Discovering Rote Island

We love travelling! And we love Indonesia...So what we like the most is travelling all around Indonesia. Even if we live here since 1999, this incredible country surprises us every single day...We will never finish to explore it! This is why we love Indonesia.

Some weeks ago we worte about our trip to Selayar Islands. Now we would like to share with you our experience in Rote Island. 

Rote is an uncrowded tropical island paradise landscape white-sand beaches and crystal clear water. Rote Island (Indonesian: Pulau Rote, also spelled Roti) is an island of Indonesia, part of the East Nusa Tenggara province of the Lesser Sunda Islands. It has an area of 1,200 km2. It lies 500 km  northeast of the Australian coast and 170 km  northeast of the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. The island is situated to the southwest of the larger island of Timor. 

How to get to Rote Island? It’s easy! Kupang airport is very easy to reach. There are many flights every day from different airports. You can fly to Kupang from Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya or Ende. Once in Kupang you have to option to get to Rote: by flight or by fast ferry. There are 2 flights a day (Wings Air): 6:30 AM and 3:10 PM The flight takes 20 minutes making this the quickest, most reliable route to Rote.  If you prefer the sea, or are heavily loaded, you can use the ferry (twice a day). You can take a taxi from the airport to the harbor (30 minutes to 1 hour). The fast ferry takes 2 hours to reach Rote.

The remotness of Rote makes it a very special island. The island is a sanctuary of sunshine, happy people, white-sand beaches and clear water. 

Nemberala beach is generally regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches of Rote. It offers stunning sunsets, panoramic views and  it is one of the most popular surfing destination within the Indonesian archipelago. Here we really enjoyed our stay in Seed Resort. SEED Resort encompasses the essence of homespun hospitality combined with tranquil barefoot luxury. Nurtured within Rote Island’s pristine nature, the resort has grown with blissful simplicity into a sanctuary of healthy living, active recuperation and wholesome relaxation in the heart of serenity. SEED Resort features nine exclusive bungalows, each of these original rooms are made of reclaimed teak wood built with traditional craftsmanship enabling original Indonesian aesthetics. The food is really good and  the pool just amazing!

Nemberala Beach iw growing fast...We can find a lot of restaurants and small hotels, most of them owned by expats.

Then, just 10 kms from Nemberala Beach we can find Loedi Beach.  Here we decided  to stay in Loedi Bungalow Rote; good service and kind staff (as usual in Indonesia). The resort offers 4 eco bungalows that are located in front of the beach. All have private bathroom with open air shower, private terrace, large dressing room, and fan. Loedi is a white sand beach with crystal waters. Perect for those looking for a place far way from the strees and bussiness of the world. You can only see people from the fishing village next to the hotel. Rote is one off-the-beaten-track Indonesian Islands you need to visit.  There are various activities to do here like surfing kitesurfing, sup paddle, snorkelling, diving or just relax. 

Here you will not find a lot of restaurants. You can always have lunch or dinner at the hotel. Otherwise you can hire a scooter and go to Nemberala Beach. Not traffic jams in Rote.

So if you are looking for a wild and remote island, really not included in the traditional touristic routes Rote is perfect for you. This outer island paradise is certain to appeal to all types of adventure travelers. Travel different and off the beathen path!