Comments: 112
  • #112

    MALENA (Tuesday, 16 September 2025 19:18)

    Good evening Anne,

    I have just arrived home from Indonesia.

    Sipri was a great driver , very professional and really nice. We enjoyed a lot our days in Flores and we had a wonderful experience. Hopefully we'll come back.

    Thanks a lot for your recommendations.

    We´re really grateful.

  • #111

    Dmitri (Monday, 15 September 2025)

    hi, all

    Anne arranged a short trip for me. Driver picked me up from LBJ port right after my scuba diving safari.
    Trip was nice, very flexible. Feel free to discuss with the driver your preferences.

    Highly recommended!

    Thank you, Anne! :-)

    Dmitri

  • #110

    John McBride, Melbourne, Australia (Sunday, 07 September 2025 02:07)

    IF YOU TRAVEL IN FLORES,I RECOMMEND YOU USE THIS WEBSITE:
    In August-September 2025 we, a group of 2, undertook a 6-day road trip from Labuan Bajo. I contacted Anne on this website via whatsapp only 2 days prior to arrival in Labuan Bajo.
    I said we would like to travel with car and driver for about 6 days, and that I wished to restrict the car/travel time to 4 hours each day.
    Anne responded within the following 2 hours, asking our interests (traditional villages? trecking? nature? Local culture? Etc.
    An hour or so later, she sent to us an itinerary of Labuan Bajo-Ruteng-Bajawa-Moni/Kelimutu-Bajawa-Ruteng, with a rough list of attractions, and a list of 4 suggested drivers, their levels of English, the quality of the car and their quote for price. We chose one option, a driver named Oris who is a native of Bajawa; and once again withing a few hours, Anne provided us with a detailed program for the six days.

    The following day, actually in the airport on the way to Labuan Bajo, I was on the booking dot com website searching for accommodation at each stop. I told Anne on whatsapp, and she spent the next hour or more advising me on the hotels while I brought up each town on the booking website.

    All this, and her program was wonderful. The driver Oris was wonderful. He was relaxed, knowledgeable, talked with us like a brother or friend. He is a native of Bajawa, speaks the language, has friends everywhere along our six day route and generally made the whole trip relaxed and enjoyable. He was flexible, gave information based on his knowledge of the area, always willing to stop or make diversions for photos, short walks etc. Nothing was too much trouble for Oris, including driving us to the restaurants each night for meals, and of course meeting us each morning. This included the 4.30 am start for the sunrise over Kelimutu.

    I highly recommend this website, and of course, depending on Anne for advice on the daily program as well as selection of driver.
    Nothing was too much trouble for Anne on the website. Nothing was too much trouble for Oris the driver. Both are excellent.

  • #109

    Anne (Saturday, 06 September 2025 15:59)

    We did an 8-day round trip through Flores from Maumere to Labuan Bajo with our driver Bram, and it was a fantastic experience. He was always punctual (usually at least 10 minutes early), very kind, and extremely attentive. Although his English is very little, he made every effort to explain things and communicate with us – and with a little help from Google Translate, it worked out really well.

    Bram drives very carefully and safely. We always felt secure, even on challenging roads and in heavy traffic. He also gave us great suggestions for restaurants and helpful insights for our route. On top of that, Bram has local contacts, including some guides who joined us for a day and explained things in more detail, which made the trip even more enriching.

    He is simply a super friendly and trustworthy person. We would definitely recommend him to anyone traveling in Flores – it was a real pleasure to be on the road with him!

    And thanks Anne for your helpful website and your WhatsApp help! Overall it was a great trip.

  • #108

    Alessandro Bonfanti (Saturday, 06 September 2025 10:06)

    Donatus accompanied us with kindness and respect. He listened to all our requests and took care of every need with great attention. He even helped us organize a birthday party for our friend and gave us excellent suggestions on what to visit and how to plan our trip.

    He is one of those people who truly enters your heart — after just five days together, we already felt sad to say goodbye.

    Throughout the journey, Donatus shared so much about the island of Flores, from its breathtaking nature to its rich traditions, and took us to the most meaningful places full of life.

    We are especially grateful for his wisdom, humor, and sensitivity, which made our discovery of Flores even more special.

    Finally, a heartfelt thank you for taking the birthday to heart and carefully planning a wonderful surprise. It turned into an unforgettable night with local people, live music, and so much joy — we were all truly moved!

  • #107

    Kathy (Friday, 05 September 2025 12:31)

    We completed our 11 night stay in Flores Island a week ago. Thanks Anne for your helpful website, helpful advice via email and for organising a driver for our drive across Flores.

    We had Mr Donatus who was a gentle, kind person. He took us to some great eateries as well as recommending the best time of day to visit certain places such as our hike to see Mt Inerie at the Avatar Hills. He recommended visiting a local coffee plantation near Moni which turned out to be a great place to visit.

    If you are thinking of going to Flores Island then don’t put it off. It is an adventure and you will not be disappointed. There is amazing scenery, stunning islands and beaches, towns to explore and lots of lovely locals.

  • #106

    Greg Lyons (Friday, 29 August 2025 10:12)

    Thanks Anne for putting us in contact with Mr. Din. He was happy to go along with our ideas, too, he offered plenty of information regarding Flores life, his friends, family, extended relatives and of course areas we hadn't thought of exploring. My wife was quite ill prior to our arrival in Flores. Din immediately took this on board, took us to an apotek for supplies and tried to source the medicines to make her travels more comfortable.

