The Island of Flores

Overview

Flores is the most fascinating and beautiful island. Long hidden in the shadows of its more famous neighbor Bali, the island of Flores is finally emerging as a unique destination of its own.  So, after visiting the lair of the Komodo dragons, take time to marvel at some of the wonders of Flores.  Here you can swim in pristine lakes and waterfalls, dive at one of the 50 spectacular dive sites, go kayaking among craggy coasts and mangrove shores, explore mysterious caves and be warmly welcomed by the island’s people in their rituals, dances and daily life.

Flores spells adventure, diving, eco-tours, and mountain climbing interspersed with visits to prehistoric heritage sites, traditional villages and cultural events.   

Until recently, many tourists have only been familiar with Labuan Bajo, the small port located on the western-most tip of the island, and  the taking off point for a visit to the last natural habitat of the prehistoric Komodo dragons, the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar.

Situated in the province of East Nusatenggara, Flores is a long island that contains some of the world’s best kept secrets. A chain of volcanoes stretches the length of this 450 km long and narrow island, creating complicated V-shaped valleys and knife-edged ridges - terrain that was near impenetrable until recently and has separated the island into many distinct ethnic groups.

Administratively the island is divided into 8 districts; West Manggarai, Manggarai, East Manggarai, Nagekeo, Ngada, Ende, Sika and East Flores. Further east are the adjacent islands of Alor and Lembata.

Here you will find some of the world’s most exotic underwater life.  Diving in the pristine seas of Komodo, divers find themselves swimming along with huge manta rays, dolphins and dugongs, while whales can be seen passing Flores’s east coast during their migration period.

The island itself is surrounded by sparkling white beaches, where one beach even has pink sand.   Mt. Kelimutu, near the town of Maumere, has three different coloured lakes that can change colour from time to time.

Besides Komodo dragons, Flores has been in the world’s limelight with the discovery of the Flores hobbit, or homo floresiensis, a new hitherto unknown prehistoric human species, whose remains were found in the caves of Liang Bua.

This island is indeed ancient, having been untouched for centuries, once inhabited by prehistoric men and still living prehistoric animals, as well as containing remnants of a petrified forest.  

At the easternmost tip of the island, Larantuka is famous for its Easter-week rituals that still continue the old Portuguese traditions brought here some 500 years ago. While at adjacent Lembata , islanders hunt whales manually, harpooning precariously from small boats.  

To Do

If you have one week to spend here, travel agents can take you by road across the island, from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng, and on to  Bajawa, Ende, Detusoko, Kelimutu, ending up in  Maumere, from where you take your flight out.

Ruteng is a small, cool town in the mountains. This is where you will find the unique formation of spider web rice fields at Lembor and Cancar,

At Bajawa is the traditional village of Bena, where, according to megalithic tradition handed down through generations, people pay respect to their ancestors who are believed to dwell in the conical thatched roof huts called “Ngadhu” and “Bhaga”, symbolizing the spirits of their male and female ancestors. Note the huge boulders of stones and stone seats planted in front of their houses ,not unlike the ones seen in the villages on the island of Nias in North Sumatra.

Onekore by the the town of Ende, is famous for its beautiful ikat weaving. From here stay overnight at a missionary guesthouse at Detusoko.

For adventure, take the drive up Mt. Kelimutu, where visitors must still walk another 1.5 km. then climb 127 steps to the edge of the crater, from where one has a panoramic view of the three lakes, currently green, blue and black. When Dutch geologists discovered the craters in 1914, the colours were red, blue and white.

At Maumere enjoy the pristine beach and snorkel to your heart’s content before taking your flight out.  Maumere offers great diving. There are 40 wonderful dive spots in the marine gardens in the Bay of Maumere.

If you only have a few days to explore West Flores you might want to try one of these attractions:

In the Komodo National Park it self, besides watching the dragons you can find numerous species of birds including imperial pigeons, sunbirds, egrets, quail, and exotic mound-building megapodes. There are also horses, wild pigs, crab-eating macaques, flying foxes, besides snakes, cobras and vipers. Its flora includes orchids, lontar palms, bamboo, soursop, tamarind and custard trees.

