TRAVEL HISTORY TO FLORES (last 10 years)
in progress ...
Coming up
26 March-28 April 2023
Amsterdam - Jakarta (with QatarAirways)
Main goal: Semana Santa in Larantuka
18 November-15 December 2022
22 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Ruteng
Bajawa
Ende
Maumere
Larantuka
Maumere
Intercontinental flight
Amsterdam - Denpasar (with QatarAirways)
Flight Denpasar - Labuan Bajo with Batik Air
Flight Maumere - Denpasar with NAM Air
A few days in Labuan Bajo meet a friend and on to Ruteng. Daytrip to Iteng to meet a local family. The next day on to Borong with a lot of
transportproblems.
Met friends in Bajawa and enjoyed the first World Cup match The Netherlands-Qatar when everything still was ok :-)
Send greetings from Belgium all the way to Ende. meet more friends in Moni and Maumere.
And then there was a special mission, find heirs
from a single man who passed away in the Netherlands more than 10 years ago. Until now the research of the government was without succes. So I started to ask around in townhalls, hotels, friends
and actually everyone who came across. Plus a Facebook Message.
And, I found them, not far from Larantuka.
So my days in the far east of Flores were filled with conversations with familymembers visits to the the former place they lived, the church, a notary. Left with the first necessary
certificates. And still a lot of work to do.
Back to Bali for my flight back home.
16 May - 10 July 2022
44 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Bajawa
Ende
Maumere
Larantuka
Maumere
Ende
Maumere
Intercontinental flight
Amsterdam - Jakarta (with QatarAirways)
Flight Jakarta - Labuan Bajo with Batik Air.
Flight Kupang - Bajawa
It was the first time after two covidyears back on Flores.
Two days in Labuan Bajo and then straight to Bajawa seeing friends, both local and from my own country.
Became sick in the second week (Flores belly), was there when president Jokowi visited Bajawa
for the first time. On to Ende, Maumere and Larantuka, seeing friends again. Visited Dinas Pariwisata (Tourism government)
and after an intermezzo in Makassar back to Bajawa and enjoy parties, as well a huge wedding party in Ende.
A part of the trip the weather was really bad which wasn't normal for this time of the year, so I have never seen Flores that green in June and July.
"The Corona journey".....
Scheduled 16 March - 12 April 2020
Intercontinental flights
16 March: Amsterdam - Doha - Denpasar (Qatar Airways)
12 April: Kupang - Jakarta - Doha - Amsterdam (Garuda and Qatar Airways)
In practice:
16 March: Amsterdam - Doha - Denpasar (Qatar Airways)
19 March: Denpasar - Labuan Bajo (Batik Air)
23 April: Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (Wings Air) and
Denpasar -Jakarta - Amsterdam (Garuda Airways)
36 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Ruteng
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Goal of my journey: a few appointments on Bali, then on to Flores just before or just after Nyepi, meeting friends and family and early April on to Maumere for other appointments and Larantuka for friends and semana santa. However, none of that was going to happen...
Arrival on 17th March Denpasar Bali in the middle of the Coronahype. Flights were not as empty as predicted. Also no bodytemperature check while transiting in Doha,
Qatar. In Denpasar also no body temperature checks; we only had to fill in a form and tick "healthy"/non "healthy" (...)
To anticipate on Coronatroubles I decided to buy a VOA (Visa On Arrival, which can be extended for another 30 days). I soon
found out that it was a bit of a chaos on Bali. Officials asked travelers to come to the immigration office to extend their expired visa for free as by 18 March already many travelers could not
get home as flights were canceled or their own or transit country banned all flights. So hundreds of travelers came to the immigration office, waited there for hours without observing the obliged
distance of 1 meter as this was simply not possible...
My appointments on Bali were canceled so I traveled to Labuan Bajo on 19th March. The next day Indonesia decided a free stamp or VOA could not be arranged anymore on the airport and only travelers with a 60 day visa plus with good reasons (which is not traveling) were allowed.
After 1 night in Labuan Bajo we traveled to Bajawa but once in Bajawa it was not possible anymore to overnight in hotels because of the Corona rules. Also not possible to overnight in Riung, Mbay and Larantuka, even not with friends. Rules in Ende and Maumere were bodytemperature checks and/or obliged tests in the hospital for everyone who came from other islands. Regulations like schools were closed, hotels were closed etc. would last for 2 weeks up and untill 5th April.
After one night (illegal) in Bajawa - travelingtimes on Flores are big - we decided to go back to Labuan Bajo where everything seemed more ore less normal except the absence of travelers. After two nights in Ruteng we were back in Labuan Bajo on 24th March, hoping that everything would be back to normal after 5th April, but that didn´t happen...
