FLORES INDONESIA ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE
- Jordan & Emily
- Feb 5, 2023
- 15 min read
Updated: Jul 11, 2023
We recently spent 3 weeks in Flores Indonesia. Exploring from Labuan Bajo to Maumere and most places in-between! Having spent the time there we wanted to create the FLORES INDONESIA ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE. So we did!
The island boasts some amazing views and things to do but lacks a lot of infrastructure most tourists can take for granted. Before arriving we were VERY confused about a few things, even just getting from city to city. With not much information on online - we decided to fix that!
Watch our Flores, Indonesia Vlogs here In this Flores Indonesia Ultimate Trvavel guide we'll explain our itinerary and share some helpful tips/tricks we picked up along the way
About Flores, Indonesia:
Flores is an island in the East Nusa Tengarra region. The capital city of Labuan Bajo was a small fishing village for most of it's existence, only recently blossoming into a tourist hot spot with some amazing diving locations. Today, there is still incredible diving spots around the island but the biggest attraction is the proximity to the Komodo National park where you can see the only endemic link to dinosaurs! (dutch settlers literally called them land crocodiles, they're big)
Getting to Flores, Indonesia:
All flights to the Island are smaller national flights, so if you are coming from overseas you will need to pass through Java or Bali first. Once your in Indonesia getting to Flores is relatively simple, there are several flights daily with: Air Asia, CitiLink, Lion Air, Garuda and Others. Small heads up, generally the Indonesian internal flights do NOT include luggage so you'll need to pay for that too. Our internal flights cost us $90 AUD per person per way with luggage and we used Citilink and LionAir (After Air Asia cancelled on us twice!).
How to get around Flores, Indonesia:
This is probably the thing that was on my mind the most when planning our trip. "What if there's literally no transport between places and everyone rides motorbikes" "What if we get taken advantage of, we don't know how much things should cost" "What if we miss out on something" "What if we have bad weather" The list is endless but I'll aim to answer as much as possible in this post. If you are stressing about transport in Flores, you can stop right now. Transport between cities and towns ended up being remarkably easy and there are several options. Let me put your mind at ease. Moped/Motorbike ($6-$12 a day)
Firstly, you can rent a moped/Motorbike and drive yourself (A great option for those who didn't fall off in Thailand and have a crippling fear from driving one every again) and honestly allows you more access to things because some roads are too small for a car. It ALSO allows you to stay in potentially better accommodations because you don't need to worry about being within walking distance to everything AND a lot of places will allow you to drive one-way across the island for a small fee... Maybe I should get back on the bike..
Catch a Bemo ($4-$15 Depending on distance) Second option is to catch local transport. They are known locally as Bemo's and on paper can sound like a great option, but let me finish. Yes, it is one of the cheapest options possible and yes it will get you where you need to go. The majority look like someones Van that has been converted to have 2 rows of seats facing each other and painted vibrant colours. However, from what I can tell they don't have a schedule. Most people have told us that you just wait on the side of the road, ask where it's going and jump on if there's room. They are VERY busy and often play music incredibly loud without any air conditioning (When it's busy or hot enough you often see people sitting on the roof, especially as you get into the mountains). When the journey to other towns are often 5 or more hours, you can see why we steered clear of this option. Shared Taxi ($12 - 30 Depending on Distance) The option we picked was a "Shared Taxi" This was the best by far for us and isn't really what I sounds like. The Taxi is more often than not a Bus acting as a pick-up and drop-off service. Which is great! you share the bus with others so it's much cheaper than private transport but it still picks you up from your hotel and drops you off to your hotel* The bus has air-conditioning and while they don't stop frequently, they do stop for quick 10 minute rests on long journeys (Please try to use the toilet before you start your journey though, the stops along the way are less than ideal on cleanliness) Booking these busses or "Shared Taxis" was probably our number one stress before arriving however, as soon as we asked out accommodation about a transfer we were given a WhatsApp number for a local office of Gunung Mas Travel. The hotel will either give you the WhatsApp number or organise the transfer on your behalf! It's important to keep in mind we tried Facebook messaging the company directly and the contact online which both didn't work but every hotel we've been at has had the correct number for their local office. Little tip on this one also - If you're hotel DOESN'T have a contact don't be afraid to reach out to other hotels in the area with a message on booking.com, they may have guests doing the same trip as you who are wanting to share and split the cost in a car (This happened to us twice and Think is common in the low season) *The Bus MAY not go all the way to your hotel as some roads are pretty thin, for example we had to get dropped off about a 10 minute walk from our accommodation in Ruteng as the road tapered. But this is the exception not the rule. Private Car With Driver ($80-$130 per day) You could always rent a private car with driver. Our budget didn't allow this and I think it would have definitely impeded our sense of adventure. But it is absolutely possible. Most enquiries about renting a car will result in renting a car AND driver. You can organise to use a driver point to point of recruit them for the entire trip. We heard of a couple doing a very similar travel to us on a much shorter time frame and they were quoted $450 for about a week of driving. Honestly, if your considering doing this I would think again about the shared taxi, it was actually quite well done. Renting a car to Drive yourself ($60 - $100) Renting a car for your own is probably the least viable option (I know, I was mad about it too) Pricing is generally as much as it would be to have a driver anyway AND the roads are really not built for rentals. I would be worried as anything if I was in a rental car and had to drive into bushes to let another speeding local passed on some of the super thin and bumpy roads. No thank-you.
