The town of Larat on the island of the same name, just off the northern tip of Yamdena, is the main town and transport hub in northern Tanimbar. It is also a possible entry point to the Tanimbars for those coming from Tual. With a few hotels and a good rangeof shops, it is not a bad place to spend any time required to get to other islands in the region, though real tourist attractions on the island of Larat are few. The people are ethnic Fordatans, but traditional culture is less strong here than on other islands.

Monuments

About the only "sights" in the town proper are a couple of statues and monuments dedicated to the local culture. The pick of them is this statue of a woman holding a drum.

Pantai Kaliobar

Should you feel the urge for a swim, the isand's most popular recreational beach is maybe half an hour away from town by ojek just before the village of Kaliobar. It has some shelters and even toilets, and an entrance fee may be collected on weekends. It also has the usual litter problem, but the beach itself is quite nice!

Birdwatching

Considering that Larat is a flat and largely deforested island, I was surprised by the amount of birdlife that could be seen even just from the main road. This included several flocks of Tanimbar Cockatoos, which are quite hard to see on Yamdena.

Crafts

While the Fordatan people of the northern Tanimbars have their own traditions of ikat-weaving, this seems to have largely died out on Larat. Basket-weaving continues to thrive though, with many women engaged in it, and finished baskets hung up for sale, readily seen in Kaliobar village.

By Air

Larat is supposed to have Merpati flights from Langgur in the Keis and Saumlaki on Yamdena about three times weekly. The fares are ridiculously low, but as usual, these bargain flights are heavily-booked and often cancelled. The airport is out in the bush ca 10 kms east of the town.

By Sea

Larat is the main port in northern Tanimbar, with boats to all directions.

Once a week, the Koromolin car ferry is supposed to come here from Tual, though in practice sailings are often cancelled. On the same day, the more reliable Egron ferry comes up from Saumlaki, and returns there with the passengers freshly off the Koromolin.

If the Koromolin doesn't run, hellishly overcrowded Perintis cargo ships are the only option to get here by sea from the Keis - they can also take you on to Saumlaki, SW Maluku, or Ambon.

Finally, small village boats come to Larat from all over North Tanimbar. Those from Fordata are almost daily (except on Sundays) but from other islands they only come 1-3 times a week.

By Road

All villages on Larat are connected to the town by road, but the roads on the island are in horrible condition and ublic transport is very scarce. If you are lucky, you may find a minibus or truck heading towards where you want to go, but chancesare you will have to hire an ojek instead.