thresher
sharks, hammerhead sharks and marlin
have been spotted many times. And
Napoleons, giant trevally, reef sharks,
sea turtles, eagle rays, giant grouper,
huge dogtooth tuna and frog fish are
encountered on a regular basis, says
Thomas. And if you’re particularly lucky,
you might even spot pilot whales or
encounter a massive superpod of
hundreds of dolphins depending
on the seasonal movements of
the underwater life.

current damage is not as extensive as
some other at-risk coral regions in
Indonesia. But by the time we surface
I am again reminded of those wise
words from the former regent.
Alor is an ecological and cultural
treasure; a magical chain of islands
that sprawls with brutally beautiful
nature: jagged volcanic peaks, lush
rainforest and crystalline seas. Above
and below Alor’s surface lies so much
to behold. There is such huge potential
for the up-and-coming Alor tourism
industry; surely many will be keen
to explore and enjoy its gems, but we
must remember to do so with care.

Alor Island on the Map

• Alor Island
• Wetar Island
Kalabahi •

SAVU SEA

• Kupang City

Alor has an area of
about 2800km², making
it the largest island of the
Alor archipelago. This island
is located in the eastern
Lesser Sunda Islands, which
run through southeastern
Indonesia and include, from
the west, such islands as
Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa,
Komodo and Flores.

On our dive together, we are fortunate
enough to be enveloped in swirling
schools of barracuda. It is an unreal
experience. Alas, the depletion of the
fisheries has resulted in damaged coral
reefs in recent years. Fortunately the

123

TIMOR SEA

Dengan luas sekitar
2.800 km², Alor merupakan
pulau terbesar di Kepulaun
Alor. Pulau ini terletak
di timur Kepulauan Sunda
Kecil yang terbentang
di tenggara Indonesia,
dan terdiri dari Bali,
Lombok, Sumbawa,
Komodo dan Flores.

5 Senses – Sound
A THOUSAND TOUNGES

A man from Takpala
village in ceremonial dress
on the island of Alor.
The tribal interior of Alor
is home to some of the
friendliest people on earth,
who are always eager to
share their culture.

You might be
a little confused at
first to hear so many
different languages in
one location. With
over 100 tribes and 52
dialects in this region,
many of the locals
speak a minimum of
5 different dialects.
Better connectivity
betwe en the tribes in
recent years has also
seen the emergence
of a new lingua franca,
‘Bahasa Alor’, which is
a variant of the national
‘Bahasa Indonesia’.

Mungkin Anda
akan sedikit bingung
saat mendengar
banyaknya ragam
bahasa di Alor.
Penduduk lokal pulau
yang terdiri atas kurang
lebih 100 suku dan
52 dialek ini, biasanya
bisa berbicara minimal
5 logat yang berbeda.
Komunikasi antar-suku
juga semakin membaik
dengan adanya
bahasa pergaulan
baru, “Bahasa Alor”,
yang dikembangkan dari
bahasa Indonesia.