Now that we've sorted your transport, let's talk about things to do:
What to do in Flores, Indonesia:
I can't cover everything because there is SO much, so I'm only giving reference to the things we actually did.
Komodo Island Boat Tour (Pictured): Komodo national park is the only place the in world where Komodo dragons live in the wild! Almost all tours are on a boat that leaves from the Labuan Bajo port and there are dozens of tour operators lining the main road of Labuan at all times selling these options: - Slow Boat Day Tour ($60 per person) This option leaves at 5am and is all in the name. You jump on a slow boat that takes you to; Padar Island (The hike from all the instagrams, Komodo Island, Pink Beach and then to swim with manta rays before you start the journey back to Labuan. (We did this one and there is a video about the entire day on our YouTube channel) - Overnight cruises (2 day 1 night $175pp for private cabin) are also extremely popular, this is where you will essentially share a boat with other tourists in a dorm or private cabin and all food is supplied fro you. They typically include an additional 2 stops in their itinerary and get to the islands at better times! - Private boat (Expensive) We barely looked into this one but found MOST of the advertisements online are for a private charter. It would absolutely be the best way to do it provided you have a group to make it fiscally reasonable (It might even end up being one of the cheapest option if your group is big enough) Things to know: The above info does NOT include the Komodo national park entrance fee which sits at 150,000 IDR or about $15 Australian. There was recent news of changing that figure all the way up to 3.75m IDR which would have meant $350 per person for entry. But understandably tour operators weren't keen and the protests stopped it from happening. Unfortunately if there is any significant price raise we wouldn't be able to recommend visiting the park as value for money was already teetering on the edge!
The Private car Tour in Ruteng ($80 for the day)
Ruteng was a stop we used to break up the trip to Mount Kilimutu but turned out to be a great and fun stop. We had no moped and nothing organised and were staying at an accommodation (Hobbit Hill Homestay) that was quite a bit out of town. Nevertheless we had incredible homestay hosts who offered to do a full day trip for us and take us to see everything and anything we wanted.
The Private car was definitely an expensive way of seeing the sights but as I've said, the hosts were so fantastic we didn't even look to compare prices. Almost all hotels have this option and would be easy to organise the day before you need it. We saw, the Hobbit caves which was pretty cool and had an interestin museum attached, we then went to the spiderweb rice fiels which were also pretty cool, then to a traditional village (Similar to Wae Rebo but smaller and easier to access) which was good to see but wouldn't say is a definite need to go to, especially if your heading to another traditional village and finally we finished at the local market in the town of Ruteng which was really beautiful! it was full of friendly locals and the colours of all the fruits and vegetables was incredible. We were also going to head to a waterfall and a lookout but the weather got the better of us. Overall, we would encourage you to see Ruteng but we can also see why some people would pass it by.
Mount Kelimutu Hike ($45 driver + $30 entry):
Is a BIG must when your in Flores! Provided you can find a good way there it is absolutely worth it. Again, we arrived at our accommodation in Moni (The small town at the foot of the volcano) without anything but out homestay booked and asked them the cost of a transfer to the trail head. The price was $45 per car, as there was only 2 of us it was more than we wanted to spend for what would be a 30 minute drive, but if you can get another 2 people wanting to see the mountain at the same time, Boom, Half price. Entry into the park was $15 each and can be mroe on public holidays.
Most people elect to do the hike super early for sunrise. The hotel gave us that option too, but we had free breakfast at the homestay so decided to go once we finished.
It was awesome! it only took us about 20 minutes worth of hiking to reach the summit but overall we spent about an hour and a half on the trail because we were constantly stopping to check out the views. Reaching the summit you can see it's where people spend most of their time and we were no exception. The view of the lakes and the fast moving clouds almost entranced us. Then we had Mokeys arrive and steal some other tourists chocolate bars.