Corona regulations on Flores were extended to prior announcement. All tourist destinations all over the country were closed until 29th May. On 2nd April there was another anouncement that travelers who entered Indonesia after 5th February were free of charge for overstay. In Labuan Bajo were a handfull of tourists.
In the meantime my returntrip from Kupang on 12th April was changed three times already so I canceled my ticket (as from Labuan Bajo I would need 5 flights and 54 hours to get back to Amsterdam). I purchased a new ticket with Garuda Airways Labuan Bajo - Jakarta - Amsterdam for Sunday 26th April. However this flight was partly canceled and the part Jakarta - Amsterdam was rescheduled for 30th April. The part Labuan Bajo - Jakarta on 26th April was still on schedule but I was suspicious as from Labuan Bajo flights were already dropped to the minimum with the Garuda flights from Labuan Bajo to Jakarta canceled 90% of the time.
Garuda was not very clear and cooperative. Those flights, one on 26 April to Jakarta and one on 30 April to Amsterdam just didn't feel right *
It took me 2 days and 6 staffmembers of Garuda via their call- and chatcentre to get my flight rebooked for Denpasar (instead
of Labuan Bajo) -Jakarta - Amsterdam for 23th April as they wanted me to pay an additional charge of around 350 euro's which was ridiculous given the
situation as Garuda itself could not guarantee the flight from Labuan Bajo*. According their ticket conditions rerouting was not allowed for my ticket. But every week there were new dates,
restrictions and regulations for their airfares.
On Wednesday afternoon 22 April a nice lady at the Garuda office at the aiport did not negotiate at all; she rebooked my ticket for 23 April for Denpasar - Jakarta - Amsterdam with no additional costs but with a smile and the apology that I could not get a refund.... For the next morning I bought a ticket to Denpasar with Wings Air beiing one of the two only flights for that date.
So we had more or less a quarantaine stay in Labuan Bajo from 24th March to 23th April and except for two nights we were the only guests in the hotel. A lot of new
and various rules came up in the meantime in particular numerous checkpoints on districtborders, townborders, small villages, the obligation of wearing masks, curfews, not one district was the
same.
On 23th April I departed with Wings Air early morning to Denpasar to catch the Garuda flights to Amsterdam via Jakarta. Six hours transittime on both airports. The seats in all planes were taken for about 40% to 60%. Total traveling time 36 hours door to door. A lot of checks in Denpasar, but none in Jakarta, also none at the airport in Amsterdam.
Immigration at the airport in Amsterdam made an announcement when still on the plane about the social distancing 1,5 meters warning plus the addition it would cost 400 euros if this rule would be ignored. We (all passengers) just came from Indonesia, from Bali, Java, Flores, Ambon, wherever, with the social distancing rule of 1 meter but were officials more focused on wearing masks.... No masks at the airport in Amsterdam, no masks on the train back home, no masks in the supermarket later on the day. Very confusing and the rather agressive anouncement of the 400 euros fine didn't feel as a warm welcome in my home country.
*Flight Labuan Bajo - Jakarta with Garuda was canceled for 26 April, for the rest of the week including 30 April not scheduled because of the ban of flights
ban on flights in Indonesia starting 24 April
I hope this terrible situation will end soon. In Europe we still have these billions of euro's to handle the situation. In Indonesia they also have these billions, but in Rupiah... not sufficient to help people, not sufficient to keep the economy alive without disasters.
On Flores live has stopped more or less, no back ups with all its consequences. People are desperate.
Please pray for them!
Take care.
1 November - 2 December 2019
27 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Ruteng
Bajawa
Ende
Larantuka
Maumere
Ende
Bajawa
Riung
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinal flight
Amsterdam - Medan - Denpasar (with Garuda Airways)
Flight Denpasar - Labuan Bajo with Air Asia (actually with NAM Air, but the day of departure from Amsterdam, NAM Air cancelled the flight to Labuan Bajo).
Finding new touristobjects and spiderweb ricefields in Manggarai. Visiting friends in Bajawa and Larantuka. Trying new roads, one of them to the most eastern point of Flores. Making Dutch peasoup in Bajawa :-) with a real pork leg and "rookworst".
It was very very dry on Flores, never saw Flores like this with most of the island brown and yellow. Everyone was waiting for the rain which already became a huge waterproblem in many areas.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (Air Asia)
Intercontinental flight Denpasar - Medan - Amsterdam (Garuda Airways)
29 June - 21 July 2019
22 days on Flores
Maumere
Larantuka
Riung
Mbay
Bajawa
Labuan Bajo
Ruteng
Bajawa
Moni
Maumere
Moni
Riung
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam - Doha - Denpasar (Qatar Airways)
Flight Denpasar - Maumere (Wings Air), check in 75 minutes due to the new luggage rules since January this year.
First east to Larantuka, one of my favourites on Flores. Three days later the super longhaul to Riung via the north coast, 10 hours... Via Mbay to Bajawa and Bajawa to Labuan Bajo with one of the "new drivers".
