Is Flores, Indonesia, Worth the Journey to Get There?

Flores, part of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, is a much less-traveled alternative to Bali, Lombok, or Java.

Unlike those well-trodden destinations, reaching Flores typically requires an additional flight or a boat journey. You get strikingly different scenery and a slower, more authentic feel, but is it worth the effort and time to get there?

Instead of sugar coating it, painting it as a well-kept secret, or depicting Flores as the next Bali (because pretty much every beautiful & uncharted place these days is “the next Bali”), I will do a deep and very honest dive into whether Flores is for you, or if you can safely skip it without the FOMO.

What is Flores famous for

Flores is best known for the Komodo National Park – an area of particular natural beauty and ecodiversity, featuring world-famous dragons, pristine diving spots, and the luxurious sailing boats that will take you there.

Further inside the island are various traditional villages like Wae Rebo, Bena, and Ngada that still retain their rituals, animistic beliefs, housing architecture, and social structure.

In the north, the “17 islands of Riung” offer snorkeling opportunities and blissful island life way off the main line.

The surreal tri-colored crater lakes of Mount Kelimutu are also a highlight.

The island is very sparsely populated, and a lot of it is just pure spectacular scenery:

• A rugged terrain with rolling green hills.
• Those rice paddies that everyone posts a picture of on IG, for example, the Spider Web Rice Fields.
• Volcanic mountains. Inierie is almost perfectly conical and a must-see. The twins Lewotobi, if not active and dangerous, are a marvel too. Ebulobo is also majestic.
• The beaches are also not bad at all, e.g., Koka Beach is one of the prettiest I’ve seen.
• Hot Springs lavishly spread throughout the land, often as natural as they come.

Flores’s Big Problem

Flores is not easy to get to, nor is it easy to travel through.

First off, you need a detour. Very few travelers, if any, go to Indonesia specifically to visit Flores. It’s usually combined with another island(s), likely Bali and Lombok. Flights to Flores (with a few exceptions) are regional and comparatively expensive. And that is just to Labuan Bajo, unless you fly twice to Ende or Maumere.

Secondly, the public infrastructure on Flores is lacking. There is literally just 1 main road, the “Trans-Flores highway,” which is as much a highway as I am Vishnu riding Garuda – two lines, thousands of curves, and a recommended speed limit of 50 km/h.

Smaller roads are sometimes paved, sometimes not, often just 1.5 lines, rarely allowing more than 40 km/h.

And herein lies the big issue: Flores is a big effort for a small payoff.

The island’s draws are scattered, simple, and separated by long, winding transfers. If you’re short on time or crave dense sightseeing, the journey often won’t feel worth it.

Overland days consume time and energy. A “highlights” crossing still involves 3-6 hour drives on multiple days. With only 4-5 days in Indonesia, crossing the island is a poor trade.

You must be into slow travel, rural Indonesia, rugged, unpopular places, and peace, to travel to Flores and enjoy it.

Flores doesn’t have Bali’s nightlife or sheer concentration of magical places, nor Lombok’s direct ease of access. You must enjoy the journey itself. Only then will you have a rewarding travel experience far removed from Indonesia’s main tourist circuit.

Unless you’re going for Komodo….

Why Komodo is the headline act of Flores

Komodo National Park is the reason most travelers come to Flores.

It’s concentrated wow-factor: dramatic viewpoints, mesmerizing wildlife that you can almost touch (but don’t), and easy snorkel access in clear water. Even with limited time in Indonesia, Komodo Park is still worth it.

• A classic speedboat day hits Padar’s sunrise ridge, a dragon walk (Rinca or Komodo), Pink Beach, and a manta spot.
• Sail for 2 days, and you will see baby sharks off Sandy Island and snorkel in a different area.
• Sail for 3 days to enjoy everything at a more leisurely pace.
• Sail for 4, if you’re coming from Lombok.

Best of all, Labuan Bajo is all you need to get to on Flores to visit the Komodo National Park. This up-and-coming tourist hotspot sits at the western end of the island and has an airport connected to Jakarta, Bali, and international destinations such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

You can arrive by boat from Lombok and leave by flight back to Bali/Jakarta. Or vice versa. The important thing is, Labuan Bajo is well-connected, doesn’t require long minibus journeys, and is simply incredible.

So, should you travel to Flores?

Without any claims that this is a definitive checklist, here’s a very quick way to decide if you should travel to Flores:

Yes, you should go to Flores if:

• You enjoy slower travel.
• You don’t mind spending hours in a minivan on winding roads.
• You want fewer (much fewer) tourists around you than, say, in Bali.
• You want stunning natural landscapes, tribal villages, and options to snorkel.

No, you should not go to Flores if:

• You want days packed with things to do.
• You easily (or even not so easily) get sick traveling by minivan.
• You want to stay in 1 place and explore everything.
• The sea scares you (or at least bores you).
• You have less than 2 weeks in Indonesia and are landing in Java/Bali.

How long do you realistically need for Flores?

This kind of question always plagues travel advice. I say “plagues” because it really depends on your style and how much time you have.

But that’s what readers (you!) want, so that’s what I give you, even if it’s a limited insight only.

• 2-4 days: Stick to Komodo only: Base yourself in Labuan Bajo. One full speedboat day for Padar/dragons/mantas. Add a second for snorkel-focused stops or a sunset bat cruise.
• 7-10 days: Do a west-to-east highlights hunt: From Labuan Bajo, after sailing around Komodo, proceed to Ruteng for a day, then Bajawa for 1-2 days, then go to Ende as a jumping stone for Moni and Kelimutu. Fly out of Ende or Maumere. To be realistic, this is quite rushed, as most days include 4 to 7 hours of travel.
• 14+ days: Full crossing with extras. Add Wae Rebo, which, despite its popularity, involves a whole lot of traveling to reach. Consider Riung and the 17 islands, which are also a pain to get to but gorgeous. Koka Beach, halfway from Moni to Maumere, is another notable stop. Worth it only if you enjoy long road days and low-key stops.

Traveling in Flores

Several times throughout this article, I have referenced the roads and slow style of travel that Flores forces onto travelers.

The main Trans-Flores Highway is where you will spend most of your time.

To travel between cities, I recommend the local minibuses. They are cheap, frequent (although no set schedule), and do not do unnecessary detours.

A commonly cited alternative is the shared taxi, also called “travel“. On the surface, it seems like a better alternative – a car with fewer passengers.

But these “travel” taxis often put more people inside than what’s comfortable, leave when they have everyone inside, and drop off people in their villages and not at the bus station. Which means you have to wait extra.

Ende to Bajawa would’ve taken us 5 hours in a local minibus, but it took us over 8 hours in a shared taxi. It was a nightmare.

Gunung Mas is the only transportation company in Flores with schedules. They run hourly (or less) buses between the largest cities in Flores: Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Bajawa, Ende, and Maumere. Unfortunately, a ticket on Gunung Mas also costs double (up to triple) what it does on the local minibuses without doubling the comfort.

Lastly, many opt to rent a motorcycle at one end of the island, drive through, and return at the other. This option is a magnificent way to explore Flores, albeit a bit expensive, and you have to figure out what to do with your luggage if it’s more than a backpack.

Enquire with local renters in either city – in Ende, I recommend Octopus Rentals for this service.

The Verdict

Komodo is absolutely worth the detour to Flores.

The rest of Flores is pretty but thinly spread, and the long transfers and logistics can outweigh the reward unless you have a full week (or more) and genuinely enjoy slow travel.

If that balance doesn’t sound like you, don’t force it. Do Komodo well and spend the rest of your time elsewhere.