Where to stay on Flores, Indonesia: (Where we stayed)
Labuan Bajo - Bajo Sunset Hotel (14$pn) Our little hostel that could. We picked this one because of the price and aaaalllmost rebooked when we saw the room. It was super dark, the ceilings were cracked and leaking and the wall between rooms didn't go al the way to the top. The wifi didn't reach the room and the aircon wasn't very impressive. BUT, for the price? that's about right. we ended up being sufficiently shielded from street noise, had a mosquito net on the bed and one of the most comfy beds we've had in Flores. After sleeping well, we decided to stay and just do work in the common area which is where we discovered two puppies that were one week old and their mum as hotel employees. we were in and even returned when we came back to labuan weeks later.
Labuan Bajo - Blue Ocean Hotel ($36) (book here)
This place we booked to have an upgrade over Bajo, the internet did reach our room, which was massive and the shower actually had hot water so we were stoked. Until the night came and we found ti really hard to sleep. The noise from the street is intense and the blaring prayer from the mosque wakes you up at 3am. I do not recommend staying here unless you've got ear plugs. Breakfast was included and held on a great rooftop though!
Ruteng - Hobbit Hill Hotel (24$pn) (book here)
This was one of our favourite stays of our trip. Theres something a bout being greeted with a huge smile. The host family here was epic and moved mountains to make you feel welcome, they even invited us to have some lunch with them one day. Although the rooms and bathrooms where nothing special they did the job and where an upgrade from the Bajo Sunset not to mention the views. You get to each an included breakfast every morning from your door steps which looks over rice fields and onto a huge gorgeous mountain. Luckily the mountains are slightly cooler than the coast because there was no air conditioning in the rooms!
Ende - LCR Hotel (40$pn) (book here)
This was as close as we came to a full western hotel. Air conditioning worked great, staff were fantastic wifi was strong and everywhere. The only let down was the included breakfast. Lots of choice, none of it really for us!
Moni - Gecko's Homestay (35$pn) (book here)
A cabin in a forrest, almost. This wooden hut also had no air conditioning as most of the homestay don't (Especially in Moni). But the weather didn't really call for it. The bed was okay and had a great mosquito net that didn't get in the way. But the bathroom was outside without any shelter. Outside showers sound fantastic and I really do like them. But when nature calls and bucketing down in the dark of night, you'll wish there was some kind of cover.
Maumere - Coconut Garden Beach Resort (65$pn) (book here) Stay here. Enough said. The staff were fantastic, the food (Which is only seafood and vegetarian) was delicious and everything was cooked fresh. They have stand up paddle boards, Kayaks and snorkels. Again, the bathroom is technically outdoors but at least this one does hav a partial roof that completely covers the toilet and sink! Transfers to and from the airport cost $12.50 per car.
Labuan Bajo - Bajo Sunset Hotel ($22pn)
Back to the OG. Slightly more expensive this time around and we did get a better room. This one had a better air-conditioning, no leaky walls and a bed that was just as comfy! oh AND the WIFI JUST reaches the room when there's not too many people using it. Bonus.
Labuan Bajo - Le Pirate Island ($80pn Average) (book here)
We stayed in two different variations on Pirate island, once was the cheaper option Beach huts (These are basically a box on stilts with a mattress) and once in the glamping beach front hut. Let's just say, you should pay the money and get the clamping option. Not having to share a bathroom and being able to keep the sand out of your room is reason enough! (You might not need the food package though)
We stayed at the Seasta Hotel for our last night in Indonesia and for those with cash to burn it's an awesome pick for Labuan Bajo Accommodation.
Transport WE used:
Airport to Hotel: Taxi on arrival (Had to haggle a little bit) - $5
Labuan Bajo to Ruteng: Shared Taxi (bus) booked through Gunung Mas WhatsApp -$24
Ruteng to Ende: Shared Taxi (bus) booked through Gunung Mas WhatsApp - $34
Ende to Moni: Shared Taxi (car) Booked through our hotel in Ende - $
Moni to Maumere: Shared Taxi (car) Booked through another hotel in Moni - $50
Hotel to Airport: Transfer organised by hotel with hotel staff - $13 Maumere to Labuan: Flight with luggage - $130 Labuan to Airport: Same driver as original -$5
Good to Know:
WhatsApp: Basically everyone will want to have your WhatsApp number, it's probably a good idea to get this sorted before you leave as it's how we organised boat tours and busses between towns.
