MAP & TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS

Need a good map of Flores?

Flores Travel Map, ISBN 978-3-9523834-4-5

The most complete map of Flores (2012) with maps of the small towns and some trekking areas. Rp 80.000, available on Flores and at the airports of Jakarta and Bali.

WHEN?

The driest month are May to September when it is supposed to be not too rainy. It’s not the rain itself but a heavy and long shower can cause floods and sometimes landslides and potholes as the drainage system is not adequate enough. Trekkings are more difficult or even not possible at all and the sea between Labuan Bajo and Sumbawa and off the southcoast can be rough and boats sometimes don’t run. However a shower now and then keeps Flores green and clean. These days the weather is hardly to predict like anywhere in the world. In January 2016 the mountains around on the westcoast and on the islands off the coast of Labuan Bajo hardly turned back to green again due to (too) little rain since October last year. Most tourists come in June, July and August.

WHERE AND WHAT?

Highlights on the island are Kelimutu Lake, Komodo National Park the adat villages around Bajawa, Wae Rebo, Riung Marine park, and diving and snorkelling. Flores is not yet as famous as parts of Kalimantan and Sumatera when it comes to (volcano)trekking but it is definitely competitive with other islands. And, the nature on Flores is a highlight itself.

People come to Flores for:

- Kelimutu lakes

- traditional villages

- diving & snorkeling

- Komodo dragons

- traditional villages and ceremonies

- unspoilt beaches

- volcanos for hiking

See also the separate regencies

and

travelsuggestions

HOW?

You can travel by plane (but you will miss the beauty of the island).

Or by bus together with the locals and everything they carry including chickens, freezers, huge baskets with eggs, a new mattress they bought in town and everything one can imagine.

Or by travel, a kind of shared taxi, mostly a big car or a minibus, a bit more expensive than the bus but more comfortable and faster.

Or you can hire a car with driver so you can stop whenever you want to.

See all kinds of transportation in the regencysections of East Flores, Central Flores or West Flores and the special about transportation on Flores.  

HOW LONG?

Let me tell you first that Flores deserves more than a 4 four day trip to Labuan Bajo for diving and see the komodo dragons by chance. Flores has a diversity of attractions.

If you only visit Labuan Bajo for Komodo National Park and diving/snorkeling 4 days will be enough, but you will miss the wonderful interior. Said that while Labuan Bajo has become more and more touristy, heading east you will have Flores mostly for yourself. If travelling overland the classic tour starts in Maumere and ends in Labuan Bajo and will be at least 8 days, more comfortable are two weeks or even more. Even better is to start in Larantuka (maybe even a sidetrip to Solor and Adonara). Three to four weeks will give you the most complete impression of Flores.

TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS

Below you will find some travelsuggestions depending on time you want to spend and your interests including the most important highlights like Komodo National Park, Kelimutu lakes and the traditional villages around Bajawa.

Note: the trips here below are not yet detailed but they cover the highlights. For more tailored trips, questions or comments: floressurgakita@gmail.com

Denpasar (Bali) or Kupang (Timor) are the most convenient airports to start your trip to Flores. If you want to combine your holiday with Sumba, Timor or Alor there are also connections with airports on Flores (check the transport section).

The pdf docs here below cover most demands and are counted in full days, thus they don't include your day of departure.  The routes are just examples. Send me an email and I can make you a tailored trip.

I am still working on detailed trips including Wae Rebo. Be patient. They will online at the end of July 2018.

The trips below do not cover trekkings to volcanos like Inerie, Mbeling, Ebulobo or Lewotobi.

See also I see your true colours

RECOMMENDED

Check out the stories

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

THINGS TO SEE AND DO FROM EAST TO WEST

                    The Flores alphabet (roads and places from A to Z)

A. Larantuka

Cathedral Rheina Rosari

Chapel Tuan Ana

Trip to Adonara island 1 to 4 days (Watotena Beach, Mekko Beach, Ile Boleng)

Trip to Solor island, 1 day as there is no accomodation on Solor (Lamakera whales)

Tanjung Bunga

Lake Asmara

Ile Padung (traditional village)

Kawaliwu Beach, also for sunset

Trekking ile Mandiri

Trekking ile Lewotobi

Diving and snorkling

Semana Santa (from Wednesday before Eastern untill Saturday including good Friday; bookings need to made far in advance, at least 6 month before

