Radar two-and-a-half hours from in It is this living taste of the past, the adventure Where To Stay Tetaf village near Soe—a launch point tang of the undiscovered, the Hotel La Hasienda into the indigenous interior—where inimitable culture, and scenic Near Kupang’s airport, this the wizened blind chief of the None splendors unique to West that homey new hotel offers free warrior clan and his revered midwife beckon the intrepid traveler. So airport shuttles and reasonably priced transport Wild spouse welcomed us in a smoke-tinged channel your inner swashbuckler and Suzan Crane enlists the help of a prince for a royal tour of West Timor’s into the city. Jln. Adi Sucipto, beehive hut dripping with dried corn visit before the masses uncover its Penfui, Kupang; 62-380/800- mountainous interior, empty beaches and fascinating tribal culture. and crude wicker baskets. Smudge- many treasures. 4333; hotellahasienda.com; faced children appeared from doubles from US$35. seemingly nowhere to parade us over Getting There cracked dirt trails into sacred enclaves Daily direct flights from Denpasar, Hotel On The Rock Stylish 84 room sea-view holding keys to just some of the Bali, or one-stop flights from Jakarta property in Kupang is the mysteries of this non-industrialized on Garuda, Lion Air/Wings and newest addition to the civilization. Later we even shared tea Merpati Nusantara. TransNusa, Prasanthi Hotel chain. Jln. with a chief beneath mounted monkey Citilink and Sriwijaya also fly. Raya Timor No.2 Kelapa Lima, skulls that whispered of a headhunting ’s national shipping company Kupang; 62-380/858-6100; warrior past. Pelni operates passenger ships ontherockhotel.com; doubles from US$55. Further north in Oelekam village, throughout the archipelago (pelni.com). we were given a crash course in less Hotel Bahagia II menacing ancient customs by a Lasfeto Guides Soe’s most comfortable clan cultural attaché who, clad in It’s possible to explore West Timor on option features fan or traditional ikat (sarong) with bell- your own, but remote locations and 14 air-conditioned rooms and encircled ankles, proudly dialects make hiring a multi-lingual on-site restaurant. 2 Jln. Gajah Mada 55, Soe; demonstrated time-honored dance guide advisable. For the royal 62-38/821-095; doubles from moves. Within the hallowed walls of treatment, contact Pae Nope. US$30. Nope’s ancestral palace in Niki Niki, [email protected]; 62-82/3391- Amanuban kingdom’s cultural hub, the 11937; 62-81/3391-41576; US$100 for guide, Grand Royal Home Stay present queen swathed us in intricate car and driver per day. ✚ The newest facility in Kefamenanu offers pleasant multi-hued hand-woven garments fan or air-conditioned rooms. From left: Oelekam cultural chief known as buna. Set on sprawling Jln. Kartini, Kefamenanu; clad in a traditional ikat and grounds where generations of grandroyalhomestay.com; bell-anklet; Oahalla Falls; catch 62-38/831-880; doubles from of the day at Oinlasi market. noble family members are buried amid thickets of banyan trees, this US$25. palace bears no resemblance to Alor Eco Dive Resort If you don’t mind sliding off the grid, verdant forests with the fury of an Timor’s largest, spanning more than Europe’s imposing royal 62-38/821-154; alor-divers. set your sights on West Timor. This ancient power. The palm-fringed 2,000 square kilometers and residences, but has an ornate com; six-night diver packages region, stretching nearly 16,000 square beaches of Lasiana, Gurita Bay and containing 118 villages and 150 clans. charm all its own. US$1,334 per person. kilometers in Indonesia’s East Nusa Semau Island promise tranquility His father was Amanuban’s 13th king Tenggara province, is not to be while trekking Mt. Mutis, West Timor’s and his eldest brother, the successor, confused with Timor-Leste, its highest peak, delivers views extending served until his death two years ago. independent neighbor. You won’t find to Darwin. Of course uncovering these The current monarch is Nope’s half Clockwise from top: Mounted monkey skulls über-posh resorts here, although the hidden gems can prove tricky for brother who will likely be followed by whisper of a headhunting warrior past; working the bustling seaside capital of Kupang has tourists, so why not recruit royalty to another relative instated by the clan loom; typical beehive huts; roof-riding on the bus. a few comfortable options and enough lead the way? chiefs. In general, Nope says every sightseeing to keep you busy for On my trip I was lucky enough to king must possess a maternal royal several days. Outside of the relative rustle up the services of prince Pae bloodline and such requisite buzz of Kupang, the rest of the island is Nope, who cites a regal lineage that qualities as “wisdom, charisma, the very picture of peaceful, which dates back to the 16th century. With a sufficient wealth and knowledge about suits the 1.8 million inhabitants—most tiered administrative and social the kingdom.” of Malay, Papuan or Polynesian structure defining the culture here, it’s Imperial glory aside, Nope notably descent—who subsist on fishing, a little confusing to decipher the hosted Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall in timber harvesting and slash-and-burn hierarchy. But it goes something like the 1990’s and is one hell of a tour agriculture just fine. this: West Timor is split into five guide. He ushered us through West And when you peel back the rugged legislative districts, within which Timor’s tribal corridors where veneer, you’ll discover a rich heritage there are a total of 18 kingdoms. Each crimson-stained betel nut smiles that harkens back to antiquity, scenic kingdom is made up of smaller villages greeted us at every turn, and his landscapes dotted with beehive huts, run by chiefs, who answer to the king. pedigree opened many gilded doors. and waterfalls cascading through Nope’s kingdom, Amanuban, is West The first of these doors opened

32 february 2014 travelandleisureasia.com Photographed by Pedro Valcaneras and Coloma Palmer