FLORES TIMUR

Flores Timur is the forgotten district of the island as most tours start or end in Maumere or Ende. Without reason to my opinion as it is one of the most beautiful parts of the island with stunning views, crystal clear waters and history. There is a project scheduled for the Palmerah bridge between Larantuka and Tanah Merah (Adonara). This isn't just a bridge but one with a tidal power plant which will boost the economy of East Flores and will become a tourist attractions itself. For those who are interested check this website
Maumere to Larantuka is also the quickest part of the Trans Flores Road and the 140 kilometers can be done in less than 3,5 hours.

Dinas Pariwisata & Kebudayaan Flores Timur

tourism info centre (Indonesian only)

Capital (ibu kota) Larantuka is a small elongated town surrounded by mountains (Ile Mandiri) and facing the island of Adonara which is at the nearest point only 700 meters away. The road along the coast between Larantuka and Nobo is very scenic with views on het islands of Konga, Solor and Adonara. Take your time and stop frequently to enjoy the beauty of this part of Flores seldom visited (which is a shame).

http://wikitravel.org/en/Larantuka

Must sees in town are the katedral Rheina Rosari, kapela Tuan Ana and kapela Tuan Ma.

Also worth a visit is the almost cosy catholic graveyard, and the large tunaboats just offshore the black beach, both a few kilometers west of Larantuka on the road to Maumere. The market is in the centre at the seaside, next to the local shoppingcentre. Except for quite a few warung (mainly Padang and Javanese), the pasar malam kuliner and a few modern resto's in the eastern part of the town after 9 pm Larantuka is quiet and empty.

Larantuka is famous for the Semana Santa, the holy week before Easter with the Good Friday Procession (Prosesi Jumat Agung) as the highlight of the week in Larantuka town and the surrounding waters. This is the busiest week of the year as it attracks people all over Indonesia, even all over the world. If you want to join, bear in mind that hotelrooms need to be booked far in advance, 6 months before (as well as flights Kupang-Larantuka vv or Kupang-Maumere vv).
Due to the pandemic the processions of 2020, 2021 and 2022 have been canceled. In 2023 I visited Larantuka from 3 to 10 april and was there with Good Friday (7 April) as the highlight.

more photo's Flores Timur

SLEEP

There are not so many hotels in Larantuka. Asa Hotel on the way to the airport is the best in town has a pool and often fully booked, however is it a business hotel.
Larantuka Beach Homestay is a good option when you like a homestay rather than a bigger hotel. They also provide a boat charter for snorkling near Wureh on Adonara.
Gelekat Nara (GN)Hotel is in town which small but acceptable rooms.
The week before Easter every bed in Larantuka is booked, so make reservations in advance (the year before, see also info above!)

see separate section for more hotels in Larantuka

EAT&DRINK

In the town centre of Larantuka and in particular on the mainroad are warung padang and Jawa eateries. Bu Warno has a kaki lima in front of the shoppingcentre. Take your time as you likely need to wait as her food (nasi campur, gado2 etc) is popular. Talago Indah on the main road is a good choice for a padang resaurant. In front of hotel Tresna is an Open Air Foodcourt with ikan bakar (barbecued fish) an other dishes.

In Weri, the northern part of Larantuka are a few good restaurants like Golden Cafe and Weri Resto & Cafe. They sell the usual Indonesian menu and their speciality is nasi bakar in 5 variants (recommended), also milkshakes and various coffees. Can also be ordered for delivery at your hotel with no extra costs.

Along the Trans Flores Road you will only find very few small shops with some drinks and snacks and coffee.

LAUNDRY

Diaz Laundry has a one day laundryservice (from May to October when there is enough sunshine) for Rp 10.000 per kilo (including ironing; price november 2019). Otherwise you need to wait for an extra day. Tel. +6282147536203 (mobile)

TRANSPORT AIR, ROAD & SEA see also

FLIGHTS

Connection with Kupang, 30 minutes with Wings Air, currently one flight per day only (2024). Around Christmas/New Year and Easter there might be additional flights.