B. Larantuka to Maumere

Lewokluok, weaving village; every Thursday or on request

Great views along the coastline with views on Adonara, Solor and Konga

Detour Nobo to Boru around the twin volcanos Lewotobi Laki2 and Perempuan

Trekking Lewotobi

Babi island for diving

Doreng beach

Watublapi,  weaving village

Dokar,  weaving village

C. Maumere and daytrips from Maumere

Wuring, muslim village on stilts

Alok Market

Nilo hill with statue of Mother Maria with views on Maumere

Sikka, old church

Watublapi,  weaving village

Dokar,  weaving village

Doreng Beach

D. Maumere to Detusoko, via Maurole on North Coast

Wuring, muslim village on stilts

Wair Nokerua

Ricefields near Magepanda

Tiwu Bowu (lake) and beach a few hundred meters further

River landscape beyond Kotabaru

E. Maumere to Moni

Nilo (hill with statue of Mother Maria with views on Maumere)

Sikka, old church

Paga Beach

Koka Beach

F. Moni

Kelimutu NP, the three coloured lakes

Woloaru, traditional village

Waterfall

G. Moni to Ende

Wologai, traditional village

Detusoko ricefields

Rock with mark Floresweg (Trans Flores, made by the Dutch in 1925)

H. Ende

Former house of Soekarno 1st president of Indonesia

Coast east from Ende

Wolotopo, traditional village

Grilled fish at the seaside (Pantai Ria)

Sunset

I. Ende to Bajawa

Great views along the coastline

Blue stone beach near Nangapanda

Mulakoli (starting point for climbing mount Ebulobo)

Wogo, traditional village

Wolobobo (hill with view on mount Inerie)

J. Ende to Mbay

Great views along the coastline

Blue stone beach near Nangapanda

Great views on Mbay 10 km before Mbay

K. South Coast Nagekeo

Wajo traditional village

Coast around Mauponggo

L. Mbay

Marapokot harbour

Rii Taa island (1 hour from the harbour)

Ricefields north of Mbay

Japanese caves

Kotojogo Beach

Also possible to visit Riung Marine national park 17 islands from Mbay

M. Mbay to Riung

Strange but beautiful shaped mountains on the right side on the scenic road Mbay-Riung

Rii Taa island (1 hour from the harbour)

N. Mbay to Bajawa via Boawae

Jalan tengah, one of the most beautiful roads on Flores with views on mount Ebulobo

Batu kodok

Tutubhada, traditional village

Wogo, traditional village

Wolobobo (hill with view on mount Inerie and the valley around the mountain)

O. Riung

Riung Marine National Park 17 islands

North coast Riung to Pota, spectaculair coast

P. Riung to Bajawa

Road through the dense forest (direct but bad road)

Soa hotsprings

Q. Riung to Reo

Spectaculair coastline, 45 minutes from Riung

Ricefields, and rivers near Pota

The beautiful Reo river

Sunset in Dampek east of Reo

R. Bajawa and around

Bena, Gurusina, Tololela, Bela, Langa, Luba (traditional villages, also possible with partly "light" hiking)

Malanage hotspring

Soa hotspring

Statue Mother Maria in the mountains and view on the valley

Wolobobo hill, view on mount Inerie and the valley around the mountain

Wawo Muda, brown red coloured lake

Oji waterfall

Market Bajawa

Trekking mount Inerie

Trekking to Belaraghi (traditional village, possibility to overnight)

Area north east of Bajawa

S. Bajawa to Ruteng

Belaraghi (traditional village, by car)

Arrack production in Aimere

Mbalata beach, with views on Mount Inerie

Watu Cepi Beach

Danau Ranamese (lake)

Countryside east from Ruteng (just pick a road and be surprised; views, forest, ricefields, villages)

T. Ruteng

Market

Cathedral

Curu hill

Liang Bua (site of homo floriensis, 45 minutes drive from town)

Tangkulese waterfall

Road Ruteng Reo vv (views), Reo river

Countryside east, west and south from Ruteng (just pick a road and be surprised; views, forest, ricefields, villages)

Northwest of Ruteng (views, villages)

U. Ruteng to Iteng

Take the road between the two huge mountains and continue through dense forest (national park) and ricefields all the way to Iteng (this is also an alternative road to get to Wae Rebo)

V. Reo to Lemarang

Beaches near Robek, pantai Keteb (not possible to continue to Terang and Labuan Bajo as the bridge just before Lemarang has been collapsed (May 2018)

W. Ruteng to Wae Rebo (the classic road via Todo)

Cancar (spiderweb ricefields)

Countryside west from Ruteng (just pick a road and be surprised; views, forest, ricefields, villages)

Todo,  traditional village

Wae Rebo, the icon of the traditional villages/partly trekking/possibility to overnight in Wae Rebo, also in Dintor/Denge the night before

X. Ruteng to Labuan Bajo

Cancar for the famous spiderweb ricefields

There is also a possiblity to drive around the valley which meets the Trans Flores Road a few kilometers to the west.