In the waters of the park live a rich variety of cetaceans, including whale sharks, marlin, tuna, whales and dolphins. There are colourful corals, nudibranches, giant clams, turtles, and a plethora of reef and pelagic fish.

Many tour operators run liveaboard tours for divers out of Bali.

When you get back to the mainland hike through canyons, watch clear water cascade down boulders into pristine pools that just invite visitors to plunge in.

Not far from Labuan Bajo are the limestone formations known as Batu Cermin, or Mirror Caves. There is also the Snake Palace, or Istana Ular, that has an amazing collection of pythons and bats. Make sure that you have a local guide with you and obey the customs here, since people believe in a mystical relationship between the snakes and the local people. Here you can also see petrified large trees.

Do not miss the legendary Caci or “Whip fight Dance”, that combines ritual, legend, mysticism and music in one single colourful spectacle. 

Get There

Transnusa in cooperation with Aviastar now operates twice daily flights from Denpasar (Bali) and Labuan Bajo,leaving Bali at 08.00 am and 12.00 noon. The flight takes about 1 hour. While starting 27 May, Batavia Air has started flying daily Denpasar-Labuan Bajo at 09.00 returning from Labuan Bajo at 10.45.

Transnusa also has 3 weekly flights to Maumere from Bali using Jet BA3-146 with 82 seats capacity. Additionally Transnusa flies Bali-Ende - Kupang(Timor) – Ruteng on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and Kupang (Timor)- Labuan Bajo daily.  Transnusa also serves Kupang – Larantuka.

Batavia Air has started operating Surabaya-Denpasar-Kupang-Maumere-Kupang flights using B737-200 aricraft. Flights to Maumere are 4 times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

While Merpati flies Kupang-Maumere and Garuda Indonesia flies only Jakarta-Kupang (on the  island of Timor) from where you can connect on local airlines to Flores.

You can check flight details at indonesia.travel: click on Flights to Indonesia at this web's home page 

To Stay

As a newly emerging destination, the island of Flores has limited accommodation facilities, there are now a number of starred accommodation at Labuan Bajo and Maumere, and also small hotels and guesthouses.

In Labuan Bajo there is the four star Bintang Flores hotel. A number of smaller hotels are the Puri Sari Beach Hotel, the Bayview Gardens Hotel, the Gardena Hotel, the Golo Hilltop Hotel, the Waicicu Eden Beach Hotel, and smaller accommodations, called “losmen” (for accommodation facilities see www.floreskomodo.com)

At Maumere  the favoured hotel is the Sao Wisata resort, which offers de luxe, superior rooms and standard rooms. Sao Wisata is located some 100m from Manly beach. Or you may wish to stay at the Sea World Club which offers facilities for divers. . 

A number of companies from Bali also offer live-aboards on phinisi boats.

Best bet is to contact a travel agency specialized in offering all inclusive tours of Komodo and Flores, operating in Flores or from Bali and Jakarta

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East Nusa Tenggara , Heritage Sites , Sightseeing

Diving Around Komodo Island

Overview

The sea around Komodo Island offers vibrant colors and exotic marine life which will enchant divers and snorkelers alike as endless schools of fish ride the waterways rushing up from deep sea vents, below them the seabed is covered with a thick carpet of florescent corals and marine invertebrates, an underwater photographers paradise.

The waters that surround the island are turbulent and teeming with unparalled marine life. A marine reserve has recently been established and this reserve is largely undocumented and remains unexplored. Komodo National Park was established in 1980. It was declared as a Man and Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site in 1986. KNP includes three major islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar and numerous smaller islands together totaling 41,000 ha of land contains 132,000 ha of marine waters.

The corals in Komodo National park are pristine, with Mantas, sharks, turtles, dolphins, dugong, many pelagics, to the tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, frog fish, you name it we've got it. The sites vary from gentle easy coral slopes to heart pounding adrenalin rides, from the warm waters of the Flores Sea in the north to the chillier waters down south in the Indian Ocean, the underwater terrain is so varied with sheer cliff walls, pinnacles, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs, channels, all with varying colours, sizes and types of coral both hard and soft.

