Flores is a huge island east of Bali and south of Sulawesi. Most people only pass through Labuan Bajo on Flores' western tip on their way to the Komodo National Park to see the dragons, but there's actually quite a bit to see on Flores, for the adventurous.
The travel infrastructure of Flores is rudimentary at best. There is only one, mostly two-lane, road that runs the 200 kilometer length of the island, and due to the rugged terrain, it takes 700 kilometers of road to cover the distance. In addition, there are few accommodations of international standard along the way.
Aside from Komodo, Flores' main sights are on the eastern end of the island, where the Kelimutu Crater Lakes is the main attraction. The gateway to the eastern part of Flores is Maumere, the island's largest city.
East Flores Map While there is a lot to see all over Flores, the eastern portion has the biggest concentration of tourist sights, and is slightly better developed than other parts of the island. Flores' main tourist sight, the Kelimutu Crater Lakes, is high up in the mountains of East Flores.
The main city of East Flores, the largest town on Flores in fact, is Maumere on the north coast.
Photos of the Kelimutu Crater Lakes on Flores. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full size image. Tiwu Ata Polo Tiwu Ata Mbupu Tiwu Nua Muri Koo Fai Looking at viewpoint The three colored lakes of Kelimutu are eastern Flores' main tourist attraction. The lakes fill old cones of the still active volcano, and are know for their habit changing color from time to time. The color changes are due to changes in the chemical composition of gases being released into the water from the magma chambers below.
The city of Maumere is the largest town on Flores. There isn't much to see in the city itself, but it's your best option for flights in and out of East Flores to see the Kelimutu Crater Lakes and other sights of the area.
That there's not much to see in Maumere is no surprise. The town was heavily damaged by an earthquake and resulting tsunami in 1992 that affected more than 90% of the structures.
There aren't many hotels to choose from in Maumere. The Sea World Club seems to be vurtually the only game in town. The Sao Wisata Dive Resort is the only other option I could find.
The closest town to the Kelimutu Crater Lakes is Moni. Since the typical visit to the lakes is to see the sunrise, staying in the Moni area is the only alternative to traveling through the night on winding mountain roads.
There are only a few guesthouses and other accommodations in the immediate area of the multi-color lakes. Kelimutu Crater Lakes Eco Lodge is a new (opened July 2010) small hotel about 20 minutes from the park entrance.
View down the practically deserted beach at Paga. Paga is a small town on the south coast of Flores. It's about halfway between Moni and Maumere on the main road, so it makes a good place to stop for lunch if you're traveling between the two. There are one or two small, 'rustic' (to put it nicely) restaurants on the beach. There are no hotels or other tourist facilities in Paga, so you will have the beach to yourself, other than a few local boys or fishermen.
Rice terraces near Moni, on Flores Island, Indonesia Where the hills around Kelimutu Volcano begin to flatten out a little, you'll find the land worked into rice terraces. They may not have quite the drama of the terraces on Bali, but they are quite pretty. The terraces are laid out in a very regular pattern, and often bordered by fruit trees.
In the hillier areas, you'll also see big groves of clove and macadamia nut trees.
Date of stay: September 2010
Opened in July of 2010, Kelimutu Crater Lakes Eco Lodge is part of a small chain of Indonesian 'eco' lodges promoting sustainable community-based tourism and environmental best practices. The lodge is sited on a stream facing rice terraces just outside of Moni. Although opened almost two months before my stay, the ten-room hotel was still not fully complete. There are five twin / double villas and five twin / double rooms above the restaurant.
Date of stay: September 2010
Sea World Club is just about the only option for places to stay in Maumere. The beachfront resort is located about 14 kilometers east of the center of town. The resort consists of 25 bungalows in different sizes - and, it must be said, in various states of repair. Some of the buildings are practically new, while others are almost falling down. I assume they re-build some of them every season, as revenue allows.
