Bela Mori Homestay Review: Food, Accommodation and Snorkelling on Kepa Island, Alor

We travelled to the Alor Archipelago in eastern Indonesia primarily for snorkelling. We wanted to explore the coral reefs and tropical marine life, and Kepa Island offered a base for spending our days on the water.

In October 2026, Mai and I stayed at Bela Mori Homestay, a small guesthouse on Kepa Island, just off the coast of mainland Alor. We paid IDR 600,000 per room per night for two people, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee and tea included.

What stood out most was the quality of the food. Every day brought a different menu, with fish or chicken, plenty of vegetables and usually fresh fruit juice two timesa day. The owner also had a boat that we could use for paid trips to several snorkelling locations around Alor.

The facilities are simple, very clean and confortable.  This is not a conventional hotel review focused on private bathrooms and modern comforts. Instead, this is our experience of staying on Kepa Island, with practical information for anyone planning an Alor snorkelling holiday.

🇯🇵 この記事を日本語で読む：Bela Mori Homestay宿泊レビュー｜アロール・ケパ島の食事付きホームステイ

Where Is Bela Mori Homestay?

Bela Mori Homestay is on Kepa Island in the Alor Archipelago, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Kepa is a small island just across the water from Alor Kecil on mainland Alor. If you are planning a trip to this part of Indonesia, it is worth deciding whether you want to stay on the main island or base yourself on Kepa.

For us, the main attraction was being close to the sea and having a convenient base for snorkelling trips.

There are no shops or restaurants on Kepa Island, so choosing accommodation that provides meals can make a real difference to how you organise your stay.

Bela Mori Homestay Price: IDR 600,000 Per Night for Two

We stayed at Bela Mori Homestay in October 2026 and paid IDR 600,000 per room per night for two people.

Our rate included:

• Accommodation for two people sharing one room
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Snacks
• Coffee and tea

Having three meals included was a major benefit and the food was amazing!

For anyone comparing accommodation prices in Alor, I would recommend looking at the overall package rather than the room rate alone. The meals were a particularly strong part of our experience.

This is the price we paid during our October 2026 stay, not a guaranteed current rate. Check the latest price and inclusions directly with the homestay before booking.

Rooms and Accommodation: Just Two Guest Rooms

Bela Mori Homestay has two guest rooms: one elevated, treehouse-style room and one room on the ground floor.

We stayed in the ground-floor room.

The small number of rooms gives the property an intimate, guesthouse-style feel. However, both rooms share the bathroom facilities, so you should not expect an en-suite bathroom.

If you are planning to stay here, check which room is available and make sure the shared facilities suit your needs. Travellers accustomed to hotels with private bathrooms may find the arrangement quite different.

Shared Bathroom and Cold-Water Mandi

One important practical detail is that there is no conventional shower. Instead, guests use a mandi, the traditional Indonesian method of washing with water from a container.  In hot places,  I much prefer a mandi where you can ladle the water out of a big bucket.  No worries about what the showers water pressure might be like.   (Don’t try and use too much water though because it really is precious on this island).

The water is cold, and the bathroom is shared between the two guest rooms.

There is no hotel-style hot shower, so this is something to consider when choosing your accommodation on Kepa Island.

For us, it was part of the straightforward facilities at a small island homestay. However, if a private bathroom or hot shower is essential for your trip, check your options carefully before booking.

The Food at Bela Mori Homestay Was Excellent

Food was one of the biggest highlights of our stay.

All meals were served at the dining table in the shared dining area, apart from breakfast, which was brought to our room at around 06:30–07:00.

Lunch was served at 12:00 and dinner at 19:00. The meals were varied, generous and well balanced, with plenty of vegetables. Almost every meal came with freshly prepared fruit juice.

The quality was particularly impressive considering that we were staying on a small island rather than in a town with a wide choice of restaurants.  I think this was the best food we ever consistently ate in Indonesia.

Breakfast Was Different Every Day

Breakfast was never repetitive during our stay. We did not receive the same breakfast on two consecutive days.

Some of the options included:

• Pancakes
• Nasi goreng, Indonesian fried rice
• Coconut-based sticky rice cakes
• Bapao, steamed filled buns
• Pisang goreng, Indonesian fried bananas

The variety made breakfast something to look forward to each morning. It was also useful to have breakfast delivered to our room, especially when we were getting ready for an early start on the water.

For travellers who value good home-cooked food, the meals alone are an important reason to consider Bela Mori Homestay.

Free Coffee and Tea Available Around the Clock

Coffee, tea and hot water were available 24 hours a day in the shared dining area.

This was a useful little detail, particularly when we wanted a hot drink outside normal meal times.

With no convenience shops or cafés on Kepa Island, having access to coffee and tea at the accommodation was welcome.

Electricity, Wi-Fi and Mobile Data

Electricity (solar) was available 24 hours a day during our stay. This made it possible to charge our phones, cameras and other travel equipment without having to plan around limited power hours.

There was no Wi-Fi at Bela Mori Homestay. However, we were able to use Telkomsel mobile data.

Connection speeds varied depending on the time of day, so the service was not consistently fast.

