Package overview
This itinerary starts on the ground in Ende or Maumere and drives the length of Flores over roughly a week, taking in the Kelimutu crater lakes, the Riung marine garden, So'a hot springs, the Bajawa highlands and the traditional Wae Rebo village before reaching Labuan Bajo. The final stretch switches from road to boat for a Komodo National Park cruise.
It is a long, ground-heavy itinerary built for clients who see Komodo as one part of a wider Flores trip rather than the whole trip. Distances between towns are real driving days, so agents should set expectations around road time alongside the sightseeing, especially on the middle stretch between Riung, Bajawa and Ruteng where daily transfers run several hours each way.
Trip highlights
- Sunrise at the tri-coloured Kelimutu crater lakes
- A full day snorkelling trip to Riung Marine Garden
- So'a hot spring and the Bajawa highland countryside
- The Cancar spider-web rice fields near Ruteng
- An overnight trek to Wae Rebo, Flores' best-known traditional village
- A Komodo National Park boat cruise to Padar, Pink Beach and Komodo Island
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Ende or Maumere to Moni village
The trip begins with the overland transfer from Ende or Maumere to Moni, the small highland village that serves as the base for visiting the Kelimutu crater lakes. It is largely a travel day, positioning the group for an early start the next morning.
Day 2: Moni village, Kelimutu Lake, Wologai village, Ende, Riung (breakfast included)
An early departure catches Kelimutu's three crater lakes, each holding a different mineral colour, before the group continues via Wologai traditional village and Ende town on the long drive north to Riung on the coast. It is one of the fuller days of the trip, combining the volcano visit with several hours of road.
Day 3: Full-day snorkelling trip to Riung Marine Garden (breakfast included)
The day is spent out on the water around Riung's marine park, a cluster of small islands and reefs on Flores' north coast that sees far fewer visitors than the Komodo side of the island. It is a relaxed contrast to the driving days on either side of it.
Day 4: Riung to So'a hot spring, Bajawa (breakfast included)
Leaving the coast, the route climbs back into the highlands via the So'a hot spring before reaching Bajawa, a hill town surrounded by traditional Ngada villages and rice terraces. The hot spring stop breaks up an otherwise road-heavy day, giving the group a chance to stretch and unwind partway through the drive.
Day 5: Bajawa countryside tour (breakfast included)
A full day is spent around Bajawa itself, exploring the surrounding countryside and traditional villages of the Ngada highlands rather than continuing the drive east. It gives the trip a pause after four days of steady travel, with no long transfer scheduled until the following morning.
Day 6: Bajawa, Aimere village, Borong, Ruteng (breakfast included)
The drive resumes east through Aimere village and the town of Borong before reaching Ruteng, a highland town that is the gateway to the Cancar rice fields and the trailhead for Wae Rebo. It is another long road day connecting central and western Flores.
Day 7: Ruteng, Cancar spider-web rice fields, Narang, Denge, Wae Rebo village (breakfast and lunch included)
The day opens with the Cancar rice fields, whose radial paddy pattern gives them the spider-web name, before the group drives via Narang and Denge villages to the trailhead for Wae Rebo. From there it is a multi-hour trek up to Wae Rebo itself, the isolated village of conical thatched-roof houses that is one of Flores' best-known cultural sites, with the overnight spent in the village.
Day 8: Wae Rebo, Denge, Narang, Lembor village, Labuan Bajo (breakfast and lunch included)
The group treks back down from Wae Rebo through Denge and Narang villages, then drives via Lembor to Labuan Bajo, the harbour town that is the gateway to Komodo National Park. This closes out the overland portion of the trip before switching to boat travel.
Day 9: Labuan Bajo, Kelor Island, Rinca Island, Kalong Island (all meals included)
The Komodo boat leg begins with a stop at Kelor Island for a short climb to its viewpoint, then continues to Rinca Island for a ranger-guided walk to see Komodo dragons, finishing near Kalong Island to watch its resident flying foxes take flight at dusk.
Day 10: Rinca Island, Padar Island, Pink Beach, Komodo Island (all meals included)
This day covers Padar Island's viewpoint over its three bays, the red-tinged sand of Pink Beach, and a further Komodo dragon walk on Komodo Island itself, making it the most sight-dense day of the boat leg and one of the busiest days of the whole 11-day trip.
Day 11: Taka Makassar, Manta Point, Siaba Island, Kanawa Island, Labuan Bajo (breakfast and lunch included)
The final day is spent snorkelling at Taka Makassar sandbar and Manta Point before a last stop at Siaba and Kanawa islands, then the boat returns to Labuan Bajo where the 11-day trip ends and guests disembark for their onward flights.
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