Discover the best attractions & things to do in Flores, Indonesia
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anemptytextllineBest known as the jumping off point for the Komodo National Park and liveaboard dive boats, Flores is slowly emerging as Indonesia’s next big thing in its own right and deservedly so. With its mountainous topography, smoking volcanos, palm fringed beaches, traditional villages and lush rice fields, Flores is...
anemptytextllineIf you fancy a little island hopping in Indonesia, the small chain of islands known as the Pemana island group is ideal. Located off the Flores coast just minutes from Maumere, the islands can be explored in a single day or longer if you’re having trouble dragging yourself away...
anemptytextllineSituated on the easternmost tip of Flores, Ili Mandiri looms imposingly over Larantuka. In Mandiri’s shadow, the bustling port town that serves as the capital of Flores Timur seems somewhat insignificant. Most days, the 1510m peak is concealed behind a cloak of cloud; only rarely does this extinct volcano...
anemptytextllineLewotobi is located in southeastern Flores, a part of the island few tourists ever get to. This is a real shame because Lewotobi truly deserves more attention. In his 1891 story The Disturber of Traffic, Rudyard Kipling referred to “old Loby Toby” as a “topplin’ flamin’ volcano.” Although he...
anemptytextllineIf you’re in the Maumere region don’t pass up the opportunity to visit Wuring sea gypsy village, a ramshackle community of wooden and bamboo stilted huts built out over the water. The sea gypsies of Wuring are descendants of the Bajo indigenous group, itself a sub-group of the Sama-Bajau nomadic...
anemptytextllineLooking to the east of Maumere, one’s eyes are inevitably drawn to the smoking peak that is Mount Egon, one of Flores’s most active volcanoes. Straddling the narrow strip of land between Maumere and the Larantuka peninsular, the 1,671m high summit affords spectacular views over the Flores Sea to...
anemptytextllineNo visit to Flores would be complete without visiting at least one or two traditional villages and the highlands town of Bajawa, the largest in the Ngada district has some of the most interesting and accessible villages on its doorstep, with the added bonus of volcanoes, beautiful farmlands and...
anemptytextllineNestled in the foothills of Mount Mbeliling rainforest, this limestone waterfall and canyon is a delightful spot to spend a few hours or take a picnic and stay the entire day. Most of the year round, Cunca Wulang is a pleasant series of fresh water pools sandwiched between high...
anemptytextllineWithout doubt, Wae Rebo traditional Manggarraian village is one of Indonesia’s hidden gems. Hidden for centuries in the clouds on a mountain in the central Flores highlands, this isolated village offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience living Manggarian history, staying in an authentic mbaru niang round house and...
anemptytextllineIt goes without saying that Snake Palace (Istana Ular) is not an attraction that will appeal to everyone. However, if the idea of exploring a cave that is home to a large population of snakes and bats appeals then a visit to Snake Palace is sure to earn you...
anemptytextllineAt 1,239m, Mount Mbeliling is the highest point in west Flores. Starting from an elevation of 600m the trek to the summit and back takes about 5 hours, passing through the delightful Mbeliling Forest reserve along a fairly well formed trail. Most trekkers begin their summit hike at Roe Village...
anemptytextllineOn an island full of beautiful waterfalls, Cunca Rami holds its own. It’s not just the steady cascade falling over a 100m high granite rock face into a rather pretty sunlit pool that appeals; it’s getting there. Located in the heart of tranquil farmlands, the 45 min hike from...
anemptytextlline35km to the east of Labuan Bajo in the heart of the Mbeliling mountain ranges lies Sano Nggoang Crater Lake. Formed during an ancient volcanic eruption, Sano Nggoang is the biggest crater lake in Eastern Indonesia and with depths of 600m is the world’s deepest volcanic crater lake. Surrounded by...
anemptytextllineLocated just 4km from Labuan Bajo, a visit to Batu Cermin cave, or Mirror Rock as it is also known, is an easy and worthwhile outing.Photo © Baktiar Sontani Donning the helmet provided with the Rp. 10.000 entry fee and shining your torch into the dark recesses of this limestone...
anemptytextllineAt 2,353m high, Poco Ngandonalu is the highest peak in Flores and being only 7km south of Ruteng, it’s very accessible for would-be climbers. Despite the lofty elevation, views from the top are somewhat limited since the whole mountain is thickly forested and this probably explains why only a...