    We would happily recommend Mr Din to anyone wishing to travel around Flores.
    Thanks again for putting us in touch with him!

    We enjoyed a few meals at Happy Banana and Alma. Probably our favourites.

    We booked a few days diving with your recommendation "Dive Komodo" I dive, my wife snorkels. We found the whole setup very well run and safety paramount.

    Will dive with them on our next visit.

  • #105

    Barbara, Susanne, Marlene (Thursday, 28 August 2025 04:26)

    We have been planning our holiday to Flores for a few months and found Anne‘s website and replies very very helpful. She was quick in responding to our questions and was honest and lovely. She got us in contact with Ivan from Ende who became our driver and travel companion for the 5 days that we traveled from Labuan Bajo to Maumere. We contacted him on whatsapp before we arrived and he helped us promptly with accommodation and itinerary queries, as well as wifi questions and this helped us to start our trip to Flores relaxed and ready for our adventure.
    Ivan loves his island and has awesome knowledge about the history, plants and people there. His English is very good which made the communication very easy. He has a great sense of humor and with his fun approach we were able to have many laughs on the longer days in the car. He is a careful and very good driver and knows the roads really well and we felt safe at all
    times. He showed us the tourist places but also places which were visited by mainly locals. He was relaxed, flexible and happy to adjust to our wishes. We stayed one night in Tololelo village and he organized it all for us. He showed us the lifestyle, beauty and people‘s kindness in Flores. Our journey through Flores will always be in our memories thanks to Ivan‘s thoughtful guideance. We would not have been able to leave with the knowledge we gained and which we want to extend on another trip in the future. We can highly recommend Ivan for your trip and a big ‚thanks‘ to him and Anne for helping us discover beautiful Flores Island.

  • #104

    Nele (Monday, 18 August 2025 13:02)

    Anne-Mieke bracht ons in contact met Donatus voor onze tiendaagse overlandroute van Labuan Bajo naar Ende. En we hadden ons geen betere chauffeur kunnen wensen. Hartelijk dank aan Anne-Mieke en vooral aan Donatus voor de tips, de begeleiding en het goede gezelschap!

  • #103

    Heinrich (Thursday, 14 August 2025 16:16)


    We were late with our planning and had left only four days for a tour from Labuan Bajo to Kelimutu Montain and Ende. Six and more would have been better. But then we were lucky enough to find travel2flores and Anne reacted immediately to our message, gave us very good advice for accommodation (Sunrice near Ruteng and Rago's near Moni are good places with a wonderful vibe) and set us up with Herry Wengge.

    We (family with two children) are extremely lucky and happy to have met him. Herry is a very nice person and a calm and professional driver. He gave us good advice on what we could realistically do and see along the way, and also for restaurants, some more for tourists and others more local, but always very good. He discussed his and our ideas and we agreed easily on a programme for the day, very much inspired by the itinerary on Anne's website (a particular mention for the Wolopaku coffee farm near Moni, if you are into coffee but have not seen yet how it's made). Herry clearly knows Flores very well and can explain quite a lot about the local culture.
    We are very grateful to Anne and especially to Herry. Keep it going!

  • #102

    Maaike Derksen (Monday, 04 August 2025 12:50)

    We spent 12 days traveling through Flores with Hery as our driver, and we couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion. Calm, careful, and always kind, Hery made the entire tour feel relaxed and smooth. He paid close attention to the kids (which we really appreciated), drove safely, and stopped whenever we asked.
    We had created our own itinerary and booked all our accommodations ourselves, but we couldn’t have done that without the inspiration and knowledge we found on the Travel 2 Flores website by Anne-Mieke.


    Accommodation wise, Rago’s in Moni, Nuna Bungalows in Riung, Mama’s Homestay in Ruteng, and the Eco Lodge were all outstanding.
    For the tour and sights, Hery checked in with us every day, thinking along with us about what was feasible, and what to see. He also prepared us what to expect (entree fees and local guides) regarding the tourist attractions. That kind of flexibility, combined with his local knowledge, made the trip feel smooth and never rushed.
    Hery took us to stunning natural places. Coca Beach became the kids favourite, and the waterfalls (to swim) were beautiful. What stood out for me were the Catholic heritage sites. The diocese recently began promoting Catholic tourism across Flores, and beautifully designed PDFs now map out the key sites. We mainly visited the historical catholic highlights: the Sika Church ( the first Jesuit church, founded by Le Cocq d’Armandville, who later mysteriously died in West-Papua) was architecturally impressive. People in Sikka were very welcoming, and in hindsight I wished I’d brought a piece of Sikka ikat as an souvenir as they have the most beautiful design)
    We also visited the retreat house near Bajawa, its serenity took my breath. We also visited Hery’s own parish church (the cathedral in ede
    0which added a personal dimension. In Bena, we were surprised to find a new beautiful church with carved elements that matched the motifs we later saw in traditional village houses of Bena. A special highlight was also the SVD museum near Maumere. While modest in layout, it held truly fascinating artifacts, including the excavated remains of missionary-paleontologists (like Verhoeven), and an Indo-Chinese kris that caught my eye. These objects reflect deep historical ties between Flores, Melanesia and wider Asia, dating back long before Christianity arrived. Browsing the guestbooks of the museum going back to the 1970s was fun too, I even spotted the name of a colleague.
    Hery also knew exactly where to find great food. He took us to small warungs and new local restaurants ( like Kartini in Bajawa en Cucina in Ruteng) where we ate really well. The kids enjoyed every meal. At Ella Nella’s Corner (hery's wife's restaurant), they even tried the octopus caught by Herry’s father-in-law (delicious, though a bit too chewy for them), and the chicken which was enak sekali.

