Crystal Cave, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

4fadiahasna 5:00 PM Feb 7, 2018

A must-visit place when you’re in Kupang. Totally.
It is definitely a very beautiful, gorgeous place. Clear, blue water inside of a cave, and you can swim in it! What else can you ask for? It is better to visit the place in sunny days. The sun beam will strikes through the cave hole & make the water shine, resembling a crystal, just like its name. I recommend you to visit the place around 12 until 2 p.m., when the sun is right above. Not recommend you to visit the place when it’s sunny cause the stone inside the cave will be all slippery, and it also will be darker inside. I recommend you to wear shoes or hiking sandals, cause the road leading to the cave is filled with rough stones. Tho I think it is safer to take off your footwear once you get inside the cave so it will be less slippery. ✅ There is a place to change clothes ✅ There is a parking area (and some locals guarding the vehicles) ✅ There are some local guides whom will help you get inside the cave, will help bringing your stuffs, & also will help taking pictures for you

4Kireina W 5:00 PM Feb 28, 2015

Hidden Treasure
The second time i was in Kupang, i spent a few days sleeping in Aston hotel. That is the first time i heard/ known about Gua Kristal (Crystal cave) -- i saw a poster inside a lift showing an article of some tourist sites around Kupang. And the picture of Gua Kristal caught my eyes even though it was unclear and too small for me to see the details. All I can was this turquoise blue clear water that caught my attention. After that, i started asking around about that cave to the local people in the hotel. Nobody know where it is.. and it made me even more curious. So after wandering around inside the city and the outskirts, I got into this conversation with a middle aged man that is working on PT.Semen Kupang by that time, and he said he once heard about that place and was willing to take me there after office hour. The location is very close to the police owned harbor. And not like what I expected, the surrounding area looks very flat and barren with dry trees, bushes some cow herd, lots of dried cow dung, and some pretty pastel purplish colored flowers. Doesn't look anything like a tourist site. Nobody else is there. The Car stopped and dropped us on a place that looks like in the middle of nowhere, then the driver told us to just walk straight ahead until we see trees with small yellow flowers that means the cave is near. So we walk and walk and walk for about ten minutes until we find those trees with small yellow flowers. Now we start to see big rocks everywhere on the ground, and at last.. the opening of the cave. No lamps, no stairs, nobody to ask you to pay entrance ticket, just a natural cave that you have to climb down for (+-) 20 M deep with slippery stones, so i suggest you to toss your plastic sole sandals/shoes and climb down on your bare feet (it grips better). This place are definitely not for those comfort loving people that enjoys urban luxury. Once you've reached the bottom you will find a breathtaking clear turquoise blue fresh water that is so still until you decided to swim in it (because really, you cannot resist it). Looking up from where you climb down seems like a totally different world. I suggest you to go here around 9AM until 3PM, thats where the sunlight reaches the water at the bottom of the cave and creates spectacular water reflection. Here you will hear nothing else but yourselves and water ripples. Makes this cave a perfect spot for meditation. Sadly there must be some strict regulation about not to litter the place with garbage, specially plastic stuff. I understand that not all the locals here get proper educations due to the lack of government support and facility, so it's also a matter of social and economic situation. After that experience, I swam there a few more times, took a few friends there, and every time I stepped out of that cave I felt completely serene for having a feeling of total disconnection of the outside world and then back into reality.