Indonesia. Is it 18,500 islands or 13,700 islands? No matter, it’s a bloody lot of islands and if you want to explore them by motorcycle then you’ll be taking a few boat trips courtesy of the government operated ASDP shipping. ASDP? The Angkatan Sungai Danau Penyeberangan - the Rivers and Lakes crossing Transportation Service. Don’t know why they left “seas” out of the equation because the vast majority of their work is ferrying goods and passengers BETWEEN islands rather than ACROSS lakes or UP and DOWN rivers but there you go. Even after 50 years of engagement with Indonesia there’s still a lot I don’t understand!

ASDP Ferry approaching Poto Tano, West Sumbawa
The first sea journey I made in the region was way back In 1970. Me and a school mate, Ken Mounsey, had hitched from Melbourne to Darwin, flown to Baucau in East Timor and hitched to Dili, the capital. From there we took TAT’s (Transporte Aereo de Timor) DC3 to Kupang. Taking off from a grass strip we received a jam bun and a single sweet wrapped in cellophane before touching down an hour later at Penfoei Airfield on the outskirts of Kupang.
Delay leaving Pelabuhan Kayangan (The Port of Heaven) in East Lombok. As you can see a truck is being used to tow a broken down vehicle out of the ferry before we can get underway.

For some reason Kupang has always had a strange fascination for me. I remember asking a German traveler, a fellow occupant of Dili’s “Hippie Hilton” beach hut, what he thought of Kupang. His swift one-word, spat-out answer - “Scheisse”! I didn’t understand German but some words don’t require translation!

Kupang was dusty, scruffy and haphazard. It was a real melting pot. Being the largest city between Bali and Darwin it attracted people from all over Eastern Indonesia. It had a long history. The Portuguese, the Dutch and the British fought over it for 200 years. Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame landed there in June 1789 having sailed a 7mt open boat 6700kms from Tonga in 41 days. One of his crew, the botanist Nelson, is buried in Kupang’s Nun Hila Cemetery. Kupang was flattened by bombing in World War Two as it was a Japanese stronghold.

We only spent a couple of days there because, as luck would have it, there was a Pelni ship, the “SS Tobelo” bound for Surabaya due to leave so we rushed down to Tenau Harbour and bought a couple of deck class tickets for a song. Needless to say the trip was a bit of an eye opener. There were only a few civilian passengers. We slept atop the hatches. We were fed rice, fish heads and a slice of fried egg three times a day but the supply of black tea was endless. Below deck were hundreds of soldiers returning to Java after a stint in the Moluccas. Each had a parrot in a cage and the noise they made was deafening. The trip took the best part of four days - a P&O cruise it was not! - but we arrived with all limbs intact and a deeper appreciation of what life is like for the common people.

(I’ll add more as time goes by. The purpose is to give readers an insight into what to expect on Ferry trips in current times)

So, what to expect when you ride on the a ferry in Indonesia? I've used ASDP countless times over the years for trips ranging from one to thirty six hours. Since 1996 all of these trips have taken place in the provinces of Nusa Tenggara Barat and Nusa Tenggara Timor (the west south-eastern islands, and the east south eastern islands!

The ferries are colloquially known as "kapal ro-ro" - roll-on/roll-off ships - so you have a ramp fore and aft.

This is the "KM Namparnos" that took us from Larantuka in east Flores to Kalabahi on the island of Alor with stops at Waiwerang on Adonara, Lewoleba on Lembata and a look in at Baranusa on Pantar but there was no one to disembark and no one to board so we steamed on by. The trip took about 16 hours. We rented vinyl covered foam mattresses from the crew. About 4cm thick they took the sting out of the iron deck. I had a few fuel drums to lean back on when I wanted to sit up. There weren't many passengers on this trip. We spread ourselves around between the trucks and a couple of cars and shared snacks and small talk. The sea was dead calm. Sliding between jungle covered islands, volcanoes poking their heads up here and there, the sea a millpond, is as relaxing as it gets. You can get cabins but they are generally cramped and airless so the fresh air and view from the deck is the way to go in my opinion.

