This remote 300-year-old trading center is the largest urban area in Nusatenggara, the long string of islands east of Bali. Lying only 483 km from the coast of northeast Australia, the provincial capital of NT, this small tropical backwater is closer to Darwin than to Jakarta.
The vernacular Malay dialect spoken here reflects the wide variety of peoples who have settled this area. Having emigrated from surrounding islands and beyond, the population comprises a rainbow of races: Atoni, Rotinese, Savunese, Chinese, Florinese, Kisarese, Alorese, Solorese, Ambonese, Javanese, Arabs and Eurasians.
Christianity is the predominant religion (90%), but there are also Balinese, Muslim descendants of Arab traders, a few score Caucasian expatriates, and the Chinese who own most of the businesses.
There’s definitely a Melanesian flavor to the city. Due to Australia’s close proximity and excellent flight connections, Kupang has an underlying yet distinctly Australian orientation and tourist focus made all the stronger by the oil exploitation agreements in the Timor Sea between Indonesia and Australia.
Although there are now sidewalks, buildings several stories high, a first-rate local phone system, and chaotic intersections full of bemo, private cars and government jeeps, the mood and pace are easy in this commercial and administrative center which didn’t even get streetlights until 1971.
Spread out along an expansive bay, the city doesn’t take much advantage of its superb ocean views. The best seaside real estate is occupied by an open-air hostess bar catering to male clientele from Darwin. Grandiose, decaying government buildings grace the eastern suburbs which is also the locale of the city’s wealthy residential areas.
Kupang has a Catholic university, Widya Mandira, and a public university, Nusa Cendana. Yet this small, economically depressed city has almost no industry, only a local ice factory, an electrical generation plant, cement factory, sandalwood oil factory, and small fishing enterprises. Everyone’s goal is to work for the civil service, army, police, hospitals, or the on-again, off-again tourist industry. City area code: 0391.
Things to do and see
Tourism is being resuscitated after a prolonged slump. Travelers who venture into the interior look forward to returning to Kupang to savor the town’s great variety and quality of accommodations, restaurants, banks, ATMs, Internet cafes, telecommunications offices, photo and souvenir outlets, shopping opportunities and efficient bemo transport system.
The tourist office and the Museum of Nusatenggara are out beyond Oebolo Bus Terminal in the newer Walikota section 6 km east of town. This provincial museum (open 8 am – 4 pm daily), just 300 meters past the bus station, is a grand place with a superb collection of ikat, some pottery, old currency, a few ceremonial moko drums, drawings of megaliths and adat houses, and ethnographic implements of daily life.
About 75 meters south of the bridge on the road heading to the harbor is a small road to the right leading to a promontory overlooking Kupang harbor. In 1791, the irascible Captain Bligh ended his epic 6,500-km open-boat journey near here where some of Kupang’s oldest buildings are also located. The large graveyard has many old Dutch gravestones.
In the town’s center is the central Terminal Kota with the greatest concentration of night warung. On a Saturday night swarms of multi-colored bemo taxis with blaring sound systems drop hordes of the city’s mostly migrant population in Kupang’s frenetic center with its usual assortment of run down strips of shops, bakso carts, cigarette and flea market vendors. Hiring a scooter is a handy means of getting around the streets of Kupang, many of which are one way and flow in a clockwise direction.
Stay
The majority of hotels near the downtown are dingy, neglected and poorly-staffed, so head for the seaside. Hospitable Kupang Beach Hotel (Rp200,000-Rp450,000), Jl. Pahlawan Kelurahan Nunbaundelhal, tel. (0380) 829019, offers clean rooms overlooking the sea. Another good value on the waterfront is the Maya, Jl. Sumatera 31, tel. 0380-832169, with rooms at only Rp200,000.
The Maliana, next to the BNI Bank on Jl. Pantai Timor, is cheap and clean and the staff friendly and helpful. Only 10 minutes from the beach, rates are Rp80,000 double which includes a bread and jam breakfast and evening tea with cake.
Three-star Kristal, Jl. Tim-Tim, just 10 minutes away from the El Tari airport two km east of town on the beach, has 51 a/c rooms and suites with mini bar, hot showers, radio, satellite TV, IDD; coffee shop; the town’s best Chinese seafood restaurant; a karaoke pub, fitness and business centers, a swimming pool looking out on breathtaking sunsets, even a jogging track. Tariff is $70-150 but they often give discounts.
Eat
Kupang doesn’t have a huge range of decent eateries but the foodstalls in the lively Terminal Kota night market sell delicious and unbelievably cheap satay, soto ayam, Javanese, Chinese-style and local food. Nelayan seafood restaurant on Jl. Pahlawan serves first-class grilled red snapper, chili crabs, king prawns in butter, and fried calamari with steamed rice and veggies. Go to Resto Se’I Baumata for wonderful Timorese-style smoked beef and pork hotplates.
A superlative place in the evening is the Karang Mas, Jl. Siliwangi 84/88 along Kupang’s waterfront. The food’s a mixture of Indonesian and Chinese, the sunset’s brilliant, the cold beer is cheaper than Teddies Bar. This place hasn’t changed in the last 20 years - not even the stains on the walls. Like many of Kupang’s restaurants, it employs friendly women from Roti. Sit on the balcony jutting over the sea. So valuable is this property that a Balinese once offered the Chinese family who owns it one million dollars. They refused to sell.
The Road East
Perhaps Kupang’s greatest asset is as a useful rest and refueling stop on the way to exploring the remarkable attractions in West Timor’s interior: Soe, Kefamenanu and the hilly, decidedly cooler Amarasi District, one hour’s drive from Kupang.
Many of the indigenous people live in wide, low, beehive-shaped grass huts and wear brightly colored traditional garments for which the province is famous. The road passes wet rice fields. stony river basins, small forests, jagged cliffs, superb beaches, fascinating market towns where outstanding color rich ikat is sold.
Floressa Tours (www.floressatours.com/west-timor) is a reputable tour operator offering custom 6-10 day tours starting from Kupang overland east all the way to Timor Leste (East Timor).
