Travels to Indonesia - Flores

When traveling for an extended period, eg one year, it is almost impossible, in detail all the places you want to visit to plan. When my friend and I were traveling we had a pretty solid idea of ​​all countries, which we planned to travel, but we did not know exactly where we were going when we arrived. Sometimes the decision to a certain place to visit meets slowly and gradually.

Flores in Indonesia is a good example. We had originally intended to operate in Indonesia for 2 weeks. I had never heard of it, Flores before we leave for our trips, let alone I had no intention of going there. Then at some point, in some way, I began to learn about this place called Flores. Then I heard about a particular view or activity that attracts people to the idea taking shape. And when I go to Flores? What is to do? How could I? How long will I need?

We go to Flores: And how do the answers to these questions come together you an easy decision to be taken to the left! Visit : http://wisata-indonesia.com

The plan

We have a plan to fly from Bali to the city Maumere on the other side of the island of Flores. From Maumere we would go visit in the village of Moni and Kelimutu volcano (this was the original hook that interests us -. A volcano with three volcanic lakes of different colors at the top) From Moni we continued westward until we arrived the port town of Labuan Bajo in the westernmost part of the island. From here we make our way back to Bali to attend water and in some way to the islands of the Komodo dragon.

Gaps in the plan

What we did not know was how much we from place to place to go while on the island ,; where we sleep, and what are the cost of living and the quality are similar; what the food was like in Flores; and the people speak English. Besides Kelimutu we really had no idea what was there to do and see.

Made with the flow

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and see what happens. And this is what we did in Flores. We knew from looking online, that there come a bus from Maumere to Moni, but because of the time by when the bus left our plane was. So when we arrived at the airport we negotiated with a taxi driver to what. For a price we could get to see Moni We managed to get the price down to half of its original offer, and I felt that it was too good to refuse. We also thought it would give us with to pay for a night in Maumere, just so we catch the bus the next day to save. The taxi driver said later that life Moni but so it was either rejected with an empty car or at least something to do us. He offered us accommodation in Moni, but we told him we wanted something less (although what he has given us not just expensive), and so he took us to the house of his friends, literally across the road - the only road Moni - from his seat.

Moni and Kelimutu volcano

The next morning we woke up at 4:30 and went to Kelimutu, while it was still dark, driven on the back of two motorbikes by locals. We followed the road to the end and went to park and walk the rest of the way, not the locals then. Dusk began to break, as we do. Our way to the summit of the volcano At the top we have analyzed the three lakes and calm waiting for the first glimpse of the sun rising over the horizon.

After we had enough, had up there and were glad that we had taken enough pictures fresh we started to head back. We decided to go back to Moni to live and enjoy the atmosphere and the local environment. It was a long road, but we loved it. From the night before talking to the taxi driver, we knew that it had a bus sometime this morning to take us to the next village. However, none of Moni could say with certainty when the bus was going to happen and so instead we jumped into a taxi and paid a similar to what it would cost the bus price. We went to the next town, and again asked for the time of the next bus to Barjawa. Again, after standing around for awhile are a lot of different times, said the bus we decided to take another taxi. We pretty much knew what the ticket cost so we could have the same price for the taxi to negotiate.

Barjawa

It is a couple of hours to Barjawa. We asked the taxi driver to take us in a guesthouse. But what has brought us to no hot water, so we went looking for an alternative. We found one that we liked, but that did not have hot water. We chose a way that the hot water is not the norm in Flores. At breakfast the next morning we had literally no idea what we wanted to do while in Barjawa or what there was to see. We asked the man working at the front desk if he any idea, and asked us to sit down while he called his friend. Minutes later a boy asked if we wanted to go on a tour of Barjawa and surroundings. He explained the route and quoted a price we thought it reasonable and so, when he called a friend to come with another bike, on the back of the bike we jumped and went for a day trip.

During the day we went to a family, the palm wine, where we climb a palm tree and collect palm juice before they visit made a statement about the type of production.

Then we visited a small traditional village, where the people still have to live on site with their own laws and traditional rituals and special provisions that have been given by the government to continue life in this way. We tried to chew betel. We had seen how people chew them, this stuff was in many parts of Asia all mouth chewers' a deep shade of red, but we had never known what it was. We did not like.

We then went to another traditional village, an even older. This place was really cool and had the look of a tribal settlement from the likes of which I always dreamed of visiting. What I really loved this place, that they (still) not exhausted their culture pandering to tourists and tourist dollars. There were stalls in bad taste and expectations of counseling or hand-out. People just quietly went about their business as a visitor politely took a bit around curiously.

After visiting the village we drove a few kilometers on the side of some natural hot springs. We had the hot springs was "of course", appeared in front of the part of a resort or recreation center, and so did not feel very natural at all. The natural hot springs, which brought us to our guide, but would not have more natural. In the forest you can immediately that she could see not changed or manipulated by human hands in the slightest hidden. We had lunch and then a great afternoon playing in the (very) hot springs we had.

Labuan Bajo (West Flores)

After fun Barjawa, we took a taxi (we gave the idea by bus) to the capital Port Labuan Bajo. Labuan Bajo is relatively close to the islands of Komodo dragons (actually a few dragons still live on a small part of Flores himself) and many captains offer their boats to take people on tours of the islands. Tourism begins to develop as more and more people are discovering this. This is the development of tourism infrastructure, although that does not exist in the rest of Flores, it is becoming increasingly clear in Labuan Bajo. There are nice places to stay, restaurants serving Western dishes and good coffee and there are many travel agencies that are trying to get a few dollars of foreign visitors.