    For those with a historical interest: I found it enriching to look up some of the places we visited on delpher.nl, the Dutch newspaper archive. Typing in locations like Sikka or ende or kelimoetoe (old spelling) brings up fascinating Catholic mission reports, articles about the opening of the Trans-Flores road, or local adat stories. It’s a great way to add context. And for botany lovers, I recommend the iSeek app: helpful when you want to identify trees or plants Hery or the locals haven't yet named for you. Another practical tip for future travelers: most places accept QRIS (Indonesia’s QR-based payment system), which meant we didn’t need to carry much cash.

    None of this trip would have been possible for us ( doing it our own way and organising it independently ) without Anne-Mieke and her Travel 2 Flores website. Anne-Mieke seems to carry the same spirit we experienced in the people here: generosity, kindness, helpfulness, and a sincere wish to share something meaningful. Whether that’s just who she is, or something Flores gave her (wink wink), we can’t say, but it shows.
    Her site became a constant reference point from: full of insight, suggestions, and honest, practical advice that helped us shape our route, pick our stays, and understand what was possible. She also connects travelers to local drivers. Not randomly, but by truly considering which driver fits which kind of traveller. We feel incredibly lucky she matched us with Hery. She even checked in with us during the trip, especially when the volcano erupted and our travel plans became uncertain. While we’re still waiting to see if we can fly home tomorrow, we’re very aware that the real impact of the eruption is felt by the local communities. It disrupts daily life, livelihoods, and how Flores is perceived from the outside.




  • #101

    Francesco (Wednesday, 30 July 2025 14:08)

    I just finished a 5-day tour of Flores, and it was a wonderful experience. The island is truly beautiful, I loved everything about it. The nature, the people, and the food were all amazing. If I have the chance to come back, I would love to spend more time exploring even more of Flores.

    I want to thank Anne Mieke, who helped me organize the trip. Everything went very well, and I really appreciated her support. She introduced me to Orfin, my driver during the tour, and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to travel with.

    From the beginning, Orfin and I got along very well. It felt like travelling with an old friend. He was always kind, helpful, and shared a lot of interesting information about Flores. One special moment was when he invited me to a wedding in Moni, which was a truly unforgettable experience! In Moni, we also met another girl who joined our group until Labuan Bajo, which was also very nice.

    I only have good things to say about both Anne Mieke and Orfin. If you are planning to visit Flores, I really recommend contacting her. She made my trip something very special.

  • #100

    Charlotte (Wednesday, 30 July 2025 01:42)

    Thank you Anne Mieke for bringing us in contact with Mr. Ahmad! We planned a 7-day journey in East Flores and got a lot of information from Anne Mieke. She also connected us with Mr. Ahmad, our driver for that journey. From the very beginning, Mr. Ahmad made sure we reached every destination safely and comfortably.
    Our journey through this beautiful part of Indonesia was unforgettable, and much of that is thanks to Mr. Ahmad’s thoughtful guidance. He arranged for us to meet with local guides at various points during the trip, which added a rich, authentic layer to our experience.
    Mr. Ahmad is a calm, respectful, and incredibly reliable person. He is not only an excellent driver, but also someone who takes great care of both his vehicle and his passengers. You always feel safe with him at the wheel.
    He knows the best places to stop for lunch or to take a break—clean, scenic, and often away from the usual tourist trails. His local knowledge, professionalism, and kind nature ensured that our road trip through Flores was smooth, enjoyable, and deeply memorable.
    With Mr. Ahmad as your driver, you can be 100% certain that your journey across Flores will be a succes. Details of Mr. Ahmad +62 821-4689-4584
    Many thanks! Charlotte, Gorik en Egon

  • #99

    Elias and Carla (Sunday, 27 July 2025 10:44)

    We decided last minute to get a Driver from Maumere to Labuan Bajo (5 Days). Anne organized Driver Bram for us. We were extremely happy with the service! Bram is a really nice guy and drives safely. We can only recommend this service. Thank you!

  • #98

    Marcel (Saturday, 26 July 2025 14:59)

    I had been hesitating for a while about where exactly I wanted to go in Indonesia, until I came across Anne Mieke’s brilliant website, which led me to Flores. But it wasn’t just the website, it was especially Anne Mieke’s quick responses and her incredibly helpful and thoughtful advice via email that made me decide to visit Flores. Her site is packed with useful information about the island and the many travel options.

    Even though I made the decision to visit Flores at the very last minute, Anne Mieke still managed to help me with organizing my trip. She suggested a great five-day route and arranged a guide for the Mount Inerie hike (the absolute highlight of my trip! Definitely go for it if you're into mountain trekking and challenging hikes!). She truly thinks along with you to help plan your trip on Flores. She was also able to arrange a driver for me on very short notice.

    My driver was Bram, a very friendly, patient and respectful man. He knows his way around the island and always seems to know someone, whether it’s a local contact or a good place to eat. He drives carefully and professionally, and I felt completely safe in his car. Every day, he arrived well before the agreed time at my homestay to pick me up. His English could use some improvement, it made communication sometimes a bit difficult, but we managed just fine with Google Translate. He told me he's planning to study English a bit more, which is great to hear :-) As mentioned before in other comments: a driver is not a guide. His job is to get you safely from A to B, and that’s exactly what he does. Although Bram also helps you when you arrive at a sight or activity. If you’re lucky enough to be paired with Bram as your driver, consider yourself blessed. I can highly recommend him.

