Why you should visit Flores instead of Bali

Think of Indonesia and most likely one of the top places to come to mind is Bali. It’s a popular destination especially for Singaporeans as many flights go there and it is relatively easy and cheap for a weekend getaway – at one point I visited Bali 5 times in the span of 4 years. But the Indonesian archipelago is made up of more than 17,000 islands and there’s so much more to Indonesia than just Bali. I had the chance to visit East Nusa Tenggara, home to the islands of Flores and Komodo, and here’s why you should make Flores your next holiday destination.

Pristine islands galore

Why get stuck in a jam with the rush hour crowd in Bali’s Denpasar when you can have your pick of wild and mostly uninhabited islands around Flores to explore? There are numerous small green and brown islands in East Nusa Tenggara to explore – Padar Island is just over an hour’s ride by boat from Labuan Bajo where you can hike up to this amazing view of three different coloured beaches, or see Komodo Island, home to the legendary Komodo Dragons.

Plan your trip with my 4D3N long weekend Labuan Bajo itinerary

Uncrowded multi-coloured beaches

Skip the touts and hordes of Kuta and Seminyak for the quiet, clean and serene beaches of Flores. Pick from white sandy beaches like Koka Beach, a hidden cove between Ende and Maumere, or watch the sun go down as you stroll across black sand in Labuan Bajo. You can even find yourself on a beautiful Pink Beach in Komodo National Park thanks to the presence of red coral bits in the water.

More about the sights of Ende and Maumere in eastern Flores

Real life dragons

You’ll mostly be dodging thieving monkeys in Ubud and Uluwatu, but Flores is the main base for you to get to Komodo National Park, home to the incredibly rare Komodo Dragons and a must-visit for those looking to tick the boxes on a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a new natural seven world wonder. You can get up close and personal with these lofty lizards on either Komodo or Rinca Island.

Read more about visiting Komodo National Park

Wondrous volcanic activity

Mount Batur in Bali makes for a great sunrise view, but head to Kelimutu National Park in central Flores and watch as the rising sun lights up 3 distinctly coloured lakes that change hue any given day. The tri-coloured lakes are a short 30-minute hike up some stone stairs, a small price to pay for an enchanting vista of rolling clouds over this unusual natural phenomenon.

Learn more about visiting the iconic Kelimutu Crater Lakes

Amazing scuba diving

I’ve logged over 100 dives to date but I have to say that the scuba dive sites that we visited in Komodo National Park have some of the richest marine life that I’ve seen – diving in Batu Bolong is like swimming in an aquarium with the sheer amount of fishes you can see! Thanks to The Blonde Abroad who shot, edited and shared this amazing video clip of our dive adventure – see it on instagram here.

Click here for why you need to go scuba diving in Komodo

Direct flight from Singapore to Labuan Bajo

I had to transit in Bali and Jakarta from Singapore in the past, but now Jetstar has opened up a new direct flight between Singapore and Labuan Bajo that takes just 3 hours~ it’s so much easier to get to than before, and that’s another reason to check out Flores instead!

There are 3 airport options in Flores that you can fly to see the major sights:

• Labuan Bajo – west Flores, close to Komodo National Park
• Ende – close to Kelimutu National Park
• Maumere – slightly closer to Koka Beach and Sikka Weaving Community

If you’re planning a long weekend trip, Labuan Bajo is a great easy option. For anything longer, you may need to do a domestic flight to get to the eastern end of Flores where Ende and Maumere are located.

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Go here for more posts on Flores and Komodo, or check out other parts of Indonesia that I’ve visited.