Nangalili Beach (40 minutes off the main road near Lembor)

Lembor ricefields

Toda, traditional village

Cunca Rami (waterfall, but best visited from Labuan Bajo on a day trip)

Sanggoang lake, but best visited from Labuan Bajo on a day trip

Cunca Wulang (waterfall and canyon)

Y. Labuan Bajo (including daytrips)

Pulau Rinca (komodo dragons, nature)

Padar Island (magnificient view)

Pink Beach

Pulau Komodo (komodo dragons)

Manta Point for diving

The many islands west and north of Labuan Bajo

Batu Cermin cave

Sunset at Paradise Bar or Pede Beach

Sano Nggoang lake (accomodation)

Cunca Wulang (waterfall and canyon nclusing a short trekking)

Cunca Rami (waterfall)

Warloka, ancient site best reached by boat from Labuan Bajo or via a bad road with fwd only

Tobedo (petrified wood)

Kaca (petrified wood)

Terang, for nice views

20 kilometers east of Labuan Bajo, views over Komodo National Park (sunset!)

Z. North and South from Labuan Bajo

Sano Nggoang lake (accomodation)

Mount Mbeliling (trekking, bird watching)

And ....across the island coffee plantations, cashew nut trees, cacao plantations, lontar trees for arrack production, vanilla, bambu forests, candlenut trees and above all friendly people....

VISITING KOMODO NP 

Komodo NP

Labuan Bajo has dozens of agents, small offices and people on the road offering trips to Komodo NP. 

• Daytrip to Padar Island (yessss... the one with the awesome views on Komodo Island), Komodo Island (including Pink Beach) and Manta Point is the most populair one. Departure is early morning around 5.30 am and you will be bacjk late afternoon around 16:00 or 17:00 or so,.
• Daytrip to Rinca island with a snorkling stop on the way back.
• Daytrip as you like (private boat only)
• Trip 2 or 3 days with overnight on the boat .
• Trips as you like, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days or more. Up to you but of course orivate boat only. There are also possiblities to overnight on several islands in Komodo NP including Rinca Island or Komodo Island. And, yes the dragons sleep there as well.  

What expect to pay?

To be honest,  really don' t know. 

Every time I come to Labuan Bajo (which is at least once a year) I am suprised about prices which have increased the last decade. For a daytrip the prices are between

Rp 350.000 and Rp 500.000 per person. For a private boat prices can be anything between Rp 1.500.000 (1,5 million) and Rp 4.000.000 (4 million) for exact the same type of boat. Nobody can explain why these prices are that high. Back in 2012 I paid   

Rp 550.000 for a private boat for a trip Rinca and a "snorkling" Island on the way back but in January 2016 I had to bargain hard to pay 1,7 million instead of the asked 2,3 million for a trip Padar and Komodo. The lowest price I have heard two month ago was 1,5 millon (Rp 1.500.000) for a full day, starting at 5.30 am untill late afternoon.

These days there also speedboats for rent starting around 5 million a day.  So the message is: shop around and bargain hard.

A few things to keep in mind:

• do not book in advance from your home country!
• choose a boat with at least two engines
• check safety on board
• check weather forecast the day before
• if you intend to dive also check the expected currents
• prices of daytrips on seat in base should be between Rp 350.000 and             Rp 500.000 per person
• prices of 2 daytrips on seat in base should be between Rp 700.000 and          Rp 1.000.000 per person
• prices for 2-daytrips with a chartered private boat start around 3,5 million, 4 to 5 million is more common; prices also depend on luxury of boat 
• a private boat hired from 5.30 - 17:00 should be no more than Rp 2.000.000
• a private boat hired from 8:00 - 16:00 should be no more than Rp 1.500.000
• check what is included and what is not

See also  RENTING A BOAT FOR KOMODO NP

Prices for boats is one thing, but at all times SAFETY FIRST

SELAMAT JALAN!

                           HAVE A NICE TRIP!