    What stood out to me is how genuinely Anne Mieke cares about the island and its people. And also about us as travelers. She has a true passion for what she does, and the fact that she offers all this help without asking anything in return is rare these days. I feel like I’ve discovered a truly special corner of Indonesia, far from the typical crowded tourist spots. So please go beyond just Komodo; explore more of Flores! It’s a stunning island where the people always greet you with a warm smile.

    A huge thank you to Anne Mieke for all your help!

  • #97

    Harold (Friday, 25 July 2025 21:53)

    Flores is a wonderful island and Anne Mieke is for sure the expert. Thanks Anne Mieke!! For your great help and advice!! All the best!

  • #96

    Suzanne Cave (Saturday, 19 July 2025 18:31)

    Anne has been a lifeline in my planning of a Flores trip with my family (myself, husband and two mid teenage children). As a result of her generosity, patience and time, I have ended up using one of her suggested routes for our trip. She also suggested Hery Wangge to be our driver for five days. For any person reading this, if you are lucky enough to book him then you are in very safe hands. He speaks English fluently although it's advisable to slow down a little if it's your first language. He knows the Island like the back of his hand, with a wide network of contacts across the island. His knowledge of the landscape and various places of interest is considerable. Hery adapted our schedule to visit places as we went along to give us the best experience. As the weather can be changeable and time is often short for those visiting this makes him a huge asset. We wanted to stay with the people of the Tolelela Village and Hery was able to arrange a specific guide who knew the village and could take us through the jungle. This was a beautiful experience which I'd highly recommend. Finally, and definitely worth a mention is his safe driving. Some of the roads are really tricky and the Indonesian people drive wild. Hery never faulted. A massive thanks to Anne and to Hery for making our trip so memorable.

  • #95

    Jonas (Thursday, 03 July 2025 13:06)

    Thank you so much, Anne, for sharing such helpful and detailed information on your website!
    While traveling through Indonesia by motorbike, your tips and insights made a real difference – especially when it's hard to find up-to-date info locally.

    We truly appreciate the time and care you put into helping fellow travelers. Keep up the great work!

    Warm greetings from the road,
    Jonas & Viki

  • #94

    Janice (Friday, 27 June 2025 10:25)

    Thanks so much to Anne Meike that we had such a wonderful time in Flores. It was a very last minute trip and Anne was able to put us in touch with a reco.mended driver Yonas. Yonas is simply wonderful, so kind and thoughtful and his 4wd car was most comfortable for the bumpy roads. He drove with care and showed us the most amazing sites given our limited time. We will definitely come back again for another visit. Most grateful to Anne and the wealth of information provided on her website.

  • #93

    Sandra K (Sunday, 15 June 2025 09:12)

    We spend 15 days on Flores and it was great. Thanks Anne for all the information and bringing us in contact with Mr. Donatus! He is a very friendly, helpfull, carefull (drove véry safe) English speaking driver.
    We also learnt a lot about the culture of Flores from him. Ánd we had fun together.
    Great trip��

  • #92

    Leny de R. (Friday, 13 June 2025 15:24)

    I can only agree with all the positive comments that people have put in their reviews here. Anne has been absolutely fantastic in helping us putting our plans together for this trip. She has given us great advice re the itinerary, amount of time to spend in each place, type of accommodation etc. Her website is also very informative. We started our trip in Moni/Kelimutu and took 14 days to travel to Labuan Bajo.

    Anne also put us in contact with our driver Mr Hery Wangge. We highly recommend Hery as your driver. He is kind, a very safe driver, knowledgeable and willing to adapt. His English is of a decent level. He managed well to deal with our different interests. My husband spent most of the time birdwatching whilst Hery and I went to see the sites.

    Although I visited many interesting places, one of the highlights for me was the visit to the cave near Ruteng where the Flores Man (Homo Floresiensis) was found. There is a small museum on site, but I was lucky enough to meet the lead archaeologist who was happy to spent some time with me explaining their finds and the significance thereof.

    All in all we had a fabulous trip. Flores is simply beautiful and the people are super friendly.

    A big thank you to Anne and Hery.
    Brian and Leny

  • #91

    Hannah M (Wednesday, 11 June 2025 11:18)

    Anne is a treasure trove of information about Flores, more than anywhere else we could find. She helped us locate a driver and answered many questions and tried to help me on WhatsApp when our flight was changed and we had to make last minute schedule adjustments. We are SO appreciative of her.

    Mr. Mesakh is a very careful driver and kind man. He was very willing to follow our itinerary and was always on time and helpful. He knows many good lunch spots ! The roads on Flores are hard, and he patiently drives through all weather and challenge. We worked with him for 7 days, going from Maumere to Bajawa. He speaks enough English to help with most things, but not enough to answer detailed questions about Flores. We struggled a bit with communication. I had asked him for suggestions about our itinerary and he had none and he was reticent to help us communicate when we took us to Nggela and Watublapi which was challenging. Anne was very clear that this is a driver, not guide, so we understand.

    Some things I would note for others: if you really want to learn about a village or area, you need to hire a local guide. The driver is not a guide. Not all guides are the same. We had a pretty bad guide in Bajawa (Edwin), third choice because the first two were away and sick. Make sure the guide actually can communicate with you before agreeing otherwise your money is not well spent.

