Traveling from Flores to Alor
We made the trip by boat and ferry. It´s not easy to get information about this trip, but it is possible for sure and there are different ways to do it.
Larantuka – Kalabahi by public ferry
Maumere
First a hazzle and then the most quiet beaches
The city of Maumere itself is nothing special and can be described as a “normal”, but nice Indonesian town. We were able to buy a lot of supplies here. What is actually far more impressive is the beaches east of Maumere, which are really beautiful and remote. You can find a few cute cottage places, which are basic but clean and really quiet! We met a few people that got stuck here, because they liked it so much! We went diving here and relaxed for a few days at the beach…
Koka Beach
A stop in Paga
Between Moni and Maumere, on the Flores-Highway is a small fishing village, called Paga. There is really nothing, but a few amazingly beautiful beaches, one restaurant and a few Warungs. It’s a quiet and peaceful place, where you can relax without meeting a lot of other people.
Moni
A beautiful mountain village at the foot of mount Kelimutu
After staying in Ende, we made our way to Moni. That´s a small village that was recently taken over by tourism, because it is the gate to the famous Kelimutu mountain and lies on the Flores highway. It´s a quiet and peaceful place, which is characterized by two things: on the one hand the traditional way of life as rice farmers and on the other hand by the short stop-over tourists that visit the sacred mountain and it´s three colored lakes.
“Hello Mister! Hello Miss!”
A day in Ende
Ende is the biggest town in Flores and a normal, not really touristy city. It has a busy and very interesting market, where we as blond and light skinned Europeans were an attraction. Everyone kept smiling at us and saying “Hello Mister” or “Hello Misses”! Sometimes they say Mister, but mean Misses or simply both of us, but clearly they want to say “Hi”….
Labuan Bajo
The gate to the Komodo National Park
Labuan Bajo is the western point of Flores, one of the bigger southern islands of Indonesia. Next to it, in the west lies the famous Komodo National Park which is known as one of the world´s best diving spots. Once upon a time the village lived from fishing, but nowadays the main source for money is tourism. Since this place is mainly known for diving, every second house on main road is a dive shop. In between you´ll find restaurants, little shops and some hotels and homestays. Most hotels are a little outside of town at the hill, which is good, since the city center is neither beautiful nor nice. People, are not really nice, but used to tourists spending only one or two nights here and mainly want to make money. The view over the bay of Labuan Bajo over the sea and to the national Park is really beautiful though and invites for taking many, many pictures.
Liveaboard Komodo
Let´s go for the current!
What does being on a dive boat mean? It means, you get to spend as much time in and on the water as possible, and that is simply amazing!
Diving in the Komodo National Park is awesome. Because there are some really strong currents, it is not so easy to dive this area, but for everyone who is a little advanced, we recommend the diving without hesitation. It is still one of the few places where you can see a mostly healthy, colorful and beautiful coral, plus a huge amount of fish!
Continue reading Liveaboard Komodo
A motorbike trip to Ruteng
From Labuan Bajo to Ruteng
To see the mountains and especially the beautiful rice field areas, we decided to rent a motorbike and make a three days tour from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng. The 3,5 to 4 hours ride follows a good and winding road, but leads through mountains. So the ride was possible, but not the easiest we have done. But the good thing once you are out of town there is almost no traffic on the street and you can take it easy and enjoy the view.