To Do

DIVE SITES:

Bidadari Island

Angel Steps, huge towers of stone, encrusted with hard and soft corals, covered in nudibranchs, small caves and overhangs make this a very interesting and beautiful site, Dusky sharks, humphead parrot fish are among the bigger creatures we see here. Cathedral Coral, a gentle slope covered with table corals of every colour and schooling fish, a towering spire of coral with a small cave at it's base is the home to some huge lobsters.

Sabolon

Sabolon kecil a slope on the east side of this tiny island, with two underwater mounds at the southern end with fields of garden eels and sea pens, schools of round bat fish are often seen coming quite close for some nice photography.

Sabolon Besar steep slopes off the southern and western sides of the bigger island, fabulous coral coverage and a good chance of spotting Scorpion leaf fish.

Sebayur kecil walls and slopes of every kind of coral you can imagine, wide variety of marine life to be seen at this site, mantas often seen.

Tatawa Besar slope with soft coral garden changing to hard coral along the slope, lots of shoaling fish, rainbow runners, fuseliers and often turtles and black tip sharks.

Tatawa Kecil (current city) as the name implies, this site is washed by very strong currents, which is why this site is among the many world class sites in the Komodo National Park, schools of pelagic fish patrol the waters, best dived at slack tide.

Batu Bolong

A little further west from current city a small rock outcrop with a hole through it is the surface mark of another world class site, only to be dived at slack tide or with a current not long from stopping or starting to run, these giant slabs of rock which disappear into the depths are an amazing sight to see, covered with every form of marine life and patrolled by giant trevally, Napoleon Wrasse, sharks and turtles with schools of barracuda sweeping in to check out the divers.

Diving the Komodo National Park provides some fantastic conditions:

• WATER TEMPERATURE: 20 - 28 Degrees Celsius (68-85 F) , cooler water is experienced on the southern sites. Full 3mm wetsuit & hood is recommended. More active people will prefer a sports suit in northern sites
• VISIBILITY: 10 - 50M year round. Traditionally clearer water on northern sites.CURRENT: Komodo experiences a strong tidal flow. Not all sites are affected by current. Drift diving is excellent, however during spring tides some sites are impossible to dive. Particular attention is placed on diving the correct sites at the most suitable time to ensure optimum conditions, in accordance with the preferences of the group.
• NIGHT DIVING: The night diving in Komodo is breathtaking. The sheer beauty, color and diversity of life makes it a must see for all divers.
• WALLS: There are numerous walls to choose from. Both drift and static wall dives are offered.
• CANYONS: Huge chasms drop thousands of meters, fringed by extraordinary coral gardens.
• CRITTERS: Found in all locations, however we do offer special sites for encountering unusual marine species.
• OTHERS: Seamounts, fringing reefs, gutters, muck, and sandy locations are also found in the archipelago.

Get There

By daily flights from: Bali - Labuan Bajo/Komodo Airport - Bali (each 1.5 hours)

Tips

For more information on diving around Kodomo Island, you can check the related information on www.floreskomodo.com

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Diving and Snorkeling , East Nusa Tenggara

Semau Island

Overview

Semau Island can be reached about thirty minutes by boat from Kupang. This untainted island paradise is well worth a visit. The surrounding crystal-clear waters offer exceptional sites for swimming and snorkelling. Bamboo bungalows on white sandy beaches are availble for rent, and you can enjoy dinner of barbequed fish fresh from the sea while enjoying a spectacular sunset.

Semau Island has a length of about 45 kilometers (km) and width of 5-6 km. The island consists of two sub-districts, namely sub Semau and South  Semau.

The island is inhabited by two tribes, Helong  and   Rote . Semau Island is one of the big seaweed in Kupang.  Uiasa Beach and  Otan Beach is a beach that has the potential to be developed into tourist.

Several locations around the Semau  Island also have coral reef ecosystems are still in good condition, among others in the Hansisi village and Tanjung Lalaka  is an area where both diving and snorkeling or just swimming

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Diving and Snorkeling , East Nusa Tenggara

Komodo National Park: Into The Heart of The Dragons

Overview

Real dragons spurt no fire, have no need to fly and cast no magic spells. And still, one look from them might render you speechless. These komodos, the real life dragons, are a sight indeed. Gigantic, the lizard-like creatures are about two or three meters in length. They can easily weigh about 165 kilograms. Despite of their sheer size and appearance, they are not active hunters. What makes them intimidating is the fact that they are a patient predator. In the wild, they stalk a victim, usually a weak or injured one. One bite and that's what it usually takes. After following the victim for a while, sometimes up to several days' time, the komodos will devour the dying prey.