    Flores is a very special place, and we really enjoyed our time there. Happy Divers snorkeling is great!

    We would also recommend Good Moni restaurant, get a drink only at Mopi’s (skip the food), skip Maibeth in Bajawa (Milonari is better). Lekosoro Coffee also great.

    Thank you again, Anne for such a thoughtful website.

  • #90

    Chris from Canada (Sunday, 25 May 2025 00:37)

    Hi Anne,

    Just wanted to follow up with your recommendation of Yonas, he really worked out for us.

    He had a family event for the first few days that we arranged, so he set us up with his friend Peter. Day one Peter picked us up at 5 AM from the ferry from Sumba, after we rested, he took us to some Hot Springs. Day two Peter drove us to Inerie where we used Yonas’s Inerie Guide Ignacio, it was fantastic, my son and I made it to the peak for the sunrise. Day three they recommended another guide, Aavin, to tour the local villages, went to Manlanu viewpoint restaurant, and the Hot Springs. Day four we finally met with Yonas and he took us to Ruteng and we went to a village near Aimere plus the Arak distillery, a beach and some other sites along the way. On the last day, we continued en route to Labuan Bajo and he showed us some Rice fields and a few other sites along the way plus Todo village.

    In conclusion, we were very happy with Yonas and his network of alternate driver and guides, we absolutely loved Bajawa and the Bajawa Roo hotel, I could stay there for a month easily.

    Also, not sure if you get people asking about Sumba Island but our guide Daniel Bonat was absolutely fantastic, and I would recommend him in the future to other people, he picked us up at the airport in Tambolaka, toured us around for the next six days, and ensured that we took the ADSP ferry from Waingapu to Aimere, as that was essential to my itinerary.

    Thanks again for your help, my children and I had a fantastic time on Flores, we will return again I’m sure.

    Best wishes, Chris

  • #89

    Ben Coles (Monday, 12 May 2025 06:31)

    Anne Mieke’s website is an invaluable resource for discovering the magnificent and magical island of Flores.

    Not only that, but Anne hooked us up with an excellent driver who was not only very safe but spoke reasonable English and gave us excellent advice about what to visit and where to stay. With the help of Mr Donatus and Anne, our 9-day trip around Flores was an unforgettable experience and we hope to come back.

    A big thanks to both of them.

    Ben

  • #88

    Andy & Angela (Friday, 25 April 2025 04:42)

    A big thank you to Anne who was extremely helpful organising our trip and providing tips and information that helped us so much.

    Our driver was Sipri Muda and he was fantastic. Safe, caring, respectful and quiet but friendly.
    He spoke great English and over 8 days got to know the things we liked doing and how long we needed, so he catered for us perfectly. We were sad to part at the end of the trip because we enjoyed it so much.
    Cheers from Ange & Andy

  • #87

    Ron Staines (Monday, 21 April 2025 10:44)

    Ann helped us out with a referral when no accommodation was available in Larantuka.
    Only someone with extensive local contacts and knowledge could have done that.
    Thanks Ann

  • #86

    Anke and Paul (Thursday, 20 March 2025 10:41)

    We just travelled the mainland of Flores with Mance, a guide and driver who we got in touch with via Anne Mieke. Mance is a really nice, friendly, helpful and safe driver. He always felt when we wanted to stop for a picture. He explained and showed us everything. We had a really nice time traveling with him. We also loved Flores very much and wanted to spend more time here. Thank you Mance for showing us Flores. Thanks Anne Mieke for the assistance and information!

  • #85

    Cyndi (Monday, 24 February 2025 00:50)

    Anne Marie was super helpful in planning my overland trip to Flores! She assisted with a friendly reliable careful driver and gave me advice on the route! I am so appreciative of her!

  • #84

    Chris (Wednesday, 19 February 2025 13:01)

    Just got back from Flores. Incredibly wonderful trip, and all of Anne's advice and recommendations were spot on. Pak Donatus as driver was wonderful. knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, and utterly trustworthy, and the car was great quality. We stayed at Hobbit Hill (Ruteng), Sabrina Rest & Living(Bajawa - only spoke bahasa so careful if you dont), Kelimutu Paradiso Resort and Pondok Kul Kul (Labuan Bajo). I would recommend all of them, and happily stay at them again.

    We organised a Komodo Island Day trip with florescharmtours. The boat was comfortable and seemed safe, and the crew and snacks were great. The dragons are unique to see, and the national park itself is incredibly beautiful, and snorkeling with manta rays is something to behold (maybe the highlight). This was the only place where tourist numbers bothered me, and it is hard to imagine it during peak. treking through komodo island looking for dragons loses a bit of the wilderness feel when your are one of 6 large groups of noisy tourists parading one after the other making noise. All trips seem to get to komodo island at luchtime in peak heat when the dragons are doing what lizards do and lazing in the sun, removing any chance of seeing them be active. it would have been nice to be able to customise trip a bit better, snorkel with mantas longer, and maybe have shorter stops at other places (pink beach and Taka Makasar are incredibly pretty but only really worth a 10 minute stop with nothing to see snorkel wise, and we didnt get to Siaba/Bidadari islands). Apart from the Mantas, I have seen much better snorkeling in Riung (17 islands national park and Bali sites (Menjangan, Gilis, Penida). Im sure this is all that can fit into the one day packed trip, and it is definitely a must do when in flores, but i would say the rest of flores is the highlight and komodo national park is a nice bonus for the region (labuan bajo and its tourism is a bit of a shock to the system after a week in the rest of Flores)

    Kelimutu is a highlight and a must see, and the traditional villages were all incredibly interesting and friendly. they are all different, so see as many as you can. the landscape is just incredible too, so even just sitting in a car driving through you always have something amazing to see. every day it seemed we were going from mountains to beach and to mountains again along the most beautiful windy green roads you can imagine.

