Flavours and stories of Timor’s Mollo highlands

Taiftob is a four-hour drive from Kupang, the largest city in West Timor and capital of NTT province. 

Kupang’s El Tari International Airport has domestic flights from Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar (Bali), and international flights from Dili (Timor Leste). 

Lakoat.Kujawas member Hendrik Tamelab drives a seven-seater car available for private charter, or as a shared shuttle — fares are usually not included in tour packages. Enquire with Lakoat.Kujawas.

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Kapan has cold nights, especially between June to August, the Southern Hemisphere winter months. Bring a light jacket with plenty of light warm layers. You can also buy a local tenun scarf from Lakoat.Kujawas (for less than US$20), which also makes a good keepsake.

Although Heritage Trails are a day trip, do spend a few more days there and get to know the lovely community.

Lakoat.Kujawas plans to offer more homestay options in future. For off-site accommodation, inexpensive hotels are available a 30-minute drive away in Soe, the capital of South Central Timor regency.

Bring books to donate to the library. Good choices include Indonesian literature, illustrated encyclopaedias, illustrated school subject explainers, children story books, graphic memoirs of historical events, and books for learning simple English.

The current rates for Lakoat.Kujawas' homestay is well below the typical rate for full-board homestays in Indonesia (Rp75,000/US$5.30 per person as of August 2019). We recommend offering an extra fee to cover meals.

Visit the Pasar Kapan wet market (open on Mondays and Thursdays) to take in the local produce and be sure to shop at a betelnut vendor — such gifts are a welcome gesture for people who are sharing their culture with you.

If your visit does not coincide with a M’nahat Fe’u Heritage Trail day, you can request a Timorese food workshop or a guided hike to Mount Mutis from Fatumnasi village.

If you are a creative professional or researcher working in literature, journalism, photography, film, performing arts, visual arts, design, fashion, architecture, food activism, culinary arts, the zero-waste lifestyle, or disability issues, ask about a doing a residency with Lakoat.Kujawas and share your knowledge.

On certain occasions, Timorese tenun sarongs are required as part of the dress code. Shop for a local sarong in advance, or accept a loan when offered. In the case of the latter, it would be nice to return the sarong with a small gift from your hometown.

Running water does not happen every day in Mollo. Use the water provided for you sparingly.