GETTING TO ROTE
Just a hop, skip and a jump
Travelling to Rote is all part of the adventure as far as we are concerned!
First, fly to Kupang, Timor. There are daily flights from Bali, Lombok, Jakarta, and Flores.
Currently, the airport in Rote is out of action, which means a trip on the fast ferry. The Bahari Express runs daily from Kupang at around 9am. This means spending a night in Kupang, and getting the ferry the following day. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, including La Hasienda (where Michel the owner is very helpful), The Sotis and The Aston.
The ferry takes around two hours to reach Rote.
We will send a car to collect you from the harbour, and then it is a one hour drive to reach us. This costs 300,000IDR and can be paid in cash directly to the driver.
Your house to rent on Rote awaits you!
Travel Tips
We advise that you use the ap Traveloka to book your internal flights. Lots of the airlines struggle with foreign payment cards, so we find Traveloka is the best way to get around this, and it's actually a pretty good ap to use.
If you feel more comfortable with navigating Kupang with a little help, we would recommend staying at La Hasienda. Michel will collect you from the airport, and take you to the harbour the following day. Some people like the peace of mind of having an English speaker who can help them out, so if this sounds like you, then book in at La Hasienda.
If you're happy to do your own thing, it really is pretty easy! Just grab a taxi from the airport to whichever hotel you are booked in to. Ask your hotel to arrange a taxi for the next morning to take you to the Bahari Express. Do not let them convince you to leave at 5am! The ticket office never opens before 8am, and the ferry won't leave before 9am.
We are all hoping the plane service will resume as soon as possible...but until then, just see it as an extra bit of the adventure! Part of Rote's charm is that it is still quiet and unspoiled...being too easy to get to is only going to change that!