    We were there in February, wet season. It was all incredibly green and lush, and tourist numbers were almost zero giving us incredible solo experiences and cheap hotels everywhere. some sites we couldnt get the views of the dry season, and the humidity makes walking harder (and if we were a week earlier would have missed komodo national park because of rain), but I would highly recommend giving Flores a go at this time of year. the risk was definitely worth it for us.

    Thanks again Anne. your advice made the trip so easy, and knowing people and things were recommended by you gave me a nice sense of safety and comfort.

  • #83

    António Robalo (Monday, 06 January 2025 13:51)

    Family trip in Flores last June. Thank you Anne for your precious advice and help with our trip. Also, Donatus proved to be a very reliable and friendly driver. I wish we had stayed longer than the 10 days we spent in Flores - maybe next time!
    Antonio Robalo, Portugal

  • #82

    Jess (Saturday, 28 December 2024 07:53)

    I echo many of the comments on this site - Anne Mieke is extraordinary. She generously shares her wealth of knowledge on the island of Flores, and goes above and beyond to support local people and tourism initiatives on this beautiful island.
    Fortuitous indeed, I stumbled onto Anne's website just a week before our family of four travelled from Australia to Flores (Sept 2024). Our flights to Maumere were cancelled without explanation from LionAir, and her site was the only source of current information I could find on airport closures due to the eruption of Lewotobi volcano. We re-booked to Ende, but these flights were also cancelled just days before we were due to travel.
    With our travel plans in disarray, Anne was a truly invaluable resource. Via WhatsApp (often responding to my queries almost immediately), she put us in contact with the wonderful Pak Ahmad, and suggested a reverse itinerary starting in Labuan Bajo.
    As it turned out, Ende airport re-opened, and we were able to change flights at short notice. Pak Ahmad travelled through the night from Bajo to meet us at Ende airport the following morning.
    And so began the most memorable journey over 8 days (Ende > Moni > Riung > Bajawa > Ruteng > Labuan Bajo), in the very capable hands of Pak Ahmad (and his comfortable Toyota Avanza). On the switch-backing roads snaking through the island, Pak Ahmad drove with great care, always responsive to the needs of our often queasy kids!
    Having cancelled all our accommodation bookings due to flight/date changes, we relied on Pak Ahmad's extensive local knowledge. His recommendations on what to see, and where to stay and eat were excellent.
    Flores (beyond Komodo) is magnificent - rich in culture, wild and untrammeled by mass-tourism, and our time there was immeasurably enriched by our chance contact with Anne Mieke. As a driver and friend, we cannot recommend Pak Ahmad highly enough, WhatsApp +62 821 4689 4584.
    If you are considering travel to Flores - don't hesitate!

  • #81

    Jon (Saturday, 07 December 2024 16:08)

    Anne kindly recommended a driver for our trip to Flores. Sipri was great, very courteous on the road, good English, good value, nothing was too much trouble and generally easy to get on with.
    We were with him for 6 nights 7 days visiting Ruteng, Bajawa, Moni (for Kelimutu) and Riung. A round trip from Labuan Bajo. Lots of driving but saw a lot of Flores.

  • #80

    Bob Dyego (Thursday, 05 December 2024 13:13)



    We finished the 7-day route with this young man, Mr. “Lost in Flores” Din.

    We can only say positive reports about him. We specially liked his safe driving, a responsible and respectful guy with good sense of humor.

    The itinerary was awesome despite the fog that didn’t let us enjoy some extraordinary views which we already knew it could happen in rainy season.

    We definitely recommend Din for future visitors to this enjoyable island.

    Thanks for your support and help, Anne.


  • #79

    Gloria (Sunday, 01 December 2024 15:05)

    Anne and her website Travel2Flores are a real treasure!
    Anne helped me arrange my trip from Ende to Labuan Bajo in August and connected me to mr. Ahmad, an outstanding driver, always kind, and punctual, who ensured our journey was smooth and enjoyable.
    Thank you so much, Anne!
    Your expertise and commitment truly make a difference.

  • #78

    Angelo (Friday, 22 November 2024 03:57)

    Thanks so much for Anne Mieke for finding Yonas from Bajawa as our driver. We travelled as a group of 4 with Yonas from Ende to Labuan Bajo over a period of 9 days. We chose that route because at the time we knew that the airport at Ende was open and might not be later due to volcanic activity. It proved to be the right decision. As it turned out the airport at Labuan Bajo cancelled flights for a while as well during the time we were on Flores but we were fortunate enough to make all our flights.
    Yonas proved to be an excellent driver. He was very attentive to our needs, stopping the car when he saw one of us reaching for a camera to take photos of the views or in my case seeing a bird that I might want to take a closer look at. We weren't sure at the start about how the accommodation bookings would work so we had booked the first 2 nights of the trip in Moni ourselves. This turned out to be a mistake as the place we chose was not very nice and we checked out after a day and stayed in a much nicer place suggested by Yonas. From then on we trusted all his recommendations for accommodation and restaurants and weren't disappointed. It was great not having to worry about finding places to stay or eat. He even invited us to a friend's wedding reception in Bajawa where all our group had a great time and Yonas looked a bit bleary-eyed the following morning :-) Our homestay in Ruteng where we had a wonderful dinner with the host family was another highlight.
    Yonas speaks basic English and is not fluent but it was adequate and we were very happy with being able to take every available opportunity to practise our rudimentary bahasa Indonesia. It was actually a plus for us.
    My only criticism was that the journey was hot and Yonas seemed to be very reluctant to use the air-con in his car. A few times we asked him to turn it on and he did so but would turn it off again after a short while. I think he was concerned about the effect of the air-con on fuel efficiency and engine power and we didn't press him too hard on it.
    At the end of the trip we weren't sure about the tipping practice but decided that about 100,000Rp /day seemed reasonable and that's what we went with.