The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is an endangered species which can only be found in the Komodo National Park (KNP) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Because of the unique and rare nature of this animal, KNP was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

The park includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2.At least 2500 Komodos live in this area. Large dragons are usually three meters long and weigh up to 90 kg. Their habitat has beautiful panoramic views of savannas, rain forests, white beaches, beautiful corals, and clean blue seas. In this area, you can also find horses, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar, snakes, monkeys, and various types of birds.

KNP has a rich and amazing underwater sea biotica. Divers claim that Komodo waters are one of the best diving sites in the world. It has fascinating underwater scenery. You can find 385 species of beautiful corals, mangrove forests, and seaweeds as a home for thousands of fish species, 70 types of sponges, 10 types of dolphins, 6 types of whales, green turtles and various types of sharks and stingrays.

Or you can do some diving activities in Komodo Island. 

To Do

You can see and do many things here. It is amazing to see Komodo dragons up close in their native habitat. On Rinca Island, you can see Komodos lying down outside the homes of national park rangers, or "parking" near the officials' homes. Previously, to find one, you had to “offer” a goat to attract the Komodo, but now this practice is no longer allowed.

If you don't see a dragon, Rinca and Komodo have beautiful sceneries with white beaches, mangroves, savannas and blue waters.  During the dry season, these savannas and hills have dried grasses.

You can also egage in other activities such as diving and snorkeling. You can take a cruise ship or fishermen's boat in the persuit of these activities. There are diving points highly recommended to visit which include Merah Beach, and Batu Bolong and Tatawa islands. If you want to see thousands of bats, you can stay overnight in a motorboat on Kalong Island waters (near Rinca Island).

If you're more interested in studying the nature, below's the description of them in more technical terms, so to speak.

TERRESTRIAL FAUNA
The terrestrial fauna is of rather poor diversity in comparison to the marine fauna. The number of terrestrial animal species found in the Park is not high, but the area is important from a conservation perspective as some species are endemic.. Many of the mammals are Asiatic in origin (e.g., deer, pig, macaques, civet). Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian in origin. These include the orange-footed scrubfowls, the lesser sulpher-crested cockatoos and the nosy friarbirds.

Reptiles: Other than the Komodo Dragons, twelve terrestrial snake species are found on the island. including the cobra (Naja naja sputatrix), Russel’s pit viper (Vipera russeli), and the green tree vipers (Trimeresurus albolabris).   Lizards include 9 skink species (Scinidae), geckos (Gekkonidae), limbless lizards (Dibamidae), and, of course, the monitor lizards (Varanidae).  Frogs include the Asian Bullfrog (Kaloula baleata), Oreophyne jeffersoniana and Oreophyne darewskyi. They are typically found at higher, moister altitudes.

Mammals: Mammals include the Timor deer (Cervus timorensis), the main prey of the Komodo dragon, horses (Equus sp.), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), wild boar (Sus scrofa vittatus), long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus lehmanni), the endemic Rinca rat (Rattus rintjanus), and fruit bats.  One can also find goats, dogs and domestic cats.

Birds:  One of the main bird species is the orange-footed scrub fowl (Megapodius reinwardti), a ground dwelling bird.  In areas of savanna, 27 species were observed. Geopelia striata and Streptopelia chinensis were the most common species.  In mixed deciduous habitat, 28 bird species were observed, and Philemon buceroides, Ducula aenea, and Zosterops chloris were the most common.

MARINE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The marine area constitutes 67% of  the Park. The open waters in the Park are between 100 and 200 m deep. The straits between Rinca and Flores and between Padar and Rinca, are relatively shallow (30 to 70 m deep), with strong tidal currents. The combination of strong currents, coral reefs and islets make navigation around the islands in Komodo National Park difficult and dangerous. Sheltered deep anchorage is available at the bay of Loh Liang on Komodo’s east coast, the South East coast of Padar, and the bays of Loh Kima and Loh Dasami on Rinca.

