Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2018 | Page 99

Travel | Kupang
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Despite the fast pace of development, Kupang continues
to impart a modest charm, especially with its beaches.
Some of the best beaches include Manikin, Lasiana,
Batu Nona and Nunsui...
5 Senses – Sight
OEHALA WATERFALL
On the journey to Fatumnasi
or Mt Mutis, you can stop off at
this waterfall. With seven levels,
it is shaded by lush green forest,
and the water is crystal clear. The best
time to visit is between March and
May, when the rains have stopped,
the water is abundant and it isn’t
too slippery to access.
Dalam perjalanan ke Fatumnasi
atau Gunung Mutis, sempatkan
mampir ke air terjun ini. Memiliki
7 tingkat, Air Terjun Oehal a dinaungi
oleh hutan yang sangat rimbun
kehijauan, airnya juga bersih sebening
kristal. Waktu terbaik ke sini yakni
antara bulan Maret hingga Mei,
saat hujan berhenti, debit air
berlimpah dan akses tidak licin.
The next day we visited the naturally formed
Mutis Bonsai Forest, and Fatukoto Lake,
which is encircled by pine forests on the rocky
hills, before returning to Kupang city centre.
My thoughts shifted from the mountains
to the coastal areas.
With a population of around 400,000, Kupang
has been a centre for the sandalwood timber
trade since the Portuguese and Dutch eras of the
16 th century. In the Old City, you can still see
remnants of the trade from that era. There are
old Chinese merchant shops; the GMIT Church,
which, built by the Dutch, is the oldest in
Kupang; Siang Lay Temple (1865) at the mouth
of the river; the Portuguese-built Fort
Concordia (1653), which is now used as an army
base; and the Nunhila Dutch Cemetery.
Despite the fast pace of development, Kupang
continues to impart a modest charm, especially
with its beaches. Some of the best beaches
include Manikin, Lasiana, Batu Nona and
Nunsui along the east of the city, while in the
west past Tenau Harbour are Lalendo and
Baliana, up to Tablolong, which is perfect
for watching the sunset.
If you are looking for an unusual bathing spot,
you can go to Crystal Cave, which isn’t far from
Lalendo Beach. Following local advice, I visited
in the middle of the day, so that the interior of
the cave wasn’t too dark and the water sparkled
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1 Two boys on the sacred hill named ‘Mesbah’
at the foot of Mount Mutis.
2 Ti’i Langga, the traditional hat from Rote.
3 Paddling a surfboard at Nemberala.
4 Bo’a beach is also one of the surf locations
in Rote.
like aquamarine. Around 30 minutes from there,
Oenesu Waterfall is also worth a visit.
On another day I visited Semau Island on the
left bank of the city. Riding a wooden motor
boat, the flat island with an area of 143km 2 can
be reached in minutes. Most of the roads on
Semau are still rough and unpaved, which only
added to the feeling of adventure.
After passing through neighbourhoods with few
dwellers, my eyes became hypnotised by one
quiet sandy beach after another. My favourite
was Liman, with its curve of creamy white sand
and a hill that offers a great viewpoint.
Fifteen years ago, the Kupang area covered
several islands. Apart from Semau, it included
Rote, Ndao, Sabu and Raijua. Regional
autonomy driven by the central government led
to the separation of these islands into their own
individual districts. I decided to go to Rote,
crossing the sea once more, this time not by
wooden boat but by fast ferry.
Rote, which has an area ten times larger than
Semau, is also mainly covered in flat coral, with
only a few low hills. Not far from Ba’a city I came
upon Batu Termanu, two rocky hills that have
an interesting legend. One of the hills, called
Suelay, represents men, while the other –
actually a rocky island – is called Hun,
and is associated with women.
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