Note: it is not advisable to book tickets far in advance (except the special periods) as promo tickets are not yet available and timetables, routes and airlines often change.

Check timetables and prices from time to time on Skyscanner or via one of the providers below.

You can buy tickets:

Marcelo Tour & Travel, Jalan Basuki Rahmat

Businesshours 8 am - 8 pm

Tel + 62 38321574 (landline) and + 62 81238517836 (mobile)

Email: marcelo_travel@yahoo.com

SM Tour & Travel

Tel +62 81236703698 (mobile)

However it is easy to book yourself via the internet, best on Tiket.com, Traveloka.com or Nusatrip.com

Gewayantana, the small airport is 10 minutes north of town. Ascending by plane coming from Kupang is breathtaking. Currently one flight per day only to/from Kupang.

BUS LONG DISTANCE

To Maumere buses depart from the terminal south of town. It takes 4 hours, sometimes a bit longer. No fixed schedules, starting early morning. Bus tickets are Rp 60.000. Sometimes the bus stops in Boru for 20 minutes (toiletbreak, eat).

BUS WITHIN TOWN
Bemo/angkot Rp 3000

CAR WITH DRIVER

At the airport or via your hotel are cars with driver available. Prices vary and a price of one million per day is not uncommon. Booked via hotels be prepared for steep prices as well. If you need a car you can contact me. Also check car with driver

OJEK (motorcycle taxi) WITHIN TOWN

Rp 5000 to Rp 10.000 depending on distance

TRAVEL

This is a kind of shared “taxi” usually a big car or minibus which runs from door to door. Larantuka to Maumere wil cost around Rp 100.000 - Rp 150.000.

BOATS

From Larantuka there are Pelni boats to Kupang and to and Makassar via Bau Bau or Maumere. Check schedules on their website.

https://www.pelni.co.id/en

The ASDP ferry to Kupang leaves three times a week around noon. However since the pandemic schedules are not very reliable. Call ASDP Larantuka +62 38321245 to check the exact schedule on the ASDP website or check via Facebook

Wooden boats (kapal kayu) go to Waiwerang and Baniona (Adonara), Podor, Lohayong, Mananga (Solor) and Lewoleba (Lembata). KM Rahmat Solor sails to Lamakera on the eastern tip of Solor once a day around 11.00 am. With public transport you can visit Adonara in one day (the morningboat at 8 am and back from Waiwerang around 4 pm). The quickest way to get to Adonara is by boat from Sarotari to Tanah Merah on Adonara within 5 to 10 minutes depending on the difficulties to cross as the currents can be strong or from the harbour in Larantuka to Tobilota in 15 minutes.

From Larantuka there is a fast boat every morning at 9 am to Waiwerang (Adonara, 30 minutes) and on to Lewoleba (Lembata, 1 hour).
Between Adonara and Solor there are boat connections as well.

Bear in mind that all the above information is prone to change.

WHAT ELSE TO SEE?

Adonara island is at the opposite of Larantuka. You can take a wooden boat to Waiwerang (morning, noon and afternoon) and the trip takes 1,5 to 2 hours. Or even better the fast boat which only takes 30 minutes to Waiwerang. There are also other crossings to Adonara. The closest one is from Sarotari in the northern part of Larantuka to Tanah Merah within 5 to 10 minutes or from the harbour in Larantuka to Tobilota in 15 minutes.
Adonara is a small, deserted island, around 35/20 kilometers and except a few green months at the beginning of the year it is very dry.

Waiwerang on the south coast is the only real town on the island with a few basic guesthouses. Penginapan Asri has some decent rooms and is a few hundred metres from the harbour. In the somewhat desertlike environment Adonara is home to some gorgeous beaches in the eastern part like Pantai Watotena, Pantai Ina Burak and Pantai Mekko. The island is also known for its good quality of moke (arack). In the eastern half of the island you cannot miss Ile Boleng, the active volcano on the island.
From the beaches in the south you can make a tour to Adonara village in the north with a beautiful lake just near the coast.