In the North of the Park water temperature ranges between 25 – 29°C. In the middle, the temperature ranges between 24 and 28°C. The temperatures are lowest in the South, ranging from 22 – 28°C. Water salinity is about 34 ppt  and the water is quite clear, although the waters closer to the islands are relatively more turbid.

MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
Indonesia is the only equatorial region in the world where there is an exchange of marine flora and fauna between the Indian and Pacific oceans.  Passages in Nusa Tenggara (formerly the Lesser Sunda Islands) between the Sunda and Sahul shelves allow movement between the Pacific and Indian oceans.  The three main ecosystems in Komodo National Park are seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangrove forests.  The Park is probably a regular cetacean migration route.

MARINE FLORA
The three major coastal marine plants are algae, seagrasses and mangrove trees.  Algae are  primitive plants, which do not have true roots, leaves or stems.  An important reef-building algae is the red coralline algae, which actually secretes a hard limestone skeleton that can encrust and cement dead coral together.  Seagrasses are modern plants that produce flowers, fruits and seeds for reproduction. As their name suggests, they generally look like large blades of grass growing underwater in sand near the shore. Thallasia sp. and Zastera spp. are the common species found in the Park. Mangroves trees can live in salty soil or water, and are found throughout the Park. An assessment of mangrove resources identified at least 19 species of true mangroves and several more species of mangrove associates within the Park's borders.

MARINE FAUNA
Komodo National Park includes one of the world's richest marine environments.  It consists of forams, cnidaria (includes over 260 species of reef building coral), sponges (70 species), ascidians, marine worms, mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, cartilaginous and bony  fishes (over 1,000 species), marine reptiles, and marine mammals (dolphins, whales, and dugongs).  Some notable species with high commercial value include sea cucumbers (Holothuria), Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), and groupers.

Get Around

Your feet will be your trusted companion on this island. Good thing most people never leave home without them. When you wish to see these animals in their natural habitat, you have to walk to the hills nearby (paths have been designated). On Komodo Island, you have to climb Mount Ara (538 meters above sea level) for three to four hours. On Rinca Island, you have to trek for about one and a half hours. If you are lucky, you can see Komodos attacking prey, fighting, or even employing their mojoes along the way, as illustrated by this picture on the left. If that's too wild for you, you can try to spot a group of deers, buffaloes or wild horses.

Get There

By daily flights from: Bali - Labuan Bajo/Komodo Airport - Bali (each 1.5 hours)

Everyday, there are two to three flights from Bali to Labuan Bajo by Transnusa, IAT (Indonesia Air Transport), and Merpati.  In addition, there is a twice a week flight from Kupang. Inter-island motorboats from Sape in West Nusa Tenggara are also available everyday (when the weather permits), and the Pelni ship from Bali and Lombok makes a stop over here every two weeks.

Land transportation from the East (Flores mainland e.g., Ruteng, Bajawa, Ende and Maumere) is also available.  If you are interested in making a long trip in Flores, you can start from Maumere to the west i.e., to Moni, Kelimutu, Ende, Bena, Bajawa, Ruteng and lastly Labuan Bajo (Komodo) or vice versa.

The site www.floreskomodo.comoffers more detailed information on how to reach the Flores areas.

To Stay

Similar with those available in Loh Liang (Komodo Island), Loh Buaya (Rinca Island) also has simple guest houses offering few rooms. A luxurious hotel with limited capacity is currently being built in Loh Liang. Most tourists visiting Rinca Island don't stay overnight (they come from Labuan Bajo and stay in the hotels in Labuan), while those coming to Komodo Island usually stay in their rented motorboats. Nearly all motorboats have cabins and bed rooms. Large motorboats usually have good bed rooms.

Ranger's Houses - Komodo Island
The new renovated ranger's houses in eco style accommodation, with modern facilities featuring with private bathroom, limited electric power supply, dining. Only few step to the beach of Lohliang. Ranger's houses becomes an alternative accommodation offer to visitors whom for some reasons are not able to sleep on boat.

