Wild West Timor
Oelekam cultural chief clad in a traditional ikat and bell-anklet
If you don’t mind sliding off the grid,set your sights on West Timor. This region, stretching nearly 16,000 square kilometers in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province, is not to be confused with Timor-Leste, its independent neighbor. You won’t find über-posh resorts here, although the bustling seaside capital of Kupang has a few comfortable options and enough sightseeing to keep you busy for several days. Outside of the relative buzz of Kupang, the rest of the island is the very picture of peaceful, which suits the 1.8 million inhabitants—most of Malay, Papuan or Polynesian descent—who subsist on fishing, timber harvesting and slash-and-burn agriculture just fine.
And when you peel back the rugged veneer, you’ll discover a rich heritage that harkens back to antiquity, scenic landscapes dotted with beehive huts, and waterfalls cascading through adventure verdant forests with the fury of an ancient power. The palm-fringed beaches of Lasiana, Gurita Bay and Semau Island promise tranquility while trekking Mt. Mutis, West Timor’s highest peak, delivers views extending to Darwin. Of course uncovering these hidden gems can prove tricky for tourists, so why not recruit royalty to lead the way?
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