Making the most of Kupang Timor
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships visiting Kupang either berth alongside or anchor at Tenau Kupang, the city's port, approximately 10 km from the downtown area.
Near Timor Island's south-western tip, Kupang is the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province. The Portuguese occupied it in the 1530s before the Dutch expelled them in 1613, and traces of this colonial period remain around downtown. Captain William Bligh reached Kupang after being cast adrift in an open boat following the Bounty mutiny of 1789. Principal sights include colourful Oeba Market and the Provincial Museum.
Kupang Museum holds a notable collection of fossils, anthropological relics, local ‘Ikat’, woven artefacts and exhibits tracing historic links between Timor's different ethnic groups. Other worthwhile stops are the old cemetery, Oesapa fishing village, Fort Concordia and the historic Old Port. Swim in Crystal Cave, feed monkeys at Monkey Cave and sample local food in the pleasant restaurants.
Getting around
Possible outings include the Mud Wells on Semau Island and Kera Island, a small haven only 8 km offshore from busy Kupang. On Kera, visit the Macassan fishing village, discover the beaches or swim and snorkel above its fringing reef.
Food and shopping
Obea Market is Kupang's traditional Indonesian market.
Money
ATMs are commonly available in Indonesia's major cities.
Exercise care when paying by card because cloning and fraud are significant problems in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are accepted widely, while American Express may be troublesome. Smaller establishments commonly impose surcharges of 2-5% compared with cash.
Staying connected
Indonesian, also called Bahasa Indonesia, is the country's only official language.
Internet prices differ considerably and generally reflect service quality, but expect to pay around Rp 5,000 per hour. In large cities, certain shopping centres, McDonald restaurants and Starbucks cafés have free hotspots, as do the lobbies of some hotels.
From a mobile phone, the emergency number is 112.