Blogs from Flores, Indonesia, Asia - page 14

You cannot come to this part of Indonesia and not go to see the famous Komodo Dragons. This is the only part of the world that they exist and so they are quite rare. The boat ride to the island of Rinca was two hours long. There were no seats in the boat just the floor or the edge of the boat to sit on, fortunately there were only four of us so we were able to spread out, lie down ect. The sea was as calm as a millpond luckily for us as this part of the world is known for it’s treacherous seas. Once again, just like when we were leaving Kapas a large pod of dolphins came to entertain us on our journey. When we arrived on the island we were met by ... read more

Moni is near the centre of Flores and we needed to get to Labuanbajo over 400 km on the west coast. The Island of Flores is one huge range of mountains and volcanoes with just one major road crossing the island which, in parts, is in a terrible condition as it constantly twists and turns up and down and around hairpin bends. The complete journey is estimated to take 19 hours if driven non-stop. We had planned to break it up over 2 or 3 days. For much of the time the road is lined with houses precariously built out on stilts over the slopes. There is virtually no flat land anywhere. As we drove along we got a complete insight into the way of life out here, women washing in the river (clothes and themselves), ... read more

The journey from Queensland to Indonesia wasn't the most obvious route. Jetstar decided to cancel my original flight and reschedule so that I would arrive at the layover destination 2 hours AFTER my connecting flight would have already left! As a result I now found my self connecting via Melbourne meaning I first had to fly 2 hours in the wrong direction. I finally arrived in Denpasar on the island of Bali at 1.30am. At least that's what I thought. I jumped in a taxi only to be told by the taxi driver that although the airport is called Denpasar it is in fact much closer to Kuta, a popular beach resort. Deciding to avoid DPS, I went on the search for a room for the night in Kuta. Making my way through the narrow streets ... read more

After ascending Mt Kelimutu for sunrise to see the summit lakes in the clarity of the early morning, I returned to Moni village to get ready for the bus west. By the time I left, thick cloud was already enveloping the summit. Thick clouds also enveloped me a little later in the day - clouds of foul acrid smoke as my fellow bus passengers puffed away at cigarettes made from pickled cow dung mixed with cloves. On its own, that would have been enough to make a 12 hour bus journey really quite unpleasant. It was, however, not on its own. Oh no. Not even slightly. Wedged between several hundred kilograms of rice and a trio of chainsmokers, in a seat that was so close to the one in front that I would have had to ... read more

I just came back from Flores, and it was one of the best place on earth where you can see lake, mountain and sea scenery from one stand point (if you understand what i mean:)). I started from Labuan Bajo, then Seraya island (about 30 min-1 hour boat ride) from Labuan Bajo, then moved to Bajawa via Ruteng, found a megalithic village in Bena with its hotspring nearby... nice people... then heading thru Ende, Moni to see Kilimutu Lake (the gourgeous three color lake up in the mountain), and finally Maumere flying back to Bali. You can reach Flores by flight from Denpasar Bali, starting from east coast Labuan Bajo to the west coast, or viceversa. It's possible to do the overland tour in 7 days, better more days so that you can explore more and ... read more