SIM cards: We originally planned to pick up a SIM card on our way through Bali Airport however, we got distracted and didn't. We didn't spot anyone selling them at LBJ either. Luckily once you are in Labuan Bajo there is a Telkomsel store right in the heart of town. We got two SIM cards with 6GB each for $10 and then upgraded one online to have 50GB for $25.
It's worth noting that paying for the upgrade online was tricky and we couldn't actually do it through the telkomsel website as they only took payment through ATMs or apps such as GoJek.
Instead we found a third party called Ding and purchased the upgrade through them. (If your from Australia, this is really weird for us and it looks dodgy. But it worked!)
Drinking water: Specifically Labuan Bajo you will be served drinking water in some restaurants. That is typically safe because of the new fancy way they are getting water from the air, we did this twice with no issues but we always felt uneasy and were buying bottles of water each day to see us through, Including brushing teeth! Mosquitos: I don't officially know if they are more common than Bali but it feels like it. Lot's of people online wonder if taking malaria pills is worth it, and it might be for piece of mind but if you've got a good bug repellent you should be fine, Almost every place we've stayed (Apart from the bigger hotels) supply a mosquito net too so you can feel relatively safe at bed time. Booking tours ahead of time: Honestly, don't worry about it. If your going during the peak season you might want to try to get something lined up before you arrive but you will be paying more than just organising locally. If you're worried, approach the tour operators on your first day to book for a couple of days time. But the general consensus if one boat fills up (for example) they will just send a second boat too. And there is no shortage of boats in the harbour! The people: The local people of Flores are some of the nicest we've come across. There are endless smiles, big waves and 'Hello Miss'. ('miss' is also used for the men by the kids trying to say Mister) Or they will yell to their friends BULE, BULE (Bully) as you pass which mean foreigner. Some good phrases to say back and how I remember them; Good Morning: Selamat pagi - remembered by thinking of Salami made from a pug Thank you: Terima kasih - Remembered by saying 'Tear up my castle' Be careful: Hati Hati - this one is just fun to say and we remember it by thinking of bringing your partner a hot coffee when they're in bed. "It's Hati Hati"
What Would We Do Differently?
Relax - If I could go back in time and talk to the me that was planning our trip to Flores, Indonesia I'd tell myself to chill out. even though the infrastructure isn't great (Particularly as you head deeper into the island) everything seems to work out and if you get in a bind, the local people are amazing and will help out. Tours - Having more money would be a blessing and I probably would have gone for an overnight cruise to see Komodo. Both because the cruise sounds like a lot of fund and there are more stops but also we may have arrived at Komodo Island when there were less people there which could have been a lot better!
Our FULL travel Itinerary for Flores, Indonesia
- Flight into Labuan Bajo we spent 4 nights at a hotel right next to the fish market on the water called Bajo Sunset Hostel (After this section I'll list our hotels, cost and a bit about them for quick reference) We did this to give us some time to organise ourselves on the island and on the second day went on our Slow Boat Tour to Komodo National Park - After the four nights we moved to a new hotel that was supposed to be an upgrade Ocean Blue Hotel even thought the rooms were a country mile better we didn't sleep at all because of the noise from the street right outside and the loudest mosque of all time blaring at 3am. - Nevertheless, the next morning we jumped on a Shared Taxi which we organised through WhatsApp and took the 4 hour drive to Ruteng. In Ruteng we stayed at the Hobbit Hill Homestay which we highly recommend before getting a Private day tour of Ruteng inclding the hobbit cave, spiderweb rice fields, local village and local market. - From there we took another Shared Taxi to the LCR Hotel in Ende, a pretty large coastal town on the south of the island. We used Ende as a rest stop to catch up on work and order room service (Budget be damned) From there the Hotel organised a share taxi (are you noticing a pattern) to Moni -where we stayed at Gecko Homestay and organised our hike up the Kelimutu Volcano. -The following day we took another Shared Taxi three hours north to Maumere where we indulged in a bit of luxury spending 5 nights at the Coconut Garden beach resort which was totally worth it. We liked it so much we made a youtube video about it (How many times can this guy plug his YouTube channel) - Once we were sufficiently relaxed we caught a flight back to Labuan Bajo on Lion Air and checked back in where we started at Bajo Sunset Hostel. From there we organised a few nights on Pirate Island which is an Adults only Resort. We didn't plan on staing in multiple expensive places on this trip, but it happened. - After 2 nights on the island we took a boat transfer back once again to Labuan Bajo to spend one night in the Seaesta hotel before flying home. This is a very basic itinerary and had we eliminated our rest days we probably could have seen a lot more. But we need rest!
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