From Waiwerang you can cross to Solor island (30 minutes) to the village of Lamakera, the "sistervillage" of Lamalera on Lembata, famous for its traditional whale hunting but to be honest not as traditional as in Lamalera. From Larantuka there are also boats to other parts on Solor, to Podor, Lohayong and Mananga. You can visit Solor on a daytrip or sleep in one of the simple accomodations, best choice on the western half. Very little English is spoken on both islands.
On Solor there a few nice beaches, the nicest one is Pantai Watohari on the southcoast of the eastern part. Not easy to get there as the road is terrible but you will get an empty, bit pinky beach in return with views on Lembata island.
In Lohayong are the remains of a Portuguese fortress but unfortunately not wel maintained and a quite agressive approach to foreigners.
To hire a car with driver or a motorbike is not difficult but the problem is the price. People are not used to tourists and therefore prices are far beyond the usual price.
I was on Solor in June 2022, arranged a car the day before for Rp 500.000 but once on the island (and probably once the driver saw me) the price was suddenly 1 million. I was hard to get it down to Rp 700.000 which is still too much for a day (in fact not even 6 hours). So be prepared. Same story for Adonara island.
From Lewotobi (south of the volcano) you also can cross to Solor but very expensive. The boatmen ask 1 million for crossing (not even 15 minutes) or Rp 500.000 for one way. This part of Flores, and in particular Solor isn't ready yet for tourists but therefore very attractive at the same time.

The area Tanjung Bunga is where Flores get its name from. The area is littered with cashew nut trees. Tanjung Bunga means flower cape, the Portuguese translated this into Cabo de Flores and the Dutch shortened the name into Flores.

In this area there is also a Trappists Monastry Lamanabi. Among Dutch and Belgian visitors this monastic order is best known for its Trappist beer :-) but I'm not sure they brew something like that. There is a small cafe and shop opposite of the monastry which is popular with locals in particular in weekends.

In the very far east in Tanjung Bunga you can visit Danau Asmara (lake). Follow the road north from Larantuka with the sea on your right side then cross the few kilometers to the other side. It takes about 75 minutes from Larantuka. At the parking they built a few treehuts for a view high above the lake. To reach the lake itself you have to hike down the forest a few dozens of meters. Take care and wear decent shoes as there is only a real path half of the descend. Also take mosquito coil.

From the junction just before lake Asmara you can reach Kwuta Beach. It is only 6,3 kilometers but it will take 30 minutes to get there via a bumpy road, partly via cashewnut plantations. On the road to Kwuta Beach, just a few hundred meters beyond Danau Asmara they built a 0 kilometer monument as a start of the Trans Flores Road.

Other interesting places to visit are Ile Padung a traditional village, 20 kms from Larantuka, to be reached by your own transport only. You can continue along the bumpy road further west and along the sea where you will come across a beaufitul empty beach. Only 2 kms off the mainroad and 27 km southwest of Larantuka you will find the village of Lewokluok famed for its tenun ikat (weaving cloth). On Thursday you can see the women watch their activities (other days on demand only). Not far on the north coast is Kawaliwu Beach with a wonderful sunset. The beach can be reached from the mainroad Larantuka-Maumere, then turn right in Lewolema and follow the 9 kilometer road to the sea. Once in Kawaliwu you can turn left for a setting right on the beach or left follow the winding road into the hills for a superb sunset.
Another 20 kms further to the west you will reach Lato Beach, nobody there on weekdays.

Boru is about halfway between Larantuka and Maumere and good for a stop in one of the very few restaurants. There are some fruitstalls which sell bananas, oranges and yellow buah mentega (velvet apple; family of kaki/sharonfruit, diospyros in Latin). From here you have great mountainviews on Lewotobi twin volcano (male and female). For trekkings check out Swiss Contact guide of Flores. Starting point for climbing the volcano is 5 kms from Boru to the south in Bawalatang.
From Nobo to Boru you can make a detour on your way back to Larantuka and drive around the mountains where you can meet the Trans Flores road in Boru again.