Things to Do in Flores, Indonesia
Flores surprised me more than anywhere else I travelled in Indonesia. I arrived expecting a transit island between Bali and Komodo and found a long, mountainous stretch of East Indonesia absolutely packed with crater lakes, ancient villages, live volcanoes and some of the richest coral reefs on Earth. These are the things I am glad I fit into my journey, and I would happily go back and repeat every one of them.
Watch the Sunrise at Kelimutu
Kelimutu is the reason most travellers come to Flores and the spectacle deserves every bit of its reputation. Three crater lakes sit side by side on a high volcanic peak, and each one changes colour on its own schedule, shifting between turquoise, green and a deep red that the local people say comes and goes with the moods of the volcano below. I set off in the dark along the short climb from the car park and stood at the top in the first light while the colours shifted and changed in front of me. It is cold, it is early and it is completely worth it, and the view down into lakes that seem to glow is one of the strangest and most lovely things I have ever seen.
See the Komodo Dragons
Komodo National Park spreads out to the west of Flores, and the ancient monitor lizards live on the islands of Rinca and Komodo itself. I took an early boat out from Labuan Bajo and walked with a ranger along dry savannah trails while huge dragons dozed in the shade, their tongues briefly flicking. It is a little nervy and it feels deeply ancient, and it is the single most iconic thing you can do from Flores. There is something humbling about standing a respectful distance from an animal of no remembered predators wandering freely in its own domain.
Go Diving and Snorkelling in the Park
Underneath the currents that run between the islands, the coral is among the richest in the whole of Indonesia. I dove a few sites near Padar and Rinca and saw mantas cruising, turtles drifting and walls of fish so packed they turned the sun into a flickering pattern. Even a simple snorkelling trip pulled out from Labuan Bajo is worth every rupiah. The water is warm, the visibility is excellent for most of the year and the reefs genuinely feel alive in a way I have rarely felt anywhere else.
Ride the Trans Flores Highway
The road that runs down the spine of the island is my favourite stretch of bitumen in all of Southeast Asia. I hired a private driver and spent days rolling over green mountains, crossing narrow bamboo bridges and stopping in roadside warungs for coffee grown right there on the slopes. The journey through the highlands is the real reason Flores is worth a full week of your time. It ties every highlight together, and every single bend seems to open another hidden valley that nobody told you about.
Visit the Traditional Villages
Flores keeps its cultures alive and visible. In the hills near Ruteng I walked through villages of wooden houses raised on stilts under rice terraces, watching families work the fields and weave cloth the same way their grandparents did. A little west of town, the spiderweb rice fields near Cancar run across a whole valley in a strange and beautiful web of stone dykes. I always asked before taking any photos, and I learned more from a shared cup of palm wine and a long conversation than from all the guidebooks put together.
Slow Down in Bajawa for Mountains and Coffee
Bajawa sits high among the volcanoes and I ended up staying twice as long as I planned. I walked the rim of Mount Inerie early one morning, soaked in the hot springs below the village and bought several bags of roasted arabica to carry home as presents. It is cooler, quieter and friendlier than the coast, and the local people were some of the most welcoming I met on the whole island. If you feel yourself rushing across Flores, Bajawa is the place that will slow you down.
Relax or Adventure in Labuan Bajo
The little harbour town of Labuan Bajo is the launching point for the islands and a natural place to end your loop. I used my last days on Flores to eat piles of fresh seafood, book day boats, and watch sunsets from the low green hills behind the harbour. If you have the time, tack on Padar island and its viewpoint, which is one of the most photographed places in the country for good reason, looking down over three separate bays from a single small ridge.
Final Thoughts
Flores is a long island and a long journey, and both of those are exactly the point. I came for the dragons and the coloured lakes and left having learned that the mountain road between them is the real treasure. Give it time, cross it slowly and let the highlands set your pace, and you will not regret a single hour. I honestly believe it is the best single island journey you can do in Indonesia, and I say that without hesitation.