Puri Komodo Resort - Batu Gosok
Sets on the northwest tip of Flores island of Indonesia, this location well known with Batu Gosok, secluded peninsula. 250.000 square meters of land hideaway guaranteed to thrill snorkelers, divers and adventurers. A magnificent secluded cove with over 1.000 meters of white sandy beach and a wooden jetty protruding 450 meters into the coral rich turquoise waters. Opulent sea gardens in colors of purple, yellow, blue and fuchsia blend with brightly colored tropical fish drifting aimlessly amongst the coral.

Bajo Komodo Eco Lodge
Has developed environmentally friendly buildings with the use of solar power for hot water, an extensive rain water storage system, and the use of a biological sewage treatment plant where all waste water is returned to the gardens through irrigation. The Bajo Eco Lodge is under control of Iniradef non profit organization where to participate in developing the human resources on the area and also building the natural environment conservation. This program have fully accepted by locals.

Boat Accommodation from Labuan Bajo
Simple boat sleep on the deck with set mattresses, fit for a small group up to 4 peoples only, meals freshly cooked on board, mineral bottled water supplied, simple toilet.

Boat Accommodation depart from Bima
Larger boat with cabin, dining facilities and standard safety equipment available for those who are travel to Komodo via Bima. Although it takes you over 7 hours on water - the facilities promises on the boat better enough compare to those who are start from from Labuan Bajo.

To Eat

In Loh Liang, the KNP management (PT Putri Naga Komodo) owns a restaurant. No restaurant is available in Rinca Island, though. There is only one kiosk selling drinks and snacks. If you stay in a guest house, you will have food available with your stay. If you take a rented motorboat, your rental usually includes meals (but you have to confirm it when negotiating the rental price).

To Buy

At the reception in Loh Buaya and Loh Liang, there are souvenir shops selling t-shirts with komodo pictures on them and wooden komodo statues. There's not yet a shop selling a t-shirt saying, "I went to see the Komodo Dragons and all I got is this lousy T-shirt." So that's a potential market for you.

Tips

• Don't walk alone. It is best to walk around with a ranger or guide.
• Don't disturb or feed komodos. Despite slow and lazy movement, this animal can suddenly turn aggresive and move fast.
• When trekking, please take a stick with you. Komodos are usually afraid when threatened with a stick.
• Please wear shoes. Komodo, Rinca, and Padar islands have 12 types of snakes and three of them are poisonous, namely green snakes living on trees, cobras and russel's viper who live on the ground in holes on the savannas.
• Women having their menstruation must report to a guide or ranger for special attention. Komodos have a very strong sense of smell and may turn agresive when they smell blood.
• Please bring along your insect repellant because this area has many mosquitoes who'll be excited at the prospects of having fresh blood.
• Most lands on Komodo and Rinca islands are savannas which are prone to fire during the dry season so smoking and making fires are prohibited.

For more information please contact:

Komodo Marine National Park Office
Jl. Kasimo Labuan Bajo
West Flores, East Nusa Tenggara 86445
Ph. +62 385 41004
Fax. +62 385 41006
e-mail: tnkomodo@indosat.org
www.komodonationalpark.org

PT Putri Naga Komodo
Bali Branch
Jl. Pengembak No.2 Sanur 80228, Bali
T: +62 381 780 2408
F: +62 361 747 4398
e-mail: info@putrikomodo.com
www.gokomodo.org

Labuan Bajo
Gg.Masjid, Kampung Cempa. Labuan Bajo, 86554 West Manggarai. East Nusa Tenggara.
T: +62 385 41448
F: +62 385 41225
www.floreskomodo.com

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East Nusa Tenggara , Hiking Trekking and Ecotours

Soekarno's House in Ende

Overview

During the struggle for Indonesian independence, the first Indonesian President, Soekarno, was once exiled by the Dutch colonial government for four years to Ende Flores (from 1934 to 1938).  Upon his arrival here, Soekarno did not have any place to stay.  After staying in a house near Port Ende, he then looked for a rented house facing east.  Soekarno then found a Dutch house occupied by Haji Abdulah Ambuwaru.  In this house, Soekarno lived for four years.  In 1954, when Soekarno became the Indonesian President, he officially inaugurated this house as a museum.  This house is now called Rumah Soekarno.

