Cape Oesima lies roughly 40km southwest of Kupang and just a handful k’s of south of Bolok Harbour. It takes about an hour to reach and the ocean views heading out there are sublime. The western coastline contains Toblolong Beach, a gorgeous stretch of unspoiled sand overlooking Semau and Roti Islands. It’s one of Kupang’s favourite recreational area where locals hold rowing and fishing competitions, windsurf, swim and relax. At low tide on the sand flats reveals tiny crabs, fish and shells among the tidal pools and clumps of seaweed that the woman from the tiny fishing village of Tablolong come to collect.
On the other side of the cape, Oesima Beach stretches for 7km’s to Sumlili village. It’s a big empty beach that you’re almost guaranteed to have to yourself. Mid-way along the beach, tucked in behind the mangroves is the Tuadale Lakes Wildlife Reserve, a 10 hectare lowland wetland of mixed cashew, teak, hibiscus, pandanus and mangrove forest. On the otherwise barren cape, it’s an important habitat for monkeys, bats, reptiles and a wide variety of birds including cockatoos, heron and the alap alap falcon.
Being only an hour from Kupang, Cape Oesima can be easily explored in a day but it’s a great place to catch the sunset, particularly from the head of the cape. Buy a bundle of firewood and some fresh caught fish from the villagers and grill it right on the reach as the sun drops over the ocean; absolutely magical. If you don’t feel like heading back to Kupang in the dark, spend a night in the simple bungalow accommodation at the Tablolong Beach Resort where the beers are cold or pitch a tent and camp out.