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Published: December 31st 2022
It has always been my dream to see komodo dragons, and also to swim up close with manta rays. Bizarrely, I got to cross off two from the bucket list on the same day while visiting the Komodo islands, never mind the fact this once in a lifetime tour also included spectacular elevated scenery of the magnificent islands, and an idyllic visit to pink beach. What a day, what an island, what an experience! Flores is just an hour or so flight time out of Denpasar airport, and travellers quickly discover they have arrived in another world. There seems to be some kind of obsession (on Flores in particular) for locals, both male and female, to want to be photographed with a foreigner. Well, I'm not young and I ain't no rockstar, but in Flores all you have to do is walk around and you are an instant cult hero. What a magnificent island, and I'll always treasure my week in this incredible part of the world; a must see on any future visit to Indonesia.
The journal left off back in Bali, at the end of a wonderful fortnight in Lombok. It was great to catch up with my
friend again, and he got serious in organising a driver and itinerary for a week long tour to Flores. He has used my driver Paul, as has another friend from back home in Sydney, and he got everything organised for me at an agreed price for a tour of this incredible island. The flight from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo is a breeze, and I booked in to a highly rated hostel for a few nights before my official tour began. La Boheme comes highly recommended, and it was kind of bizarre sharing a dorm again after a month with my own hotel room. But as is so often the case, my roomies proved to be brilliant company and it led to some fun times in this buzzing tourist haven, that has been so heavily invested in by the Indonesian government. There is just so much to see and do in wonderful Flores, so it's time to get cracking my fiends.
I spent a relaxing first day at the hostel catching up on my blog and social medial obligations, and was booked for the trip of a lifetime commencing at the ungodly hour of 6:00am. The speedboat was full of
tourists, and we raced off towards the Komodos on a perfect morning gliding across a remarkably calm sea. After an hour at sea the tour commenced with a stop off at a beautiful island, where we climbed to the summit for stunning views of the jagged peaks and magnificent coast. The island is just out of this world, however after two hours our tour team realised the experiences were just commencing. We headed to Komodo island, and despite my anxiety (as there are no guarantees in life) we quickly came across two Komodo dragons at a water hole. What an experience, the female was smaller but far more active. At one stage the guide had to turn her away with his stick as she kept advancing upon us! Don't worry, I was back-pedalling just as fast as her advance! The male was a monster, not very active fortunately, but he posed like a trooper as we crept behind him and the guide took some unforgettable photos. We saw another big dragon on the beach, and I saw a smaller one strolling along near the jetty. What an unforgettable experience!
Then we headed off to Pink island for an idyllic
hour long stopover, it's a beautiful spot and you can snorkel right off the beach. The tour proceeded on to multiple snorkel spots in an area renowned for manta rays. The tour team quickly got in to a routine with a little instruction, keeping our gear on and ready to jump in to the water in an instant after the skipper had spotted mantas flapping on the surface. We must have stopped three or four times, and it was an incredible experience. Sometimes the manta rays were a little deep in the water, and the visibility was not perfect in the somewhat choppy ocean. But there were so many mantas, you never knew when your luck would change. I ducked my head down just in time to see an enormous manta ray right near the surface, and I got to swim above him for almost two minutes in a once in a lifetime marine experience. We headed back in to Labuan Bajo, and I was still buzzing after an incredible day on the water and visiting the Komodos. I co-opted some girls from the hostel to go out and party along to a live band to celebrate. What a day
and evening that was!
I hooked up with Paul the next morning, my driver for the next part of the Flores adventure. The first day's drive was not too dramatic, and we arrived in Ruteng in the afternoon. This is a small town up in the mountains, where tourists flock for the mountain views and fresh cool air. Paul arranged a hotel with beautiful views of the rice fields and mountains, and the friendly staff made me feel very welcome during my visit. The next morning we had a long and winding drive before arriving in Riung, where Paul and his brother run the top rated Riung Guest House. It's a beautiful place to stay, and I was relaxing on the balcony when another Tom from England arrived on his bike. He is an English Teacher in East Timor, and we quickly crewed up over our shared passion for travel, and beers! I talked Paul in to joining me for a full day snorkel tour of the famous 17 islands. This part of Flores is known for extremely calm seas, and some incredible deep trenches not too far from shore. The coral and the tropical fish are world class,
with some truly spectacular colours of the coral a real highlight. The other highlight is the incredible visibility, with clear calm waters and vision as far as the eye could see. When we approached the deep trenches, gazing down in the vast ocean just dropping away is really an otherworldly experience. What a wonderful day in the ocean, and we celebrated that evening over a few beers on the balcony before heading out for an excellent meal.
The next day's drive was not too far, and included an hour long vilsit to a traditional village. I met a team from Taiwan who arrived at the same time, and I just tagged along with their tour of the village, while having a chat with the friendly people from the minibus. The village tour was great, I really enjoyed myself and there wasn't too much pressure put upon us to purchase items. Then Paul drove me on to Moni, another elevated town with cool temperatures and spectacular views from my bungalow. We had a night to chill in Moni, before heading off early next morning to visit one of the premier tourist attractions in Indonesia, the stunningly beautiful Kelimutu volcanic lakes.
The drive up there is very steep, but the actual walk is manageable for people of all ages and takes little more than 30 minutes. The glorious green volcanic lakes of Kelimutu are unforgettable, with several different viewing areas to make the most of the visit. Wow, what a magic place and I'm so grateful for the chance to visit. My tour with Paul ended when he dropped me off to a lovely guesthouse in Ende, I thanked him and bid him farewell, as I enjoyed a stroll around the city on the final evening in Flores at the end of a remarkable trip.
The flight back to Bali next morning took next to no time, and I had a final weekend in this tropical paradise to wrap up the trip. I also caught up with my friend and his family for a farewell sunset on Legian beach. The sunsets sure are spectacular, and proved to be the perfect ending to an unforgettable five weeks exploring the beautiful islands of Indonesia. Come and visit Flores next time you are in Indonesia, basically all of you should be here now!
"Not all those who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien
It's home time, so until next
time it's signing off for now
Tom
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Colin
non-member comment
Flores
Sounds like you’re sold on Flores. An excellent read! 👍