Overland Flores with guests to Maumere and back again via Riung. Cooking spaghetti with real Italian seasoning and Barilla spaghetti and frying french fries in a
for me unusual and poor kitchen. Plus a salade and a large flacon of "Zaanse" mayonaise brought from the Netherlands. Big succes.
No time to relax but very busy with many demands, discussions, solving problems.
On the last day Ruteng to Labuan Bajo and straight to the airport.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (NAM Air)
Checked in 16,6 kgs luggage, so 1,6 kgs overweight but they charged me 2 kgs for which I need to pay Rp 182.000 extra :-( (in the basement)
Intercontinental flight Denpasar - Doha - Amsterdam (Qatar Airways)
29 December 2018 - 16 January 2019
18 days on Flores
Bajawa
Maumere
Moni
Riung
Mbay
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam - Jakarta (Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Jakarta - Labuan Bajo (Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Labuan Bajo - Bajawa (Wings Air)
Overland Flores partly with guests. New Year in Bajawa, visiting friends and family with a lot of live music, continue our way to Maumere via the north coast broken
empty Bintang bottles on the road :-(
Flight Ende - Denpasar with a lot of stress again as due to bad weather we were circling above Labuan Bajo for 45 minutes and finally no landing at all but straight to Denpasar. After 3 days Bali back home again...
26 September - 21 October 2018
25 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Ruteng
Bajawa
Mbay
Ende
Maumere
Larantuka
Maumere
Moni
Mbay
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam - Jakarta (Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Jakarta - Denpasar (Garuda Indonesia)
Overland/oversea with own car and by ferry ASDP
Padangbai - Lembar, Lombok - Kayangang, Lombok - Pototano, Sumbawa - Taliwang, Sumbawa - Sape, Sumbawa - Labuan Bajo. Once on Flores survyed touristplaces, hotels, roads, travelingtimes.
Boattrip to Riung with a fisherman, challenging 500 meters of mud, buying ingredients at the local market for nasi bambu including a living chicken.... music, meeting friends.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar with a lot of stress. NAM Air rescheduled the flights from 15:30 to 16:50, however this flight had a delay and departed at 18:00 remaining only 1 hour to catch the connecting flight. Stress, running and a lot of sweat. It was about minutes but I made it...
4 May - 4 June 2018
26 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Ruteng
Wae Lengga
Bajawa
Ende
Maumere
Larantuka
Maumere
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam - Jakarta (Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Jakarta - Denpasar (Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Denpasar - Labuan Bajo (Garuda Indonesia)
Starting in Labuan Bajo, check some new hotels and agents for trips to Komodo NP. Road to Terang and Kaca (both still in bad condition). Discovered some new routes top Wae Rebo. From Ruteng to Reo and further west to Lemarang. Almost, as just a few kilometers before Lemarang we could not continue as the bridge was collapsed. Some beautiful beaches on the North Coast. Check Liang Bua cave. Chilled a few days in Wae Lengga. Eight days in Bajawa, visiting friends.
Flight Bajawa - Kupang (Transnusa)
Flight Kupang - Ende (Garuda Indonesia)
In Ende drove down the coast east of the town, visited Wolotopo. Via Detosoko and North Coast to Maumere (road condition now is much better than 1,5 years ago).
Visit Doreng Beach and travel around Lewotobi volcano.
Flight Maumere - Denpasar (NAM Air)
Flight Denpasar - Jakarta (Garuda Indonesia)
Intercontinental flight Jakarta - Amsterdam (Garuda Indonesia)
15 December 2017 - 6 January 2018
18 days on Flores
Maumere
Larantuka
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Dubai-Denpasar-Kuala Lumpur-Dubai-Amsterdam (Emirates)
Flight Denpasar-Maumere (NAM Air).
Exploring the area as far as the eastern point of Flores Timur, celebrated X-mas and New Year in Larantuka.
Flight Larantuka - Kupang (NAM Air)
Flight Kupang - Denpasar (Garuda Indonesia)
23 September - 11 October 2017
13 days on Flores
Maumere
Larantuka
Waiwerang
Larantuka
Bajawa
Wae Lengga
Bajawa
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Dubai- Denpasar-Dubai- Amsterdam (Emirates)
Flight Denpasar-Maumere (NAM Air)
Exploring Flores Timor, Adonara and the beautiful Watotena bach beach, visiting friends in Bajawa and Wae Lengga.
Flight Bajawa-Kupang (NAM/Transnusa)
24 May - 13 June 2017
14 days on Flores
Bajawa
Mbay
Maumere
Labuan Bajo
Borong
Mbay
Bajawa
Labuan Bajo
Ende
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Jakarta-Amsterdam (Garuda Indonesia)
This was quite a lot of traveling as I came from Sorong in Papua, overnight in Kuta, Bali, and then on to Flores.