Fisherman at dusk. Lewoleba dock, Lembata island.


So, how to go about boarding a ferry? How frequent do they run? Well from Java (Merak) to Sumatra (Bakahueni) they run 24 hours a day. I think the trip is 2-3 hours but I have only done the old route that used to terminate in Tanjung Karang??? from memory. Heading east the Java to Bali ferry (Ketapang to Gillimanuk) runs 24 hours a day. It's just spitting distance so less than an hour.

From Bali (Padangbai) to Lombok (Lembar) the trip takes 5 - 6 hours. You often see dolphins and pass by rugged Nusa Penida, a largish island south-east of Lombok. These ferries also run 24 hours a day. The Bali police are red hot on checking for the IDP and the registration paper if you are on a hired bike. You will be "fined" and if you don't pay up you won't be heading east.

City Line, ASDP haven't bothered to paint over the sign. Waiting de-scaling in Poto Tano Harbour, Sumbawa

From Lombok (Pelabuhan Kayangan) to Sumbawa (Poto Tano) is just a short hop across the Alas Strait which takes about 90 minutes. The service operates 24 hours a day.

From the opposite (eastern) end of Sumbawa the port of Sape has a daily connection to Labuhanbajo on Flores (8 hours) and a twice weekly service to Waikelo on Sumba (8 hours)

Waingapu in east Sumba has connections to Kupang via Savu (36 hours) and to Aimere on the south coast of Flores (12 hours)

Finally, from Larantuka on the east end of Flores you can get a ferry direct to Kupang or indirectly via Adonara, Lembata, Pantar and Alor. This latter trip took about 62 hours with a 24 hour stop over in Kalabahi, Alor.

The harbour at Kalabahi, Alor during low tide.

Continuing with general information about ferries and shipping. In 1996 I travelled from a small port on the north coast of West Timor called Atapupu - a speck on the map around 20km from the Timor Leste border. For years there was a weekly service to Kalabahi on Alor but it seems it no longer operates. Shame as it was an interesting trip. I remember the current was so strong the little ferry really laboured against it - we were lucky to make 7-8 knots. The trip up the inlet to Kalabahi harbour was spectacular but slow as the tide was running out.

The boat harbour at Kayangan, east Lombok

As well as the ASDP ferries there is also a lot of local boats of various sizes running daily services to small off shore islands. For example, Pulau Moyo, made famous by Princess Diana's visit, can be reached by daily public boat from Sumbawa Besar. From Larantuka in Flores there are always boats running to and fro to Rita Ebang on Solor island. From Reo on the north coast of Flores there is a weekly boat to Labuhanbajo.
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In short, no matter where you are, if there is an island nearby you will be able to get a local boat to it provided you are not riding a monster weighing 300kgs!

Now there is also another option. The national shipping line, PELNI, conducts an extensive inter-island schedule that stitches together the entire archipelago- from Sabang to Merauke as the locals like to say. These are real ships - big ocean-going vessels taking thousands of passengers. I've only travelled on a couple of them, the last being in 2008 when I went from Labuhanbajo to Lembar on Lombok.

It was not a planned trip. I was traveling by public transport. 'heading west. I was holed up in the Losmen Mutiara by the port. I was in a deep sleep and got woken by a ship's siren. It was the "Tilongkabila" en route to Bali, via Bima in Sumbawa and Lembar in Lombok. I was feeling a bit second hand having spent the best part of three weeks travelling by public transport as far as Lembata so this was a good opportunity to cover a lot of distance in one go.


Sunset on a trip from Kupang to Savu.

So, I checked out and jumped on the boat. We got in to Lembar a day later. The crew came around shortly before we docked and sold me a ticket.
Now, about tickets. PELNI has a website and you have to book if you want a cabin. Not all PELNI vessels take motorcycles so you have to check first.