anemptytextllineMalanage Hot Spring is located in Dariwali Village about halfway between Bena and Gurusina Villages and unlike some hot springs in Flores, is entirely natural and unaltered. Here, in a pretty forest grove at the confluence of a hot and cold river, a series of shallow, babbling pools provide...
anemptytextllineJust 3km south of Bajawa lies Wolobobo Hill. The ‘hill’ is actually a perfectly formed crater rim created after an eruption 10,000 years ago. Interesting in itself but the real attraction is the breathtaking view over the surrounding countryside including Mount Inerie and Mount Ebulobo volcanoes, the oddly shaped...
anemptytextllineLocated just 8km to the east of Bajawa and an easy 15 minute walk from the road, Ogi Waterfall is perfect for a short outing if you’re in the area. Located in a small, lush patch of forest surrounded by rice fields, Ogi waterfall tumbles 30 metres or so...
anemptytextllineIf a visit to Wae Rebo is out of the picture but you’d still like to see something of traditional Manggaraian culture, Todo village is a viable alternative. Located about 18km south-west of Ruteng as the crow flies, it’s a 2-3hr road trip from Ruteng to Todo and there’s...
anemptytextllineEven the most casual observer can’t help but notice Mount Inerie. With its almost perfect conical shape, looming almost irreverently over Bajawa and the villages nestled in its shadow, Inerie demands attention. Bagging the 2,245m high Mount Inerie peak would undoubtedly be one the highlights of your Flores adventure but...
anemptytextllineIn January 2001, a new volcano erupted just a stone’s throw from the small village of Ngoranale. When the ash cloud and poisonous gases receded enough to allow the thousands of evacuees from around the district to return home, they found the previously wooded hillside burned and blackened and...
anemptytextllineThe 17 Islands Riung Marine Park sits just off Flores’s mid-north coast. Despite the name, the park actually comprises of 24 small islands, largely uninhabited save for the odd fishermen’s camp, marine birds and flying fox colony’s that call the islands home. Timor deer, monkey’s, hedgehogs and Mbou, a...
anemptytextllineWith an elevation of 2,350m Ranakah volcano’s lava dome Poco Mandasawu is the tallest mountain on Flores. There’s a second smaller lava dome called Anak Ranakah (child of Rakanah) which formed during an eruption in 1987. The most recent eruption occurred in 1991 but Anak Ranakah has been emitting plumes...
anemptytextllineLocated about an hour’s drive north of Ruteng, Liang Bua is a natural limestone cave where in 2003, archaeologists from a joint Indonesia-Australian team discovered an almost complete skeleton of a primitive hominoid, a species later named Homo floresiensis but more popularly known as the ‘Hobbit’ due to its...
anemptytextllineWith its almost perfect conical shape rearing into the skyline in magnificent solitude Mount Ebulobo is possibly Flores’s prettiest volcano. It also happens to be one of the easiest to climb, taking no more than 4-5 hours to complete up and back. The trail begins at Molakoli Village at...
anemptytextllineLooking up at Mount Iya as you approach it by road, the 627m metre peak doesn’t seem overly impressive. Approach it from the other side by boat however and it’s an entirely different story. Located just 15 minutes’ drive south of Ende at the very end of a small...
anemptytextllineOn an island where waterfalls are not uncommon, the 100m high Murusobe Twin Falls stand out as one of the more spectacular natural attractions in Flores. Located almost midway between the TransFlores Highway and the lesser used Northern Road running along the north coast of Flores, Murusobe Twin Falls...
anemptytextllineUndoubtedly Flores’s best known and most popular attraction, Kelimutu three colour lakes is a fascinating natural phenomenon worthy of the mystical awe with which the locals hold it. The tri-coloured lakes are contained within the cradle of Mount Kelimutu and are famed for periodically changing colour, quite independently of...
anemptytextllineIf you have the time and the inclination, a lovely way to round out your Kelimutu experience is to hike back to Moni town via Pemo and Woloara, traditional Lionese villages which are nestled against the side of the mountain. The trek is approximately 11km downhill and takes around...
anemptytextllineBlue Stone Beach on the central south coast of Flores is both gorgeous and a geological oddity. This black volcanic sand beach is strewn with blue, green, red and yellow stones as far as the eye can see. The source of the rocks is the adjacent cliffs and although...
anemptytextllineThe distinctive spider web shaped rice fields called “Lingko” are a legacy of traditional Manggarai culture going back thousands of years. Lingko was a way of allocating village owned lands among individual family groups or clans. Essentially, the bigger a family the more pieces of the lingko pie “moso”...