KomodoFlores
5
Day Itinerary •
Indonesia
Five days across Komodo and Flores gives you the full extraordinary span of one of Indonesia's most remarkable island chains, from the world's largest living lizard prowling the dry savannas of Komodo and Rinca to the extraordinary multi-coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu at dawn, the finest manta ray reefs in the archipelago, the extraordinary traditional Ngada villages of the Flores highlands and the remarkable ikat weaving culture of the Lio people. This route covers Komodo and Flores in full. The national park's dragons, pink beaches and world-class diving, the extraordinary Bajawa highlands with their ancient volcanic crater lake and traditional thatched clan villages, the extraordinary spider web rice fields of Ruteng, the Kelimutu crater lakes at first light, and the finest traditional ikat weaving markets in eastern Indonesia.
Best Time To Visit
April to December, dry season for dragons and diving
Getting There
Fly into Labuan Bajo (LBJ). Depart from Ende (ENE) or back to LBJ
Getting Around
Boat charter in the park, hired car with driver across Flores
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 200 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate, trekking, one-way overland route
DAY 1
KOMODO NATIONAL PARK
MORNING
RINCA ISLAND KOMODO DRAGON TREK
The extraordinary Komodo dragon trek on Rinca Island, where the open savanna landscape makes sightings almost guaranteed. Adults reach 3 metres and 70kg and are genuinely dangerous apex predators. Dragons are regularly encountered basking at the ranger station. The extraordinary short and medium trails cover savanna, mangroves and forest. A mandatory ranger guide with a forked stick accompanies all visitors. Entry approx 250,000 IDR. Depart Labuan Bajo at 5:30am. 45 min boat
MIDDAY
PADAR ISLAND VIEWPOINT
The most extraordinary viewpoint in Komodo National Park and among the finest in all of Indonesia, a steep 30-minute climb to a ridgeline overlooking three dramatic bays with different coloured sand: one black, one white and one extraordinary pink from crushed coral. The volcanic ridgeline panorama across the Komodo archipelago is the finest coastal view in eastern Indonesia. Entry included in park fee. 30 min boat
AFTERNOON
PANTAI MERAH PINK SAND BEACH AND REEF SNORKEL
The extraordinary pink sand beach of Komodo National Park, where fragments of red coral from Foraminifera organisms tint the sand a remarkable rose hue most vivid in morning and evening light. The reef snorkelling directly off the beach is extraordinary, with exceptional coral coverage, reef sharks and sea turtles in clear shallow water. Entry included in park fee.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Kanawa Island 30 minutes by speedboat from Labuan Bajo has one of the finest house reefs in the Komodo region with extraordinary coral coverage and regular sea turtle sightings from the beach. Almost entirely unknown to day-trippers. A small eco resort operates on the island. The sunset from Kanawa looking back towards Labuan Bajo is the finest in the national park.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Early breakfast, Labuan Bajo Eat at 5am before departure. Most hotels will prepare early breakfast on request. | Lunch: Packed lunch on the boat Fresh grilled fish and local rice prepared by the boat cook, eaten at anchor off Padar. | Dinner: Bajo Seaview, Labuan Bajo Outstanding waterfront restaurant. Grilled local lobster, fresh tuna and Flores coffee.
DAY 2
MANTA POINT AND KOMODO ISLAND
MORNING
MANTA POINT
The extraordinary manta ray gathering at Manta Point in the northern national park, where oceanic and reef manta rays congregate in the nutrient-rich upwelling current to feed on plankton and be cleaned at the cleaning station. On a good day 20 to 30 mantas circle in the extraordinary blue water. Wingspans reach 5 metres. Snorkellers drift the surface alongside the feeding mantas on incoming current. Best April to June. 1 hour boat
MIDDAY
KOMODO ISLAND DRAGON TREK
The extraordinary longer trek on Komodo Island itself, original home of the world's largest lizard. The medium trail takes 2 hours through dry monsoon forest and savanna, with excellent dragon sightings and extraordinary views from the ridge across the archipelago. The extraordinary viewpoint at the end of the ridge trail gives the finest panorama in the national park. Entry approx 250,000 IDR. 45 min boat
AFTERNOON
BATU BOLONG AND CRYSTAL ROCK
The two finest dive sites in Komodo National Park. Batu Bolong is a single pinnacle swept by extraordinary current with all-round walls of sea fans, schooling sharks and extraordinary soft coral density that dive experts rate among the finest in Southeast Asia. Crystal Rock offers extraordinary visibility and remarkable fish density. Both are extraordinary for snorkellers in the shallows on calm days.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Gili Lawa Darat and Gili Lawa Laut islands north of Komodo offer the finest trekking viewpoints in the national park with almost no visitors, extraordinary views across the Flores Sea, and the finest snorkelling of any uninhabited island in the park. Ask your boat operator to include them on the way back from Manta Point. Almost never done.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast, Labuan Bajo Early breakfast before the 6am boat departure for Manta Point on the morning tide. | Lunch: On the boat at anchor Lunch between Komodo Island and the afternoon dive sites. Local fish and rice. | Dinner: Warung Makan, Labuan Bajo Simple fresh grilled tuna and local vegetables at a waterfront warung.