This house has two bedrooms, a living room and an office. In the back of the house is a room previously used by Soekarno for meditation and several rooms for maids.  In the back yard is a well, which is still working today.

During his exile here, Soekarno painted and wrote several plays such as Dokter Setan (Satanic Doctor).

To Do

You can see the interior of Soekarno’s house including its rooms, well, items previously used by Soekarno (plates, bed, and kerosene lamp), and Soekarno’s painting made in 1935 called Pura Bali (Balinese Temple).

Get Around

The airport and seaport in Ende are located near the city center.  From these two places, you can take a bemo (city transportation).  In addition, you can also take a rented car easily found in front of the hotel Flores Sare, the seaport and airport when ships or airplanes arrive.

Get There

Flight schedules and routes to Ende are tentative.  At present, Transnusa has a flight scheduled everyday from Kupang to Ende (Transnusa Ende: 0381-24222).  In addition, Merpati has four flights a week (Merpati Ende: 0381-21355). Ende is the busiest port in the southern part of Flores island.

Motorboats to many cities such as Kupang also have tentative schedules.  It is therefore best for you to ask information from ASDP (0381-22007).  The Pelni ship from Bali and Lombok also makes a stop over in Ende every two weeks.

Land transportation to western and eastern cities in Flores are operating as well.  Ende has two inter-city bus stations, namely Wolowona for buses to eastern cities such as Moni, Maumere and Larantuka; and Ndao for buses to western cities such as Bajawa, Ruteng and Labuan Bajo.

To Stay

Ende has many hotels and inns.  Hotel Iklas (0381-21695) is usually for backpackers while Hotel Mentari (0381-21997) is for tourists.  In addition, Hotel Dwi Putri, Safari, and Flores are also available.

To Eat

Istana Bambu Restaurant on Pasar Street or on Kemakmuran Street offers various types of Chinese, Western and Indonesian foods.  The Hotels Iklas and Mentari also have their own restaurants selling various types of food.  If you like to eat Padang food, there are many Padang restaurants in this city.

Tips

When you arrive at Soekarno’s house in the late afternoon, on Sunday, or on a public holiday, you can ask help from the owner of a house across the street to call the security guard to fetch you by motorbike for Rp10,000 (about 1 USD).

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East Nusa Tenggara , Heritage Sites

Compang Ruteng Traditional Village

Overview

A compang is a stone altar usually found in the yards of traditional homes of the Manggarai community.  The Compang is the center of traditional ceremonies, among which is  the penti, a ceremony to thank God for a bountiful harvest.  Water buffalos and cows are tied to this Compang to be subsequently sacrificed.

The Compang Ruteng is located in the center of the Ruteng Pu'u village in Golo Dukal sub-district, Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).  The stone Compang and the yards surrounding it are on higher ground than the local homes. A Beringin tree (Ficus Benjamina), locally known as a Ruteng, once grew in the center of the Compang.  The tree is no longer there and is now replaced by a Dadap tree.  To its east, the Compang has two local traditional tall houses with sharp roofs. 

To Do

You can go inside the traditional house, called Rumah Gendang, to see its structure, wooden interior, and equipment such as a gong, small drums and shields used for traditional dances.  When you first enter the house you will be received as an official guest and there will be a series of ritual ceremonies that you must follow.  Local inhabitants can only speak in the Manggarai and Indonesian languages.  It is necessary for you to have an interpreter if you can't speak Indonesian and wish to enter the Rumah Gendang.

Get Around

From Ruteng town center, you can take a bemo or a motor taxi to go to Compang Ruteng.  After that, you can walk.  The total Compang land area is about half a soccer field

Get There

Compang Ruteng is located three kilometers from the town of Ruteng  in the Manggarai district in the western part of Flores.  You can can travel overland from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng, and further on to  Ende and Maumere.  There are daily flights from Kupang (on Timor island) to Maumere and Ende. From Kupang, there are flights twice a week to Ruteng. While to Labuan Bajo, there are daily flights from Bali, and an inter-island motorboat from Sape, on Sumbawa’s east coast, in West Nusa Tenggara.

To Stay

Ruteng has wooden hotels like the Rima Hotel which has a restaurant, or other styles including the Losmen Agung, Hotel Sindha, and Hotel Dahlia.  These hotels are located in the city center, enabling you to see and explore other areas nearby.

