About Rote Island
Rote is an Indonesian island located in East Nusa Tenggara, and it’s the southernmost Indonesian territory. Unspoiled from mass tourism, Rote is a remote tropical paradise, with white sand beaches, cliffs, caves, mangroves, untouched forests and world-class surf breaks – which makes it the main drawcard to visit the island. However, it’s not only a destination for surfers but also for families and friends. For tourists who appreciate natural undeveloped beauty, uncrowded places, and peaceful and simple getaways, Rote is a must that is often described as Bali ten years ago.
There are about 100,000 habitants in Rote. The Rotenese people can be shy at first, but they are very welcoming and friendly people. About 80% of the Rotenese people are Christians and religion plays an important role in the community. Rote is a very quiet and peaceful island with hardly any traffic and very low crime. The main source of the Rote’s income comes from farming, especially from seaweed plantations. Fishing and animal rearing are also prominent on the island. One of the first things you will notice when you arrive at the island is the fact that there are many animals roaming around freely (such as pigs, goats, cows, chickens); so we advise visitors to always drive slowly on the roads. Another common practice in Rote is called IKAT – a traditional weaving technique. Visitors can often see women weaving outside their homes creating unique pieces that are usually made with natural and chemical-free dyes.
Rote Island can be accessed either by a 20 minutes’ flight or a two-hour ferry ride both leaving from Timor’s capital Kupang. Ba’a is the biggest city in Rote, while Nemberala is the most popular village for tourists as it is home to Rote most famous surf sport [Nemberala or T-Land]. The island has two distinct seasons. The “dry season” starts in April and goes until October, this is when the winds turn offshore producing endless barrels, making Rote the real surfers and watersports enthusiastic paradise. During the dry season, the temperature ranges from 24 ° C – 30° C (75° – 88° f) and the seawater averages around 27° C (80°f). The “wet season” goes from November until March, changing the semi-arid aspect of the island into lush greenery.