As for ASDP - you just rock up to the port and inquire when the next boat leaves. Experience has taught me not to pay any attention to Departure Boards or on-line Timetables. They are frequently thrown out of whack by breakdowns, the weather, vehicle break downs on board delaying clearing the ferry and - whatever.

Pelabuhan Badas, Sumbawa Besar, at dawn.

Tickets are really cheap. For example from Lembar on Lombok to Poto Tano on Sumbawa I paid IDR 42,000 (about AUD$4) for me and the bike. And if I was two-up my partner would travel free! In 2016 the 36 hour trip from Kupang to Waingapu on Sumba cost IDR415,000 (about AUD$40). That's deck class but if you want a cabin you can rent one from the crew. Prices vary according to engine capacity. My KLX is "Group 2" which I think from memory is 110 - 250cc. My Canadian mate, Glenn, was a bit canny. He rode his DR650 from Darwin over to Timor Leste and on to Indonesia, where he travelled for a couple of months, sporting "Suzuki 250cc" stickers which he'd had made up. He was never questioned.


I keep these old tickets in my wallet as a sort of talisman connecting me to the thing I love best - traveling in the back of beyond - eastern Indonesia - where you see beaches sans sun lounges and umbrellas.

So, how's the drill when you buy a ticket? You hand over your cash and will be given a printed ticket and sometimes a token. You then line up with the rest of the bikes, hopefully under an awning as the sun can be fierce. Sometimes bikes go on first, sometimes it's trucks and buses first - depends on numbers. Usually it's trucks and buses first. There are always plenty of blue uniformed staff directing operations. Once the order is given there's ofter a mad rush to the booth where you hand over your token to get access to the ferry.



Some of the passengers aboard the ferry from Savu to Waingapu on Sumba

So, what to expect when you get on-board? You'll enter via the loading ramp onto a vehicle deck between 50m and 80m long and about 12metres wide. As a general rule the further east you go the smaller and less frequent the ferries with the exception of Kupang.which is a transport hub. You'll be directed to a parking spot along with all the other bikes and scooters. Most will be 110cc - 125cc Hondas, Yamahas and Suzukis. Two fifties are rare, any bigger rarer still.



The"Satya Dharma" at Pelabuhan Kayangan (The Port of Heaven) in east Lombok. Note the motto: "We Serve the Nation." Sometimes it's rendered as "We Bridge the Nation."

Bikes are put up on centre stands if they have one. Most times the vehicle deck is pretty much full with trucks, a couple of big inter city buses, mini buses, a few cars and LOTS of two-wheelers.

Once parked, it's time to find a spot to sit out the trip. I never use the lounge. It will be full of men smoking and they'll be some crappy D-grade kung fu movie blaring away on the TV. Far better to be outside in the fresh air. They'll be lots of vendors selling water, drinks, biscuits, sweets, rice and chicken wrapped in grease proof paper, sunglasses, hats - the works. Sometimes in the lounge you'll see a group of kids busking for a buck. I always give them It brings me good luck. I've never had anything stolen on a ferry. I always leave my backpack on the bike. I just hang on to my helmet and gloves.

If the trip is a long one I'll seek out a spot in the shade. Under the life boats is a good choice or up on the little deck where the winch motors are located. A thin woven mat is always handy to place on the deck. Cleanliness of toilets varies - I'll let you use your imagination. If there are toilets on the vehicle deck they are usually pretty good as they get the least use.

My KLX with the derricks of Waikelo port, Sumba, in the distance.

As regards safety, I don't want to put you off but mention this as a matter of interest. In Indonesia, if you require to replace a passport due to a maritime disaster, the replacement is issued at a discount rate. Seems fair to me.

Yes, there have been ferry disasters but let me ask you this. Would you, if a disaster is imminent, rather be on a ferry crossing warm tropical waters or in an aluminium tube hurtling toward the ground at 700km per hour? As for me, I prefer to take my chances with the sharks and the waves.

One ferry I'd travelled on a few times went down in 2017. The KM Munawaur used the ply the Alas Strait between Lombok and Sumbawa. It's door failed and the ship foundered very quickly

The “Munawuar” passengers and crew were fortunate in that the weather was good, they were fairly close to shore and there is always quite a lot of shipping in the area. I think three lives were lost. Local fishermen were quickly on the scene.


