Getting Around Kupang
Kupang is the capital of East Nusa Tenggara and the largest city on the island of Timor, sitting on the island's southwestern tip. It is a low-lying city with groups of hills in the south and southwest, and it is bordered by the Kupang Regency on land and by the Savu Sea to the north. For a visitor, getting around is mostly a matter of choosing between microbuses, motorbike rentals, and app-based ride-hailing, with taxis playing a bigger role at the ports and the airport than in everyday city travel.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Kupang has no rail, metro, or tram network. There is no train, subway, or light-rail service to use within the city or to reach it from elsewhere on Timor. Ground transport in and around Kupang is entirely road-based, supplemented by ferries for travel to nearby islands.
Bemos: The Local Microbus Network
The distinctive form of public transport in Kupang is the bemo — a microbus that is typically decorated with accessories and decorations, often with music playing loudly. Each bemo carries a driver and an assistant who collects fares from passengers.
- How to use them: You can tell the assistant your destination or drop-off point in advance, so it helps to know the name of your stop before you board.
- Finding the right route: There are multiple routes, and the route number is displayed on top of the bemo. For destinations further out, the bemo instead displays the destination name. Because the routes are not obvious to newcomers, the practical approach is to ask your accommodation whether any bemos pass by the places you want to reach.
- Fares: Each trip costs Rp 5,000.
- Where they run: Bemos also ply the main road above the passenger ports, which makes them a genuinely cheap option for getting into the city from the port area.
Buses and Long-Distance Connections
Kupang's long-distance bus services are informal in character. Rather than a formal bus terminal, buses park along the street at Terminal Bayngan, and there will usually be a bus waiting to take you to your destination if it lies along the main Timor highway. Buses leave when they are full, so departure times are not fixed.
- Regional routes: Buses connect Kupang with other towns on Timor, including Atambua and Soe.
- International route: Two companies, Paradise Tour & Travel and Timor Tour & Travel, run luxury-ish buses between Kupang and Dili in Timor-Leste and back.
- What to expect: Long rides, and loud music.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
App-based ride-hailing is available in Kupang through Maxim, Grab, and Gojek. Maxim is the most popular of the three, followed by Grab, while Gojek is less common. Grab taxis are also available at El Tari International Airport.
Taxis matter most around the ports, where the dynamics are worth understanding in advance:
- Ride-hailing services are allowed to drop passengers off at the ports but are not allowed to pick them up, because doing so would interfere with local taxi drivers' practice of overcharging tourists for rides into the city.
- To hail an app-based ride from either port, you must exit the port and walk up the hill, past a line of eager taxi drivers, until you reach semi-flat ground away from them. Only then can you order a ride on your phone.
- A regular taxi into Kupang from the ports costs Rp150,000–200,000 depending on your negotiating skills, while a ride-hailing car runs Rp50,000–100,000.
- If you want the cheapest option, bemos run along the main road above the ports. Ignore taxi drivers who tell you there are no bemos — they are not telling the truth.
Motorbike Rental
As in most Indonesian cities, renting a motorbike in Kupang is easy enough, with rates starting at Rp100,000 per day. The simplest route is to ask at your hotel.
Walkability
Walking is practical in specific situations rather than as a general way to cover the city. The clearest case is at the ports: to reach a point where you can order a ride-hailing car, you need to walk out of the port and up the hill to semi-flat ground away from the taxi drivers. Beyond that, the city's mix of low-lying areas and hills in the south and southwest means you should plan on using bemos, ride-hailing, or a rented motorbike for most trips.
Getting from El Tari International Airport into the City
El Tari International Airport (KOE) is located on Jl. Adi Sucipto and receives services from Surabaya, Denpasar, Jakarta, Maumere, Ende, and many other remote regions in East Nusa Tenggara.
- Ride-hailing: Grab taxis are available at the airport. A ride into town costs a hefty Rp100,000–200,000, though this is still cheaper than the airport taxi services.
Arriving by Sea
Kupang has two passenger ports served by different ferry companies, and the rules for onward travel differ from the airport.
- Port Tenau: Served by PELNI, Express Bahari, Cantika Lestari, and DLU. A fast ferry operated by Express Bahari connects to Ba'a on Rote, and ferries also serve Savu, Flores, Sumba, the Alor Archipelago, and the Solor Archipelago.
- Port Bolok: Served by ASDP/Ferizy, with a slow ferry to Pantai Baru on Rote plus ferries to Semau, Savu, Flores, the Alor Archipelago, and the Solor Archipelago. ASDP/Ferizy tickets must be bought online, which cannot be done using foreign payment methods — so you will need to pay a "helper" cash to buy a ticket for you for a small tip. There are usually plenty of helpers waiting around for the opportunity; alternatively, less helpful helpers staffing a semi-official tent opposite the port building will buy a ticket for you without a tip.
- Getting onward into the city: The same port pickup restrictions described above apply — ride-hailing apps can drop you off but not collect you, so walk up the hill away from the taxi drivers before ordering a car, or take a bemo from the main road above the ports.