DAY 3
RUTENG
MORNING
CANCAR SPIDER WEB RICE FIELDS
The most extraordinary rice field landscape on Flores, a series of circular rice paddies divided into extraordinary spider web patterns by the traditional Manggarai clan system, in which each clan section radiates out from a central point like the spokes of a web. The Cancar hilltop viewpoint above the fields gives the finest aerial view of the extraordinary geometric patterns. Entry approx 20,000 IDR. 30 min drive
MIDDAY
RUTENG TOWN AND TRADITIONAL MARKET
The extraordinary highland capital of Manggarai district, the coolest town on Flores at 1,100 metres, with an extraordinary traditional market selling local highland produce, hand-woven Manggarai ikat cloth with its distinctive black and red patterns, and the finest local coffee in Flores. The Ruteng Puu traditional Manggarai village on the town outskirts preserves extraordinary clan house architecture. 2 hours drive east
AFTERNOON
LIANG BUA CAVE, WHERE HOMO FLORESIENSIS WAS DISCOVERED
The extraordinary limestone cave northwest of Ruteng where the skeleton of Homo floresiensis, the extraordinary 1-metre-tall hominin nicknamed the Hobbit, was discovered in 2003. The cave site where the species lived from at least 100,000 to 50,000 years ago is a remarkable archaeological site, still being excavated. The extraordinary story of a separate human species surviving on Flores is extraordinary. Entry approx 20,000 IDR.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Todo traditional village 40km from Ruteng is the finest Manggarai clan village in Flores, a circular walled settlement of extraordinary drum houses around a central ceremonial courtyard where the compang stone altar for ancestor worship still stands at the centre. One of the most extraordinary and authentic traditional villages in eastern Indonesia. Entry by donation.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast, Labuan Bajo Good breakfast before the drive east begins. | Lunch: Rumah Makan, Ruteng Local Manggarai cuisine in the highland capital. Corn porridge and ayam kampung free-range chicken. | Dinner: Rinca Flores Hotel, Ruteng Outstanding Flores cuisine in the best hotel in Ruteng. Local mountain vegetables and fresh fish.
DAY 4
BAJAWA AND NGADA VILLAGES
MORNING
BENA AND WOGO, THE FINEST NGADA TRADITIONAL VILLAGES
The most extraordinary traditional villages in Flores, where the ancient Ngada people maintain extraordinary clan houses called bhaga topped with thatched roofs, and ngadhu ancestor poles carved with human faces and draped in extraordinary cloth. Bena village on the slopes of Inerie volcano is the finest, a double row of extraordinary clan houses facing each other across a central ceremonial ground still used for traditional rituals. Entry by donation. 30 min drive
MIDDAY
INERIE VOLCANO VIEWPOINT AND BAJAWA MARKET
The extraordinary conical Inerie volcano rising to 2,245 metres above Bajawa, the finest volcanic backdrop in Flores. The viewpoint from the road above Bena gives an extraordinary view of the volcano behind the traditional village rooflines. Bajawa's Wednesday and Saturday market is the extraordinary highland market of the Ngada region, selling local vegetables, betel nut, traditional cloth and livestock. 1 hour drive
AFTERNOON
SOA HOT SPRINGS AND WATURAKA CRATER LAKE
The extraordinary Soa hot spring pools near Boawae, where natural volcanic hot water emerges into a series of pools beside a cool river, an extraordinary combination used by locals for bathing and relaxation. The extraordinary crater lake of Waturaka on the slopes above Boawae, a small and perfectly formed volcanic lake in an extraordinary setting, is almost entirely unvisited and one of the finest hidden gems on Flores.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Riung 17 Islands Marine Park on the north Flores coast 3 hours from Bajawa is a marine park of extraordinary small coral islands, white sand beaches and pristine reefs visited by almost nobody. The snorkelling and the extraordinary deserted beach picnic experience are the finest on the north Flores coast. Charter a local boat from Riung village for approx 200,000 IDR.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast, Bajawa Eat before the drive to Bena. The early morning light on the Ngada villages is extraordinary. | Lunch: Warung in Bajawa market Local Ngada cuisine at a simple market warung. Jagung bose corn and bean stew is the extraordinary local staple. | Dinner: Edelweiss Hotel, Bajawa Outstanding local Flores cuisine in the best hotel in Bajawa. Highland vegetables and local grilled pork.