If you need a reliable internet connection for remote work or regularly upload large video files, I would recommend allowing extra time and checking the mobile coverage before relying on it.

For ordinary travel communications, mobile data was a useful alternative to the absence of Wi-Fi.

Fresh Water on Kepa Island

We were told that Kepa Island does not have its own supply of fresh water and that water is brought over from Alor Kecil.

Despite the island’s water-supply arrangements, the water used for the mandi was fresh rather than salty.

This is one of the practical differences between staying on a small island and staying in a larger town. Supplies have to be transported across the water, so it is worth keeping the local conditions in mind when planning your visit.

Before booking, confirm the latest room rate, meal arrangements, boat-trip costs and available facilities. These details are especially important when staying on a small island with limited or no shops and services.

If you have particular requirements concerning water or other facilities, check directly with the accommodation before travelling.

Snorkelling Trips by Boat from Kepa Island

Snorkelling was the main reason we came to Alor, and having access to the owner’s boat was a major advantage of staying at Bela Mori Homestay.

We left Kepa at around 07:00 and visited two or three snorkelling spots during a trip.

The boat normally cost IDR 600,000 per boat, rather than per person. This is an important distinction when working out the budget for your Alor snorkelling trip.

The actual itinerary, journey duration and costs may depend on the conditions and arrangements on the day. Confirm these details directly with the owner before setting off.

It is also sensible to ask about safety equipment, including life jackets(possibly nog available though), and to make sure the planned trip suits your experience and the prevailing sea conditions.

If your main reason for visiting Alor is to explore its underwater world, being able to arrange a boat trip through your accommodation can make planning considerably easier.

➡ Snorkelling in Alor, Indonesia: Coral Reefs, Marine Life and Our Experiences

The Owners’ Experience at La P’tite Kepa

The homestay is run by Pak Muksin and his wife, Bibi Soni. They previously worked at La P’tite Kepa(local divevresort) for more than 20 years.

Muksin worked in construction, while Bibi Soni worked as a cook there and also on Batam island, near Singapore.

Knowing about their professional backgrounds helped explain some of the things we appreciated about the property. The building has clearly benefited from Muksin’s construction experience, while Bibi Soni’s cooking background was reflected in the quality and variety of the meals.

The food was not simply a basic set of meals included in the room rate. It was one of the most memorable parts of our stay, with different breakfasts, generous portions of vegetables and fresh fruit juice served regularly with lunch snd dinner.  The homemade snacks were copious and delicious too!

At a small homestay, the experience and skills of the people running it can make a considerable difference.

What Is Life Like on Kepa Island?

Kepa Island is not a developed tourist town. There are no roads only a few dusty paths.

However, that does not mean the surroundings are completely quiet.

Boats travelling between Kepa and Alor Kecil create engine noise across the water. We could also hear the call to prayer from the mosques on the mainland from around 04:00, and the local roosters added to the early-morning soundtrack.  There are also lots of goats and a handful of cows on the island.

In other words, life on Kepa starts early which is good for us!

These everyday details are worth knowing if you are expecting a completely silent tropical retreat. Kepa offers a different pace of life, but local boats, the call to prayer and farm animals are all part of the environment.

Light sleepers may want to take the early-morning noise into account when deciding where to stay.

Is Bela Mori Homestay a Good Choice for an Alor Snorkelling Trip?

Based on our stay, Bela Mori Homestay is worth considering if you want a simple base on Kepa Island with excellent food and access to snorkelling trips.

I would particularly recommen it if you:

• Are visiting Alor mainly for snorkelling
• Prefer accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner included
• Appreciate varied, home-cooked meals
• Want to arrange boat trips through your accommodation
• Are comfortable with shared bathroom facilities and a simple island lifestyle

It may be less suitable if you require an en-suite bathroom, a hot shower, Wi-Fi or a consistently quiet sleeping environment.

Final Verdict: Our Stay at Bela Mori Homestay

We paid IDR 600,000 per room per night for two people at Bela Mori Homestay in October 2026. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee and tea were included.

Pak Muksin and Bibi Soni made our stay incredible because they really took care of everything! They were thinking about what was needed all the time.  For example, the bathroom was always impeccably clean, there was always water in the mandi for the toilet and freshwater for bathing, along with toilet paper always being in the bathroom(no running out!).  They manage their homestay very professionally!

The facilities were comfortable and the food was excellent. We particularly appreciated the changing menus, the generous use of vegetables, the regular fresh fruit juice and the variety of breakfasts.  We also ate lots of fresh fish and chicken which was always delicious!

The owner’s boat was another significant advantage, allowing us to leave Kepa at around 07:00 and explore two or three snorkelling spots on a trip for IDR 600,000 per boat.

There are some compromises to consider, including shared bathroom facilities, a cold-water mandi, no Wi-Fi and noise from boats and early-morning activity on the island.  This is normal for us.

For travellers coming to Alor primarily for snorkelling, however, Bela Mori Homestay offers a combination of included meals, a small-scale island stay and access to boat trips that is well worth investigating.  We had an amazing time and can highly recommend Bela Mori Homestay.  A real family time!

If you are planning your own trip to Kepa Island, make sure you confirm the latest prices and arrangements directly with the homestay before travelling.