  • #77

    Roos (Monday, 23 September 2024 12:10)

    I had the most wonderful time in Flores! I was traveling alone across the island, and Anne Mieke’s help made it worthwhile. She connected me with the best local guides, ensuring an authentic, unique, and unforgettable experience :)

  • #76

    Geoff Bond (Friday, 20 September 2024 06:47)

    Anne, thank you so much for arranging Mr Wangge as our driver.
    Once he heard that we were more interested in culture than sites, he excelled himself. The second day was spent at a Congoko Lokap traditional ceremony, where we were invited to stay by the chiefs. What an excellent day that was. Next day we returned to the same village for Caci fighting dances, where we were welcomed by many of the Manggarai villagers we had met the previous day. Another colourful exhilarating experience.
    Day four started as planned, but Mr Wangge heard of a roof raising ceremony nearby in Nua Olo. We ventured in and it turned out Mr Wangge knew the Bajawa chief, so we spent hours there as guests, including being asked to stay for lunch.
    Surely that was it for our tribal experiences, but no, Mr Wangge took us to Wologai viilage a day earlier than planned, to see the final day of the Lio tribes harvest festival, where dancing continued throughout the day. Again Mr Wangge’s friends brother was there and he invited us to eat with his family in a traditional hut. You couldn’t buy an experience like that.
    Needless to say we would highly recommend Anne and Mr Wangge to make your Flores road trip so memorable.
    Thank you both.

  • #75

    Anne Mieke (webmaster) (Sunday, 15 September 2024 07:11)

    To all guests, thank you for all the comments on my website.
    It is a pleasure to see that you have discovered Flores as a relatively undiscovered island (apart from Labuan Bajo and Komodo NP ofcourse).
    I will continue to find "new" attractions allover the island however due to the lack of infrastructure some are for the adventurous only ;-)
    My activities are often quite challenging since tourism on Flores is still in the development phase and often far from perfect.
    Although I have traveled the island dozens of times the beauty of Flores still touches me.
    Thank you for trusting me and I am able to help the people of Flores for a slightly better life.
    Terima kasih.
    ��
    Anne

  • #74

    Moses Mango (Sunday, 15 September 2024 01:49)

    Sunday, 15 September 2024: "Good morning and best wishes to Mrs. Anne, thank God that we can meet on Friday, 13 September 2024, at the house of the head of Nida Village Berno Nober and I received the information through my brother Herry Wangge ( Drivers) and Brother Robert, it was a pleasure to meet Mrs. Anne in a conversation or discussion where many gave very positive input, criticism and suggestions for us in an area that is rich in culture, beautiful nature (LASU GOLO,SOMBU LOU), forest tourism, Marilonga historical tourism (Fort Marilonga,Dutch Fort, and other natural beauties that can be enjoyed by tourists, of course some of these inputs will become home workers for us and we will coordinate with the local government and regional government, such as transportation issues (entry access) to tourist attractions and other facilities.I sincerely ask you to promote the tourist attractions that I mentioned earlier in the Detukeli sub-district area. respectfully I am Mr.Moses Mango��

  • #73

    Marina Espin (Sunday, 08 September 2024 06:48)

    We’re two Spanish girls who traveled with Herry Wangge on a 4-day Flores tour from Ende to Labuan Bajo. Wangge was super flexible, adapting to our plans and pace, making sure we saw and did exactly what we wanted. We’d absolutely recommend him to anyone planning a trip to Flores. His English is great, he drives safely, and the car was clean and comfortable. Plus, he knows local guides for specific hikes, like Mount Inerie, and other tours. He was really friendly but also gave us space when we needed it.
    Contact him through WhatsApp: +62 822-9888-9474

  • #72

    Berta (Sunday, 08 September 2024 06:39)

    We booked a driver in Flores through Ane. His name is Herry Wangger.

    We are very satisfied with him. He was very flexible with our interests and giving lots of local advice for restaurants, tours, and insights.

    Wangge was waiting for us in Ende airport with a welcoming sign and all through the trip he was always on time. His driving felt very safe and was always concerned about our comfort.

    As for the car we can say it was very comfortable and clean!

    We highly recommend him for a roadtrip through Flores. If you would like to contact him here is his whatsapp: +62 822-9888-9474


  • #71

    Lars (Tuesday, 03 September 2024 05:39)

    We stumbled over Anne’s Internet site. First we were a bit suspicious why someone does recommend tours and driver without charge. But we immediately recognised Anne and her website is trustworthy. The driver she recommended was excellent. With Herry Wangge you definitely have a very experienced and friendly driver who knows all the sports. We enjoyed every spot, tour or restaurant he proposed. In addition he is very flexible to adjust plans according the individual requirements during the day. He has a good sense for required time to manage driving distances or to enjoy spots. We definitely will ask for Herry Wangge when we visit Flores again.

