Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2014 | Page 140

138

Travel | Rote
Courtesy of Anugerah Surf & Dive Resort

The legendary T-Land break
draws thrill-seeking surfers
from around the world.

Rote is Indonesia’s
southernmost island and a
particularly alluring gem
among the natural treasures
of the Lesser Sunda Islands.
Upon arrival it is no surprise
why: its simple magic and
beauty are as apparent as its
epic surf and the inviting
warmth of its people.

Reaching Rote means flying to Kupang first,
the capital of East Nusa Tenggara. The city
itself draws its own share of visitors, but for
most it is a transit city providing access to
the lesser-travelled Lesser Sunda Islands.
Arriving at El Tari Airport, I can guess
which of my fellow passengers are continuing
on to Rote. Those with even, well-worn
tans reaching for surfboard-shaped luggage
at baggage claim must be in search of the
seldom-surfed waves of Rote.
From Kupang a 45-minute drive takes me
to Tenau Port, where a ferry crosses once
daily to Rote at 9am. As I board the ferry
and shuffle down the aisle to my seat,
sure enough, I spot a few familiar faces
from the airport. The ferry ride can take up
to two hours depending on the tide, crossing
over the Pukuafu Strait, an oceanographic
location disconcertingly referred to by some
locals as Indonesia’s own Bermuda Triangle.
It is here that the mighty currents of the Savu
Sea, Timor Sea and Indian Ocean intersect,
creating some gnarly waves and giving us
inside the ferry a feel for Rote’s consistently
satisfying surf.

After a somewhat rocking ferry ride,
we arrive safely at Ba’a, a humble little port
town snaking south along Rote’s northwest
coast and strewn with banyan trees and
groves of coconut and banana – a pictureperfect welcome. There are superb, sparsely
populated beaches nearby, giving an instant
sensation of personal paradise, and already
I can feel time beginning to slow: a special
trait that I’ve found exclusive to