To Eat

Hotels and inns in Ruteng generally have restaurants.  If you wish to find other restaurants, you can try Restoran Merlin on Bhayangkara Street (0385-22475) which serves various types of Chinese and Indonesian foods.  On the same street, you can also try the newly established Agape Cafe, which provides espresso, beer, and Western, Chinese and Indonesian cuisine.

To Buy

You cannot find any souvenir shops in Compang Ruteng.  If you want to buy local souvenirs, you can find many interesting objects in the shopping malls in Ruteng including many types of songket woven fabrics from Manggarai and other areas of Flores.  If you like to collect long daggers, you can find many at shop terraces near Motang Rua field

Tips

If you want to see the interior parts of traditional house, Rumah Gendang, in Compang Ruteng you can pay Rp. 10.000 or 1 USD to its tennants or guards.

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East Nusa Tenggara , Traditional Villages

Batu Cermin Cave

Overview

Batu Cermin, or Mirror Rock, is actually a tunnel or cave in a dark stone hills of Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.  Sunshine comes in through a hole in the tunnel and then bounces on the stone walls that again reflect small lights to other areas inside the cave like a mirror. That’s why this site is called mirror rock. 
  
The cave is located east of Labuan Bajo harbor some four kilometers from the town’s center.  The cave has forests surrounding it where you can find long-tailed monkeys and wild boar.  Travel agencies sell tour packages to Batu Cermin as part of a city tour program from Labuan Bajo.

To Do

Nearly all interesting sites in Labuan Bajo are located on islands facing this harbor.  Most are unoccupied and you can go there for sunbathing, diving or snorkeling.  Bidadari Island has a beautiful beach for sunbathing.  Its seas are good for snorkeling and diving.  Kanawa and Kukusan Kecil Islands are also good for snorkeling and diving.  In addition, Serayu island has white sand and beautiful corals.

Get Around

You can take a rented car or travel by car from the Labuan Bajo airport to any place on the Flores mainland.  The rate depends on your negotiation but currently it is about Rp500,000 per day.  Hotels can help you find a rented car.
For your mobility within the city, bemo’s (traditional public transportation) and motor taxis are available, but they only operate until 9.0 pm..  If you want to visit the nearby islands, such as to Komodo or Rinca, rented motorboats and speed boats are available at the port.

Get There

Every day, there are two to three flights from Bali to Labuan Bajo by Transnusa, IAT (Indonesia Air Transport), and Merpati.  In addition, there is a twice a week flight from Kupang. Inter-island motorboats from Sape in West Nusa Tenggara are also available everyday (when the weather permits), and the Pelni ship from Bali and Lombok makes a stop over here every two weeks.

To Stay

Labuan Bajo has many hotels for backpackers.  It also has expensive and luxurious hotels.  At present, the Hotel Bintang Flores, (0385-42000/ www.bintangflores.com) located by Pede beach, is the best and most luxurious hotel in Labuan Bajo. This four-star hotel has a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, dive shop, and Internet facility.  Its rate is in US dollars.

To Eat

Hotels usually have their own restaurants.  Restoran Gardena (at Hotel Gardena), for instance, is a favorite restaurant.  Here, you can find various types of European and Indonesian foods.  It is famous for its sweet & sour fish (Kerapu or tuna fish) and the amazing scenery during sunsets. Other restaurants among others are the Paradise Bar and Pub (near Golo Hilltop), Arto Moro, and Matahari (Paradise and Matahari have beautiful views during sunsets).

To Buy

You can buy souvenirs from kiosks and shops in Labuan Bajo, particularly on Yos Sudarso Street.  There, you can find local ikat and songket woven fabrics, and wooden komodo statues. Hawkers will also sell you imperfect cultured pearl necklaces, which make beautiful souvenirs and gifts.

Tips

Make sure that you bring along anti-mosquito lotions and anti-malaria medicines, since Labuan Bajo is a malaria endemic area. Bring along also sunblock lotions, a hat, and sunglasses, as it can be very hot here during the dry season. You can buy these at the supermarket in town or from your hotel shop. 

Adventure , East Nusa Tenggara