Hotel O Kelimutu

One of the motels in Kupang City.

Good.

Nice.

I think this is a complete scam. If you book through Agoda or another online site, you pay €1 or €2 upfront. On arrival, the owner acts as though she can't speak English, though she understands and speaks it perfectly well. She then says she hasn't received anything and doesn't work with booking sites, and asks you to pay again for a room, this time at a higher price of €6 or €7. That way, she gets the Agoda money from people who won't complain over €1 or €2, as well as a second payment from travelers who arrive unprepared and have no other choice, especially at night in this remote area. It's not really the amount that bothers me, but the awful owner and the way she makes you feel cheated and powerless. She's condescending, turns her back on you, speaks with contempt, and openly laughs at you while you try to explain. She even told me to complain to Agoda if I wasn't happy, despite supposedly not speaking English. This scam seems practiced and expertly carried out. Three of us arrived at the same time and ran into the same problem. If you're trying to travel on a budget like I was, I'd spend a few extra euros to stay elsewhere and avoid the frustration. The people here don't seem to care, since this scam has apparently been going on for years and works. As a tourist in this part of Indonesia, there's nothing you can do.