DAY 5
KELIMUTU AND ENDE
MORNING
KELIMUTU CRATER LAKES AT DAWN
The most extraordinary natural phenomenon in Flores, three volcanic crater lakes at the summit of Mount Kelimutu that change colour independently with volcanic activity. Tiwu Ata Polo has been black, deep green and chocolate brown; Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai shifts between turquoise, blue and green; Tiwu Ata Mbupu ranges from white to blue to deep black. Arrive at the rim by 5:30am for the extraordinary dawn colours. Entry approx 30,000 IDR. 30 min drive
MIDDAY
MONI VILLAGE MARKET AND LIO IKAT WEAVING
The extraordinary Moni village Tuesday morning market at the foot of Kelimutu, where the Lio people sell the finest ikat weaving on Flores. The extraordinary traditional ikat cloth uses natural dyes of indigo, mud and local bark to produce remarkable geometric and figurative patterns. The Lio ikat of the Moni area is the finest in the Ende regency. Buy directly from the weavers for fair prices. 2 hours drive west
AFTERNOON
ENDE HARBOUR AND SUKARNO MUSEUM
The extraordinary port town of Ende on the south Flores coast, where the future Indonesian president Sukarno spent four years in Dutch exile from 1934 to 1938 and formulated the Pancasila state philosophy. The Sukarno Museum in his original house is an extraordinary insight into the independence movement. Ende's traditional ikat market near the harbour is the finest in south Flores. Fly from Ende (ENE) for departure.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Wolowaru traditional Lio village near Moni is one of the finest intact traditional villages on Flores, with extraordinary clan houses on raised platforms and intricately carved wooden pillars. The extraordinary ikat weavers working outside the clan houses welcome visitors. Almost entirely unvisited and one of the finest authentic village experiences in all of eastern Indonesia. Entry by small donation.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Wake at 4am, light snack Coffee and toast at the guesthouse before the Kelimutu drive. Eat properly on return. | Lunch: Rumah Makan in Moni Full breakfast and lunch combined on return from Kelimutu. Local Flores ayam rica-rica chicken. | Dinner: Restaurant in Ende Fresh grilled tuna and local Flores sambal at a simple waterfront restaurant near the harbour.
Where To Stay
Labuan Bajo, Nights 1 to 2 Ayana Komodo Resort or Bintang Flores Hotel. Approx 80 to 250 USD per night. Ruteng or Bajawa, Nights 3 to 4 Rinca Flores Hotel (Ruteng) or Edelweiss Hotel (Bajawa). Approx 20 to 50 USD per night. Moni village, Night 5 Kelimutu Crater Lakes Eco Lodge or local guesthouse. Approx 20 to 60 USD per night.
Top Tips
1. Depart Labuan Bajo by 5:30am for Padar Island. The viewpoint is extraordinary before other boats arrive.
2. Always stay with your ranger on Komodo and Rinca. Dragons are genuinely dangerous large predators.
3. Kelimutu colours change. Check recent photos before visiting so you know what to expect.
4. The Cancar spider web rice fields near Ruteng are best seen from the hilltop at dawn.
5. The Ngada villages near Bajawa still perform traditional rituals. Visit with a local guide.
6. The overland Flores road from Labuan Bajo to Ende takes 2 days. The highland scenery is extraordinary.
Total Budget
65 to 415 USD/day