Holiday in Flores

What makes Flores special as a destination?

Flores is one of the most fascinating and least visited islands in Indonesia — a 360-kilometer long, mountainous strip of volcanic earth east of Bali that feels like a continent in miniature. The island is the gateway to Komodo National Park with its legendary dragons, but also offers unforgettable experiences away from the dragons. The Kelimutu volcano is Flores' natural wonder number one: three crater lakes on a single peak that shimmer in different colors — turquoise, emerald green, and dark red. The colors change regularly due to volcanic minerals and gas reactions, so no visit is the same as another. The sunrise over the three colored lakes is one of the most unforgettable natural spectacles in Southeast Asia. The Trans-Flores Highway connects Labuan Bajo in the west with Maumere in the east and leads through breathtaking landscapes: volcanic cones, rice terraces, traditional villages of Manggarai and Ngada, spider web rice fields near Ruteng, and the massive canyon of Cunca Wulang with its turquoise natural pools. Labuan Bajo is the starting point for Komodo boat tours: multi-day liveaboard trips lead to the Komodo dragons, the pink beaches, Manta Point (with giant mantas), and some of the best dive spots in Indonesia. Flores itself is predominantly Catholic — a unique legacy of the Portuguese colonial era that is reflected in churches, processions, and a different atmosphere than the rest of Muslim Indonesia.