Liveaboard Diving in Kupang
What to Expect on a Kupang Liveaboard
Liveaboards in Kupang have been a well-kept secret in the diving world until recently. With a lot of attention on Komodo and other parts of the Banda Sea liveaboard diving in Kupang has been something for those in the know. The area is located on West Timor and is home to the capital of the island, the city of Kupang. With easy access and plenty of brilliant dive safaris on offer it is surprising that Kupang liveaboards have only just begun to be so popular.
The area offers a range of diving trips both in the local area and nearby Alor. Kupang is located in the coral triangle which means that like most Banda Sea diving areas, beautiful reefs can be taken from granted at Kupang. What is really unique about scuba diving in Kupang though are the freshwater caves that sit along the coast. This is one of the few places in the world with a sizeable set of freshwater caves open to dive tours.
Liveaboard Diving from Kupang
In this part of Indonesia, liveaboard diving almost always includes beautiful reefs and Kupang is no exception. Not only is it within easy reach of the amazing Kal’s Dream sea mount reef in Alor but it has some excellent reefs nearby as well. The Semau and Monkey islands close to Kupang are home to some fantastic reefs.
Semau also has a great wreck site, a Japansese World War II wreck sitting off the coast. The wreck was badly damaged when it was sunk by the Australian air force but there is plenty of life all over the wreckage. If you want to see bigger animals too there are several options, liveaboards leaving from Kupang region often visit Sharks Galore in Alor, where grey reef sharks mingle with white tips meaning shark lovers won’t be disappointed. Closer to Kupang itself, Monkey Island is a great place to see turtles and stingrays. Apart from this there are ample muck diving sites along the coast where eels, shrimp and a host of other critters can be found.
The caves are a big draw for dive liveaboards in Kupang as they are famously some of the best freshwater caves in the world. The caves go for miles into the coastline of Timor and have stalagmites and fascinating fossils in their walls. There are air pockets and beautiful haloclines, this is an ideal opportunity to experience cave and cavern diving if you haven’t done it before. The conditions in this area are usually fairly good and visibility is around 20 meters plus in most areas.
Getting to Kupang
The best way to see as much as possible here is to jump on a dive cruise at Maumere or Kupang. This way you will get three or four dives per day on your dive trip. There are a few different kinds of Indonesian dive liveaboards available in Kupang. A live aboard motor vessel can offer top of the range facilities and luxury accommodation too. Sailing in Kupang is very popular too with traditional Indonesian sail boats being one of the most popular options.
Getting to Kupang and Maumere is fairly easy, there are flights to Flores daily from Bali International Airport and some domestic flights from other areas of Indonesia. From Kupang or Maumere airport it is a short distance to reach the cities’ ports.
