*Gun (holding the camera) was laughing so hard at Jiman falling off the boat that he almost joined him in the water too. We're usually more professional. Honest!
Our
Story
Lazy Turtle Dive opened in late 2018 with English/Aussie partnership Andy and Maree at the helm, skilfully steering the business through the very difficult pandemic years. In June 2022 French/English team Nico and Tamar took their places and made the jump from being instructors to running a dive centre.
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We have been welcomed with an abundance of Alorese kindness. The patience and good humour* of our neighbours and staff has been invaluable. Without them we would never have navigated the ups and downs of running a business in a remote location whilst trying to rapidly learn a new language.
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In 2024 local accommodation owner Haris Marang decided to step back from the hospitality business so we jumped at the chance to expand Lazy Turtle's operation to include Marangki Kepa Bungalows.
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We continue to learn and plan for the future to ensure the small but mighty Lazy Turtle Dive grows as a valued part of the community here in Alor Kecil, where we have been made to feel so very welcome.
Getting
here
Flight​​​
Kupang (KOE) - Alor (ARD) Wings Air IW1943 08:30-09:30 Alor (ARD) - Kupang (KOE) Wings Air IW1942 10:05-11:05 Usually departs daily. Flights can be cancelled at short notice so we recommend planning a buffer day before any critical connections. There are flights to Kupang from Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya etc but currently the only ones arriving early enough into Kupang to make the connection are the Citilink and Batik Air flights from Jakarta departing around 2am, so you may need to plan a night in Kupang. Your flight booking may or may not include a baggage allowance. It depends whether the flight is booked as part of a multi-flight trip, or as a stand-alone. You can add pre-paid baggage after you have booked your ticket. From the airport to Lazy Turtle takes 50-60 mins by car.
Ferry
KM Express Bahari 7F 3x a week FROM KUPANG Tenau Harbour departing Mon/Wed/Fri FROM ALOR Kalabahi Harbour departing Tue/Thu/Sat Arrive early at the harbour (8/9am) to buy your ticket, wait for the ferry to depart (10am or later), and the crossing itself takes 6-8 hours, so in all it will take up an entire day. From Kalabahi Harbour to Lazy Turtle takes 25-30 min by car. You will arrive too late to cross to Marangki Bungalows so will need to spend a night in Kalabahi or at Lerebeng Homestay. There is also a ferry between Kalabahi and Larantuka but finding information about the schedule is virtually impossible. It seems you just have to go to the harbour and ask when the ferry is next departing.
Trash Upcycling
Waste management facilities in Alor are rudimentary. Most trash is burned, buried or simply thrown on the ground or in the ocean. A trash collection initiative started in 2023 and we sort our trash and pay for them to collect it, but we are also going a step further and in early 2025 we began working with local seamstress to explore how best to turn dive site and dive shop waste into new and useful items (wallets, bags, pouches etc). Any profits from the initiative will be dedicated to community projects.
Alorese Artisans
One of the big challenges for craftsmen and women in Alor is access to retail opportunities. We appreciate that your bags are already full to the brim with dive gear, but do take a look at the small selection of locally crafted items we stock.
Alorese Culture
Despite its small size and remote location Alor is as diverse above the waves as it is below. Influences include Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Papuan and Polynesian, and over 50 tribal languages are spoken. Unlike in the rest of Indonesia, most Alorese are Christian but around 25-30% are Muslim. Alor Kecil (the village where Lazy Turtle is located) is a Muslim community and you'll hear the call to prayer from your bungalow. We ask our guests to be respectful of our neighbours and to avoid wearing hotpants, miniskirts, strappy vests and crop tops at the dive shop, and to cover up with a rashguard, sarong or wetsuit when walking from the dive shop to the boat. Most villagers make their living from subsistence farming and fishing - you'll see bubu (bamboo fish traps) on many dive sites. The wild kenari nut (similar to an almond) is starting to become a more important resource with companies like Nth Wonder in Jakarta creating vegan gelato from Alor's sustainably harvested kenari nuts, and in Kalabahi Bay you'll see pearl farms. Some villages specialise in textiles, weaving intricately patterned cloth "Tenun Ikat". Football is extremely popular and you'll know when the local league is underway as the winners parade through the streets tooting their horns and cheering. If you want to learn more about Alor and visit some of the traditional mountain villages, the weaving village or other local attractions we can recommend reliable local tour guides to you.
Land Activities
We can recommend local guides to arrange non-diving activities. Things you might enjoy include: - "Mawar" the dugong (near the airport) - weaving village - traditional village - trekking - cultural tour - waterfall - hot spring Plan your tour with either: Exotic Alor - Mila +62 822 3787 0224 Alor Tour Guide - Sam +62 812 3742 8498 MALA Tours +62-812-8998 9898 If you prefer to relax on Kepa Island on a dry day we can arrange for a masseuse to come to your bungalow (please note - do not have a massage directly after diving as it can increase your risk of DCS)