Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

DIRECTORY

Banks BNI and BRI banks at the south end of town both

have ATMs; the BRI next to the post o ce changes most

common currencies.

Diving Blue Marlin Komodo, Jl Sokarno ( T 0812 3775

7892, W bluemarlinkomodo.com).

Internet There are several internet cafés on Jl Sokarno.

Most hotels and restaurants provide free wi-fi.

Pharmacy Several on Jl Sokarno, past the post o ce.

Post o ce Jl Sokarno (Mon-Thurs 8am-3pm, Fri & Sat

8am-noon).

centre. Bemos will take you into town from either station.

When you leave Ruteng, your hotel can arrange for the

bus to pick you up to save you the hassle of getting back

out to the terminal.

Destinations Bajawa (several daily; 5hr); Ende (1-2 daily;

9hr); Labuanbajo (several daily; 4-5hr); Maumere (1-2

daily; 14hr).

By shared taxi The Rima Hotel runs a travel service to

Bajawa, Ende, Labuanbajo and Maumere.

ACCOMMODATION

Hotel Susteran Jl Ahmed Yani T 0385 22834. A ray of

light amid Ruteng's dismal accommodation offerings,

this guesthouse (also known as “MBC”) is actually part of a

convent. Rooms are simple, but immaculate. The convent

choir starts early, a stra nge but no t unpleasant way to

wake up in the morning. Rp200,000

Ranaka Jl Yos Sudarso 2 T 0385 21353. Tiny place in

the town centre, with just a few rudimentary rooms, the

cheapest of which share a b athroom. P rices are low and

the staff are friendly enough. Rp75,000

Hotel Sindha Jl Yos Sudarso 26 T 0385 21197. The

standard rooms here, clustered around a garden

courtyard, are basic, but all come with Western toilets and

showers; the re's also a n ewer wing of smarter options

(Rp300,000). Rp100,000

RUTENG

he first large town after Labuanbajo is

RUTENG , 140km to the east. Surrounded

by forested volcanic hills and rolling

rice-paddy plains, it's a cool, relaxing

place. he market just to the south is the

central meeting point for the local

Manggarai people, as Ruteng is their

district capital. hey speak their own

language and have a distinctive culture

most in evidence in villages on the south

coast. heir traditional houses are conical

and arranged in concentric circles around

a circular sacrificial arena; even the rice

paddies are round, divided up like

spiders' webs, with each clan receiving a

slice. Most of these formations are no

longer used, but a good example can

still be seen at Golo Cara , thirty minutes

by bemo from the central bus station,

and traces of them are visible from the

bus to Bajawa.

Around 15km north of Ruteng is

Liang Bua, a limestone cave (Rp30,000,

including a short tour) in which the

skeleton of a potentially new species of

human - the diminutive Homo

floresiensis , nicknamed the “hobbit”

- was discovered in 2003.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

By plane The airport is 2km from the centre, served by

bemos to and from the central bus terminal. Trans Nusa's

o ce is at Jl Niaga 17, opposite the church ( T 0385 21123,

W transnusa.co.id).

Destinations Kupang (daily; 1hr 10min); Lewoleba (6

weekly; 1hr 40min).

By bus Buses from Labuanbajo arrive at the Mena

terminal, 3km out of town. Buses from the east (apart

from through buses to Labuanbajo, which go into town)

will drop you at the Puspasari terminal, 4km from the

4

EATING

Ruteng shuts down at 9pm, so eat well before then.

Agape Coffee House & Café Jl Bhayangkara 8. A

reasonable attempt at a Western-style café, with a wide

selection of hot drinks and sweet snacks (from Rp10,000),

as well as main dishes. Daily 9am-8pm.

Merlin Jl Bhanyangkara, across from Agape . The

intriguingly named Merlin has a wide range of Chinese

food for around Rp40,000-50,000, though none of it

tastes of much. There's also quite a bit of tourist informa-

tion available. Daily 7.30am-8pm.