Round trip 16 days adventure & culture: Komodo and Flores

Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo literally means "The harbor of the sea nomads". Labuan Bajo used to be a fishing village, but in recent years tourism has been the main source of income. Every year new hotels are added, from budget to 5 stars. Komodo, and thus Labuan Bajo, attract about 180,000 tourists every year.

Labuan Bajo is the base for trips to the famous Komodo islands. The town has a cozy center, surrounded by a one-way road above and below the center. Both on the mountain and at the bottom along the coast there is a succession of restaurants, homestays, diving schools and tour operators.

In addition to Komodo, you can take day trips in the area of ​​Labuan Bajo to various waterfalls, the underwater cave Batu Cermin (especially in the morning, when the sun reflects in the water) or to traditional villages.

You can enjoy good food at Treetop or the expensive Atlantis Beach Club.
Our favorite hotels are the Puri Sar, on the south side of the town, Green Hill Boutique resort above the center or the remote and luxurious Plataran Komodo and the Sudamala resort on the island of Seraya.

Komodo

The marine park has several hundred islands, of which Komodo, Rinca and Padar are the best known. You can go trekking on Komodo and Rinca in search of prehistoric Komodo dragons. The ascent of the island of Padar provides a beautiful panorama. To visit the Komodo park it is best to rent a boat for 2 days, with an overnight stay on the boat.

Diving and snorkelling enthusiasts can indulge themselves in the Komodo park. Divers in particular have a variety of dive spots, ranging from quiet for beginners to the "Shotgun" for experienced divers. Manta rays come almost all year round to the dive site Makassar reef, also known as Manta Point.

Divers can choose two options for Komodo: day trip from Labuan Bajo, where you have to take into account boat trips of at least an hour to and from the dive sites, or a multi-day liveaboard.

Ruteng

Ruteng is a medium sized market town on Flores. It is located on the flanks of Gunung Ranaka, the highest mountain on Flores.

From Ruteng you can visit the cave at Liang Bua, where archaeologists excavated a fossil of Homo Floresienis at the beginning of this century. You will also visit the small Liang Bua museum.
Other attractions around Ruteng include Kampung Puu, an authentic village, or the Ranamese crater lake surrounded by forests.

Bajawa

Bajawa is a small town in the Ngada regency.

The town itself does not have much to offer, but in the area are the traditional Ngada villages of Luba, Bena and Tololela. These three villages are a good walk in half a day trip. Most hikers then finish with a foot bath at the Malanage hot springs.

Riung

The little Northern coastal town Riung is not so spectacular in itself. But the 17 islands just off the coast ARE!
Snorkelling is fantastic overthere, you’ll probably admire the turtles. On one of the islands you can see the fruit bats, a kind of really oversized bats.

Moni

The Kelimutu volcano is located near the town of Moni. The drive-in volcano (from the parking lot it is only a three-quarter climb over a paved path) houses 3 volcanic lakes. Tradition has it that the black, green and red lakes have alien powers. The powers are attributed to the spirits of the ancestors.

In the evening, dance performances are sometimes held at the Rumah Adat in Moni.

Near Moni is the traditional kampung Saga (see the description at Ende).

Maumere

Maumere is the largest city on the north-east coast of Flores. This city suffered considerable damage in 1992 during the major earthquake, but quickly recovered well.

Divers have a chance to spot large schools of hammerhead sharks at Maumere Bay in October and November.

Just outside Maumere is a museum with an interesting collection of ethnic objects.
Sikka is a village near Maumere. It is known for the ikat weavers. You can visit the workshop here, where you can see the weaving process from spinning and coloring to sale (the weaving ladies prefer the latter!).

Often Maumere is the starting point of your tour over Flores to Komodo. Maumere has its own small airport with daily flights to Makassar, Denpassar, Kupang and Labuan Bajo.

Enjoy the simple fish restaurant Golden Fish at the port of Maumere. The entrance is downstairs, where you can choose the live fish (favorite: Red Snapper!), Lobster and crab in the basins. Upstairs you can eat the best on the outdoor terrace, with a view over the Floreszee.