Flores is an island in eastern Indonesia known for its volcanic landscapes and small villages. Above all, it is the main gateway to Komodo National Park, which you can reach from Labuan Bajo.
The name Flores comes from Portuguese and means “flowers”. Portuguese explorers who arrived in the region in the 16th century called it Ilha das Flores, or “Island of Flowers”.
Outside Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park, Flores still sees relatively few tourists. Traveling across the island is fairly straightforward, though: you can find accommodation, restaurants and the services you need to plan an independent trip along the main route.
Our Flores video
How to get to Flores
The easiest and quickest way to reach Flores is to fly from Bali’s Denpasar airport. There are direct flights to several towns on the island, including Labuan Bajo, Ende (useful for exploring central Flores) and Maumere (a good starting point for traveling from east to west). Labuan Bajo is the main gateway, especially if you want to visit Komodo National Park. Local airlines such as Wings Air, Batik Air and AirAsia operate flights on these routes.
Alternatively, you can reach Flores by boat from nearby islands such as Lombok or Sumbawa. If you have plenty of time, you can travel overland across the surrounding islands, taking ferries between them. This takes more planning and considerably longer.
How to get around Flores
Flores is long and mountainous, so travel times can be considerable. Its main road, the Trans-Flores Highway, crosses the island from Labuan Bajo through the principal towns towards Maumere and Larantuka.
If you want to travel independently, a scooter is a good option, particularly if you are an experienced rider. The main road is generally in good condition, though some secondary roads are rougher. Several agencies in Labuan Bajo rent scooters.
If you want to ride from Labuan Bajo to Maumere without returning the scooter to your starting point, Motor Adventure Bali offers one-way rentals. We also mention this option in our complete Indonesia travel guide.
Other options include private drivers, minivans and shared taxis. Guesthouses are often the easiest place to arrange transfers between stops; some services can even pick you up at your accommodation.
Things to do in Flores
There are many things to do in Flores, from volcanoes, lakes and traditional villages to rice fields and a coast that has seen relatively little tourist development. The main stops lie along the road that crosses the island from west to east.
On our trip, however, our Indonesian visa was about to expire and we could not cross the whole island. We focused on Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park. Flores is a place we want to return to with more time. When we do, we will update this guide with our firsthand experience of the rest of the island.
Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park is one of the main reasons to visit this part of Flores. The park includes numerous islands and is best known for its Komodo dragons, but it also has remarkable marine life, manta rays, pink beaches and spectacular views.
There are two main ways to visit. The first is a multi-day boat trip from Lombok to Labuan Bajo, usually lasting four days and three nights. Many companies offer different levels of comfort, from shared sleeping areas to private cabins. Options include Wanua Adventure, Golden Island Cruise and Travel Wise.
These cruises usually include some of the park’s best-known stops, such as Komodo Island, Pink Beach, Manta Point and Padar Island, along with other islands and snorkeling sites en route. Some itineraries also stop to see whale sharks. Ask how the encounter is organized: in some cases, food is used to attract the animals, and we chose to avoid that type of experience.
The second option, which we chose, is to fly to Labuan Bajo and take a boat tour or cruise that starts and ends there. You can choose between day trips and multi-day cruises.
Where to book a Komodo tour
This is probably the question we get most often. We booked our tour after arriving in Labuan Bajo, through our accommodation. You will also find plenty of local agencies in town selling both multi-day cruises and day trips around Komodo National Park.
Most agencies offer similar itineraries covering the park’s main sights. We suggest comparing several agencies, checking exactly what the price includes and negotiating.
Should you book before your trip or once you arrive? We usually choose to book locally. In Labuan Bajo you can compare prices and itineraries easily and, in our experience, save a fair amount compared with booking online. If you are traveling in peak season or have little flexibility, however, booking ahead may be more reassuring.
Note: the tour price generally does not include the Komodo National Park entry fee, which you need to add to the cruise cost. We paid IDR 400,000 per person on our trip. Fees and entry arrangements can change, so check the current price before you go.
Labuan Bajo and nearby sights
Labuan Bajo is mainly a base for visiting Komodo. There is not a great deal to see in the town itself, but there are a few interesting places nearby.
About an hour’s drive from the center, followed by a short boat ride, is Rangko Cave, a limestone cave with a natural saltwater pool where you can swim. Late morning to early afternoon is the best time to visit, when sunlight reaches inside the cave.
When we visited, entry cost IDR 50,000 per person, and we paid another IDR 200,000 for a return boat trip. The boat price is negotiable and is usually shared among passengers; there were three of us.
On the way back from Rangko Cave, you can stop at Waecicu Beach. We stopped for lunch. It was quiet and popular with local visitors, although unfortunately we found quite a lot of rubbish on the beach and in the water.
About an hour by scooter from Labuan Bajo is Cunca Wulang Waterfall. We visited in the dry season, when there was less water flowing. You need to walk with a local guide to reach the waterfall; at the time, the cost was IDR 50,000 per person.
On the way back we also stopped at Melo Village, a reconstruction of a traditional village. Entry was free, but we would not consider it a must-see.
Rinca and a snorkeling tour
Rinca is one of the islands in Komodo National Park where Komodo dragons live in the wild. It generally receives fewer visitors than Komodo Island and takes around two hours to reach by boat from Labuan Bajo.
Once ashore, you must explore with a park ranger. Walks of different lengths cross the island’s dry, hilly landscape, where you may see dragons and other wildlife.
On Rinca, entry was also separate from the price of our tour. At the time of our visit, the quoted cost was IDR 350,000 per person. By sharing the guide with two other people, we ended up paying IDR 231,000 each.
We preferred Rinca by far to Komodo Island. Our guide was knowledgeable, the setting felt wilder and, during our visit, there were hardly any other tourists.
After Rinca, our boat continued to Manjarite Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches we have seen on our travels. Around ten minutes later we reached the small Kelor Island, our last stop of the day.
We booked this tour with Avrila Adventure.
Where to stay in Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo has accommodation for every budget, from luxury hotels to hostels and simple guesthouses. We stayed at Danke Lodge, a little outside the center, and recommend it for its value and useful services. The property rents scooters, can organize tours and excursions, and offered a free transfer to the town center and airport until 10 p.m. during our stay.
Our thoughts on Flores
Although we saw only a small part of it, Flores is our favorite Indonesian island so far. We loved the wilder, less developed feel that is slowly disappearing from some other parts of the country. Tourism has arrived, especially in Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park, but you can still find quiet places away from the crowds a short distance away.
We left feeling we had only had a taste of Flores. We have yet to explore the island’s interior, and one day we hope to return and cross Flores overland at a slower pace.
See our complete guide to the country