  • #70

    Pierre (Monday, 02 September 2024 17:29)

    I wanted to thank Anne for putting us in touch with Wangge, who is a very friendly and careful driver. He speaks good English, is flexible and helpful. I do recommend him - You can WhatsApp Wangge on +62 822 9888 9474

  • #69

    Alexandra Alves Gaspar (Wednesday, 28 August 2024 12:21)

    My journey with Travel2Flores began with a delicate touch: I stumbled upon this website by chance, but the connection I formed with Anne was anything but coincidental. Despite the short notice, Anne was there, eager to assist and quickly put me in touch with Mr Ete.
    Everything went beautifully. The driver was extremely kind, careful, and entertaining, despite the occasional "lost in translation" moments during the trip. I chose the accommodations, but Anne went above and beyond to craft an itinerary with tips on what to see and do in each location.
    Anne's generous spirit stands out most: her genuine desire to help the local community. Flores is an island of unparalleled beauty, with people who are as warm as they are sincere. I sincerely hope Anne continues assisting more travellers, fostering sustainable tourism at fair prices for visitors and locals, and contributing to a brighter future for this incredible island.
    I am deeply and sincerely grateful for Anne's help. Her assistance made my trip to Flores Island memorable, and I will always seek her guidance for my future adventures.

  • #68

    Hester (Tuesday, 20 August 2024 19:52)

    Dankzij de geweldige hulp en het advies van Anne Mieke hebben we met het gezin een prachtige tocht van 8 dagen op Flores gemaakt. Oorspronkelijk zouden we van Surabaya naar Maumere vliegen, maar vanwege vulkanische activiteit werd onze vlucht geannuleerd. Gelukkig waren we hierop voorbereid door Anne Mieke en konden we drie dagen later naar Ende vliegen. Zo konden we de geplande tocht alsnog maken. We hadden ons geen betere chauffeur en gids kunnen wensen dan Ivan. Het was echt een uitstekende match: Ivan is rustig en geduldig, maar heeft een goed gevoel voor humor. Hij is een ervaren gids en goede chauffeur, die goed Engels spreekt en heeft ons veel interessante dingen geleerd over Flores (geschiedenis, cultuur, flora, fauna). Daarnaast hebben we genoten van bijzondere ontmoetingen met de lokale bevolking, waarbij hij tolkte.

  • #67

    FedUpFormerDE (Saturday, 03 August 2024 15:23)

    Anne put us in touch with Ahmad of Ende who was super in every way over our 4 days travelling with him and has become a friend. I cannot reccomend Ahmad strongly enough. His whatsapp is +6282146894584 and he is very responsive to messages. Ahmad, and Anne, have made it possible for us to fully enjoy the East of Flores which is still very raw and untouristy, UNlike Komodo and Labuan Bajo which are WAY overcrowded like all spots close to Bali (eg Gilis, Nusa Penida, Lembongan etc).

  • #66

    Maureen en Berend (Wednesday, 31 July 2024 17:42)

    Voorafgaand aan onze reis naar Flores zijn we in contact gekomen met Anne Mieke. Ze heeft ons in de voorbereiding goed kunnen helpen met de planning en het in contact brengen met de lokale gidsen/driver. We zijn nog steeds zo aan het nagenieten van hoe deze reis daardoor is uitgepakt! Door onze driver Sonny en de aanbevolen gidsen Uni en Melki hebben we de bijzondere plekken nog unieker ervaren! Wij raden het zeker aan contact op te nemen met Anne Mieke en haar netwerk!

  • #65

    Wendy Beckx-Moen (Wednesday, 31 July 2024 13:25)

    We just spent 10 days with driver and guide Mr. Mesakh with our two girls ( 16 and 22)We are so happy Anne Mieke connected us with him. Such a nice man, who knows all the nice spots and good places to eat in Flores! He’s quiet and very modest and will do anything to make sure you’ll have a great experience.
    He also take a good care of the local people and makes sure they get their fair share.
    He seems to know everyone on Flores!!

  • #64

    FedUpFormerDE (Monday, 22 July 2024 03:54)

    Anne is an AMAZING resource motivated by altrusim not profit, a real rarity in this age of overtourism and instragram influencers (read: untermenschen!) living like leeches by exposing places for profit or ego. She contributes her time to help both travellers and locals. Good karma abounding.

  • #63

    Birgit (Thursday, 18 July 2024 10:51)

    Via Anne zijn we in contact gekomen met onze chauffeur Mr Ivan. We zouden in Maumere onze reis over Flores met hem starten. Omdat de vlucht van Labuan Bajo gecanceld werd konden we Maumere niet bereiken en waren we een dag eerder dan gepland in Ende. Gelukkig bleek hij ons ook die dag al te kunnen ophalen. We hebben een fantastische tijd op Flores gehad dankzij hem. Hij is een goede chauffeur, spreekt goed Engels, een man met humor, hij bracht ons veel gezelligheid en we zijn op plekken gekomen die we zonder hem niet hadden kunnen bezoeken. Ook wist hij heel veel over de natuur en geschiedenis van Flores en Indonesië. Hij heeft onze reis nog specialer en onvergetelijker gemaakt. Heel veel dank aan Ibu Anne!!