From Kupang to Dili Overland

Starting off in Kupang

Before coming to the island of Timor, I knew little of this small island divided into the Indonesian held West and the recently independent East. What I did know was that this region is not only the newest nation in South East Asia, but also is one of the least visited countries in the world. To make things even more challenging, I intended on going overland from the major city of Kupang in Indonesia to the Eastern capital of Dili.

Timor-Leste Visa Authorization Letter

The first thing on many traveler’s minds when visiting Kupang is how to get your Timor-leste visa. For many travelers flying directly to Dili, they will be granted a free visa on arrival. When crossing the land border, the process becomes more complicated. From the Timor-Leste Immigration Website you can get a description of all necessary documents and prices for the visa. The website informs travelers that all documents must be emailed to the immigration authority and will be processed within 10 days. In my particular case, I never received a reply from the immigration department. When in Kupang I decided to try my luck and directly take my documents to the Timor-leste consulate. Applying from the consulate was surprisingly simple. I was even able to cut down the processing time by showing that my flight out of Dili was in less than a week and told the officer that another longer than 24-hours would not give me time to see Timor-leste. The next day I was given my authorization letter and set to cross the border to East Timor.

All you need for the Visa Authorization Letter is:

• Copy of your passport
• Visa Application
• Departure Ticket
• Bank Statement (Needs to show 100$ per entry and 50$ per each day in Timor-Leste)
• Visa fee of 30$ payable at the border

Location of the Timor-Leste Consulate in Kupang:

Stopover in Kefamenanu

While it is possible to get a direct bus from Kupang to Dili, I decided to break up the trip to see as much of the island of Timor as possible. After taking a small van to the outskirts of Kupang, I waited in a roadside café for the bus to fill up. There are no schedules for the buses in Kupang, they simply leave whenever the bus is full. The mountain passes made it a rough and bumpy ride, but we made good time leaving at around 6 and arriving at 11:30pm. Before arriving in Kefa, I informed the driver to drop me off in front of Victory Hotel, one of the few hotels in town.

From Kefa to Atambua

From the bus station in Kefa I continued onwards towards the border town of Atambua. Like all other bus travel, the driver waits for the seats to be full before starting the journey. Compared to anywhere else in Timor, this journey was the most scenic. The route takes passengers through green rice fields, tall mountains, and lush jungles. For the braver travelers, you can even sit on top of the bus to get the best view of the countryside. This ride also takes roughly four and a half hours before arriving in Atambua. Like Kefa, tell the driver the name of your hotel and he will drop you off when arriving in town.

Location of the Kefamenanu Bus Station:

Atambua-Batugade Border Crossing (Mota’ain Crossing)

The buses which go to the border are parked around the central market in Atambua. While the ride to border wont take more than forty five minutes, waiting for the bus to fill up can take several hours. Be sure to have US dollars ready prior to arriving at the border. It is not for sure that the bank on the Indonesian side will be open. I was fortunate enough to have one of the immigration officers take my money, ride across to the East Timor side, and return with US currency. After being stamped out of Indonesia, it was a quick walk over through no man’s land to the Timor-Leste immigration office. After paying the 30$ fee and handing over the Authorization Letter I was in East Timor.

Onwards to Dili

When first entering Timor-Leste, it is unclear where to wait for the bus to Dili. There were several men sitting in the shade by the border but were unhelpful when asked where the bus stop was. I made the mistake of walking trying to walk onwards towards Batugade. I probably would have had more luck waiting at the border, because by the time the bus went several kilometers down the road reaching Batugade every seat was already taken.

While being in Batugade did give me a chance to check out some of the locals on the beach, it did not take me any closer to Dili. After watching children play in the water and men bringing in their catch of the day from the sea, I made my way back to the small “downtown” of Batugade. It wasn’t long until a grey SUV pulled up and offered me a ride for 20 USD to Dili. Not knowing when the next bus with empty seats would come, I quickly accepted his offer. The driver was hired to drive a group of people from the East Timor enclave of Oecusse to the capital in Dili. While the ride was comfortable, the roads were horribly run down. Much of the journey was wasted simply avoiding potholes. The trip did, however, offer a glimpse of the rural life in East Timor, from the highlands at the border down to the exotic beaches on the coast.

Arriving in the Capital

After a good four to five hours on the road, the driver started pulling into downtown Dili. The total journey took us from the mountains on the border with Indonesia, down to the white sand beaches on the coast. Once again, the driver took each passenger to the doorstep of their home or hotel. This can take awhile with some of the houses being down back alleys in the suburbs. Finally, I was taken to Hostel DaTerra, in central Dili. The total journey from Kupang to Dili took just three days. The direct bus is more quick, but if you are looking for comfort and seeing more of the beauty of Timor, this is the way to travel!