Queuing up at Kayangan port.

As a general rule the three most significant factors in relation to safety are in order: the weather, the distance spent in open sea and lax safety standards on board.

Monsoon season in east Indonesia starts about November and ends around April or May. Ferries are shallow draught vessels not suited to mountainous seas. Authorities don’t take risks with the weather and services are often cancelled during monsoon.



I think the trips out of Java to Kalimantan are probably the longest trips on offer and are most at risk from monsoon-related mishaps. However, the one thing that concerns me is the failure to enforce non-smoking regulations, particularly on the vehicle deck. One stuck needle valve allowing fuel to over flow from the carburettor, one carelessly discarded cigarette butt and in an instant you have a conflagration.

Here's why I say I'd rather take my chances on a ferry rather than on a plane.

INDONESIA Fishermen rescue another 15 suvivors from ferry disaster

The "Hodasco 19" docking at Badas Port, Sumbawa


A lot of corn is sent to Surabaya from here.


Early morning is a great time.



Looking back at Lombok on the way to Sumbawa.

Badas Port. Twelve km west of Sumbawa Besar city.



Port workers. These blokes spend all day raking out loose corn from trucks.



Trucks waiting to unload



Corn ready for the crane to haul aloft.



The ship is the “Simfoni Sejati”


Sinfoni Sejati means “Loyal Symphony”



My KLX Sejati!



And again



And again



Badas Port exports a lot of corn to Java where a lot of food processing plants are located. Indonesia manufactures a huge amount of snack food.

Don’t know why some photos uploaded upside down. Don’t know how to fix. Sorry.

Best I can figure when I see this is the phone orientation is somehow "fixed" in the image, so the orientation is messed up. Rotating it in your computer SOMETIMES solves it, other times not, all you can do is try, sorry.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Kupang (population 435K, 2019) is the largest city between Bali and Darwin. As such it is a busy transport hub. Cargo ships and PELNI liners dock at Tenau Harbour whereas ASDP ferries and smaller craft use the port ofBolok about 7km to the west of Tenau.

As you can from the impressive Port Departures and Arrivals Board there are connections to Rote, Sabu (also called Savu), Waingapu on Sumba, Ende, Larantuka and Aimere on Flores, Kalabahi on Alor and Lewoleba on Lembata. Currently there is a volcano, Ile Api or Lewotolo, which is erupting on Lembata. I was able to climb it in 2008. The crater is very spectacular.

From Kalabahi and Lewoleba on Lembata you can also reach Baranusa on Pantar. Pantar has an interesting volcano called Sirung.



Don't pay too much attention to the schedule. Always ask first as weather, breakdowns and any number of factors can intervene.

Pantar is seldom visited.

In late 2016 my mate Daryl Roinson and me arrived in Kupang at 3.00am. We'd just completed a 15 hr ferry trip from Kalabahi on Alor. I made some enquires about shipping heading west. My visa was running out so I had to move quickly. I was told the ferry to Sumba via Savu left at 3pm. Good. We found a hotel - Hotel on the Rock - checked in and crashed.

Around 7.30 we had a great breakfast on this deck overlooking the bluest of blue seas - seiously beautiful way to start the day.

Around 9am I decided to head out to the port and buy a ticket. I got there after a leisurely ride that saw me head to Tenau first (wrong port) before finally getting to Bolok. Bought the ticket and the guy says, "Ferry's over there, it leaves at 11."

My God! I was told 3.00pm! Crazy, crazy ride back to the Rock, pack my gear snd another crazy speed-fest. I was the last bike on the ferry which was packed to the gunnels. Every bar of soap, every can of drink, every hairpin sold on Savu comes from Kupang.

The smashed up dock at Waikelo Harbour on Sumba




Night falls quickly in the Torrid Zone.



Badas Port at dawn. Sumbawa Besar city