Flight Denpasar - Labuan Bajo - Bajawa (Wings Air)
Continue to Mbay, overland to Maumere, flight to Bali and overland en oversea from Padangbai to Lombok to Sumbawa to Labuan Bajo again, overnight in Borong, Mbay again, Bajawa, flight to Labuan Bajo, flight to Ende and overland in one day (...) to Labuan Bajo.
Flight Labuan Bajo-Denpasar
22 January - 17 February 2017
26 days on Flores
Ende
Boawae
Wae Lengga
Ende
Maumere
Wae Lengga
Mbay
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Doha-Denpasar-Doha (Qatar Airways)
Flight Denpasar - Ende (Kalstar)
One night in Ende, overland to Boawae (trips to Mulakoli, Mauponggo, Bajawa, Gurusina, Bena) continue to Wae Lengga (visiting friends), back to Ende again, to Maumere (Nilo, road to Magepanda), back to Wae lengga (Borong, Mbalata, Belaraghi), Mbay (friends, birthday), via North coast Pota and Reo to Ruteng, explore the south of Ruteng, Labuan Bajo.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (NAM Air)
24 September - 18 October 2016
24 days on Flores
Ende
Mbay
Maumere
Larantuka
Maumere
Ende
Mbay
Wae Lengga
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Jakarta-Denpasar-Jakarta-Amsterdam (Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Denpasar - Ende (Kalstar)
One night in Ende, one week in Mbay, via the north coast and a terrible road to Maumere, continue to Larantuka explore the very far east, back to Maumere again, check the Kelimutu on the way to Ende, Mbay, partly the southcoast to Wae Lengga, to cool Ruteng and on to Labuan Bajo.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar
6 May - 28 May 2016
17 days on Flores
Ende
Maumere
Larantuka
Maumere
Bajawa
Mbay
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Jakarta-Amsterdam (KLM operated by Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Kupang - Ende (Garuda Indonesia)
Two nights in Ende, continue to Maumere, to Larantuka with the fantastic views - via Maumere and Kupang trip to Alor - Bajawa to Mbay, boat to 17 islands NP Riung (with a local fisherman), enjoyed de Tour de Flores between Aegela and Boawea, to Ruteng and Reo vv, sunset in Dampek, traditional village Todo, continue to Labuan Bajo.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (Wings)
Flight Denpasar - Jakarta (Garuda Indonesia)
6 January - 10 January 2016
5 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Doha-Denpasar-Doha-AmsterdamFlight Denpasar - Labuan Bajo (Wings Air)
Exploring the area including Batu Cermin cave. Boattrip Padar, Pink Beach and Komodo island.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (Wings Air)
12 May - 18 May 2014
7 days on Flores
Ende
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Jakarta-Amsterdam (Garuda Indonesia)
Flight Jakarta - Kupang (Lion Air)
Flight Kupang - Ende (Garuda Indonesia)
One night in Ende, next day to Bajawa (visiting friends and exploring the area), continue to Ruteng and Labuan Bajo.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (Wings Air)
Flight Denpasar - Manado (Lion Air)
Flight Manado - Jakarta (Batik Air)
24 April - 6 May 2012
13 days on Flores
Larantuka
Maumere
Moni
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Amsterdam-Singapore-Denpasar-Amsterdam (Singapore Airlines)
Flight Jakarta - Kupang (Lion Air)
Flight Kupang - Larantuka (Transnusa)
One night in Larantuka, continue to Maumere and Moni (Kelimutu), to Bajawa (traditional villages), on to Ruteng (a lot of rain I remember), Labuan Bajo (boattrip to Rinca and see komodo dragons).
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (Aviastar)
7 January - 9 January 2010
2 days on Flores
Labuan Bajo
Flight Denpasar - Labuan Bajo vv
A short visit, seeing a friend and as the days where full of heavy rain we only could shelter in cafes and restaurants and see a glimp of Pede beach in the spare hours.
27 April - 5 May 2009
8 days on Flores
Larantuka
Maumere
Riung
Bajawa
Ruteng
Labuan Bajo
Intercontinental flight Dusseldorf-Dubai-Jakarta (Emirates)
Flight Jakarta - Kupang (Lion Air)
Pelni boat Kupang - Kalabahi (Alor)
ASDP boat Kalabahi - Larantuka (24 hours via Pantar and Lembata)
A quick stop in Larantuka, on to Paga beach, sleep in a small village. On to Ende and Riung by local bus with a few hours delay in Mbay as the tube has to be replaced. Overnight in a sweaty homestay, visit the beautiful Marine Park 17 Islands. On to Ruteng and Labuan Bajo for a boattrip north of Labuan Bajo.
Flight Labuan Bajo - Denpasar (IAT)