Kupang Timor Indonesia
29
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Crystal Cruises (3 Cruises)
Emerald Waterways (7 Cruises)
Oceania Cruises (8 Cruises)
Silversea Cruises (4 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
At Tenau, the commercial port about 10 km from the centre. The area around the pier is industrial and offers nothing on foot: plan on the line's shuttle, a taxi or a bemo, the colourful minibuses that serve as public transport.
The local shared transport: brightly painted minibuses that honk their route cheerfully. It is the cheapest way in from Tenau, and the most colourful, but you have to accept that you don't control the schedule. A taxi is simpler when the ship sails early.
On 14 June 1789, Captain William Bligh and the sailors who stayed loyal after the mutiny made land here, having covered more than 6,000 km in an open launch. Kupang was then a Dutch trading post. It remains one of the most extraordinary feats of navigation in history.
The provincial museum and its ikat collection in the morning, then Oeba market and the seafront, with a stop at the Christ statue for the view over the bay. The crystal cave or the western beaches make a good swap for the museum if you would rather be in the water.
Cloth dyed thread by thread before weaving, with each island — Timor, Sumba, Flores, Alor — having its own motifs and codes. The craft is still alive: in markets and small shops, weavers sell their work, from simple scarves to large ceremonial shawls. It is the most meaningful souvenir to bring home from here.
The seafront with its grilled-fish warungs, the low old quarter with traces of the Portuguese and Dutch eras, and Oeba market overflowing with fruit, spices and dried fish. From the hill, a large statue of Christ opens its arms above the bay.
Yes. The crystal cave, a short distance from the port, hides a pool of clear water at the bottom of a limestone cavity reached through a gap in the rock. Further west, the Tablolong beaches offer pale sand, calm water and thatched shelters. In town, Lasiana beach fills with families at sunset.
Fish grilled with chilli and lime, rice, corn and stir-fried vegetables. Se'i, wood-smoked meat made by a technique particular to the region, is the pride of local tables, as is jagung bose, a corn porridge with coconut milk from the Timorese countryside.
No, and that is what makes it interesting. Kupang was not built for visitors: it is a plain-spoken, rough-edged provincial capital where cruise passengers are noticed guests. The welcome is warm, but expect neither infrastructure nor staging.
The Indonesian rupiah, in cash and small notes: outside hotels, cards are not accepted. Indonesian is the official language, alongside many local languages depending on the island; English is rare outside guides.
