West Timor is the Indonesian half of Timor island, part of East Nusa Tenggara province. Most travellers pass through on their way to or from East Timor or Australia, but the region has its own rough appeal — dry savannahs, traditional villages, and a culture quite distinct from the rest of Indonesia.
Kupang, the provincial capital on the western tip, is the main transport hub. It is a scrappy, sprawling port city but not unpleasant for a day or two — the waterfront sunsets are good at Lasiana Beach, the seafood is cheap, and it serves as a base for exploring the surrounding area. The Goa Kristal limestone cave near the port and Semau Island just across the strait are the most popular day trips. From Kupang, you can arrange visits to traditional villages in the interior where ikat weaving is still practiced and animist traditions persist alongside Christianity.
The landscape is drier and more rugged than most of Indonesia — think eucalyptus, lontar palms, and red earth rather than the lush rice terraces of Java or Bali. The eastern border crossing to East Timor at Mota'ain is straightforward if you have a visa. The road from Kupang east through Soe and Kefamenanu passes through some of the most traditional parts of the island.