Makes Fort in Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province

Not all people recognize the historical value of Belu Regency of East Nusa Tenggara Province. It is because they focus on beautiful beaches and natural attractions only when exploring Belu. In this case, everyone should consider visiting a famous fort called Makes! The location is in Dirun Village and it belongs to Lamaknen Sub-District. For the information, the fort resides at the foot of Lakaan Mountain! Not only the fort offers an interesting history for tourists to learn, but it also becomes a nice background to enjoy photography.

The Nuance
Due to a secluded location, which is near to Lakaan Mountain, tourists may expect a peaceful and lush nuance there. For the information, the fort consists of 7 layers! In fact, it takes lots of efforts to get to the center of the fort. For the information, the yard is able to accommodate up to a thousand of people! At the location, tourists may find old cannon as well (which belonged to the Portuguese during the colonial era). In the center of the fort, there is an oval stone used by the Portuguese to behead and keep the heads of their enemies.

Exploring Makes Fort
The first allure of Makes Fort is none other than the history. As mentioned before, the fort belonged to the Portuguese. The prime function was indeed to be the base during the war. They even built it in 7 layers, in order to strengthen its defense. The most interesting site is indeed the center of the fort, where the oval stone resides. It has a dark history (as mentioned earlier). Well, the functions change now. Today, the fort has become another vacation destination in Belu Regency!

For locals and nearby villagers, they take advantage of Makes Fort to conduct a ritual. The purpose is to give respect to their ancestors. The good thing is that tourists are allowed to watch and join the ceremony (as long as they do not cause too much noise or havoc there). As an alternative, tourists can enjoy exploration and photography. After all, passing through the 7 layers of the fort is quite challenging. The best destination is definitely the center of the fort, where the oval stone is located. Do not forget to take pictures of the stone later!

Some locals believe that Makes Fort also has a mystical value. This explains why the majority of visitors might feel something weird once they arrive at the site. It is said the fort has become the home of mythical creatures called Melus. No wonder, villagers may prohibit tourists to act carelessly during the exploration.

Nearby Attractions

• Fulan Fehan Hill
• Golpara Waterfall
• Pancasila Monument
• Mauhalek Waterfall

How to Get There
From Kupang City, tourists can directly get to Makes Fort right away by any available local transportation service. Their destination is none other than Dilun Village in Lamaknen Sub-District. The distance is 314 km, so the trip may take around 7 hours and 23 minutes. For a faster trip, tourists should take Nasional Trans Timor Street actually.

Where to Stay

• Alam Subur Hotel
• Balibo Hotel
• Risky Hotel
• Klaben Hotel
• Intan Hotel
• Liurai Hotel