Flores is one of big and beautiful island dominated by a string of volcanoes and has many distinct ethnic groups. In Flores you can see many interesting cultures and also traditional beliefs and most of the people in Flores are Christian. Flores well known with its thriving ikat-weaving tradition, beautiful beaches and small town port at Labuanbajo and also good water activities such as snorkeling and diving around the Flores sea. Labuanbajo is also as the jumping point to visit Komodo and Rinca Island only within 2 hours crossing the sea to reach this Komodo Dragon wild habitat. When the Portuguese first came to Flores, they called the island with the name Easternmost Cape Cabo das Flores meaning Cape of Flower. Before the European arrived in Flores land, most of coastal Flores inhabited by the Makassarese and Bugis from Southern Sulawesi. The Bugis built own port as part of a trading network throughout Indonesia archipelago. In the 15^th through 16^th century most of Western & Central Flores become colony of the Makassarese Kingdom of Gowa in Southern Sulawesi and Eastern part of the Flores came under of Ternate Kingdom in Maluku. In 17^th century VOC kicked the Portuguese out of Flores and surrounding area and concentrated on monopolizing the trade until beginning of 20^th century. Geographically most of Flores island is mountain range with one of the finest volcanoes is the caldera of Kalimutu in central Flores and very popular with its three colored lakes. In Flores there are 14 actives volcanoes. The rainy season from November to March each year. The people on the Western end of the island more Malay and the Eastern part more Melanesian. Flores island inhabited more than 1,5 million people one divided into 5 main language and culture groups. From West to East, there are : The Manggarai (main town Ruteng), The Ngada (Bajawa), The closely related Ende and Lio Peoples (Ende), The Sikkanese (Maumere), and the Lamaholot (Larantuka). Around 85% of the Flores people are Catholic. The main road connecting these ethnic group, the government built the Trans-Flores Highway start from Labuanbajo to Larantuka is around 700km length.Labuanbajo is a small port town at the western tip of Flores as a start point to explore high land or surrounding tourist object or diving site around western costal including Komodo & Rinca island. Labuanbajo is also popular with its port, sea food restaurant and cafe and also some of tourist object within walking distance and around 25 minutes driver by car such as Batu Cermin (Mirror Stone). As the fist tourist object at the western tip, Labuanbajo offer many good standard or basic accommodation such as : Mutiara Beach Hotel located in the central of town with nice waterfront Restaurant facing to harbor, Bajo Beach Hotel just a cross the road with very basic standard hotel, Garden Hotel located on hilltop above main road, Mitra Hotel, Hotel Wisata the best one in Labuanbajo town. If you want to stay on beach hotel at remote area you must take a boat ride from Labuanbajo. Kanawa Island Bungalow located on Pulau Kanawa around 1 hour by boat from Labuanbajo, Waecicu Beach Hotel is around 20 minutes boat ride on Waecicu Beach, Puri Bagus Komodo at Batu Gosok around a half hour boat ride, the New Bajo Beach is 2,5 hour by road from Labuanbajo, Pungu Hotel located on Pulau Pungu around a half hour by boat. Ruteng is busy market town and meeting point for the people from western hill Flores, the central town of Manggarai ethnic. Ruteng town surrounded by wide rice field and a line of volcanic hills. Ruteng is a pleasant cool town and good place for stop over before continuing the trip in Flores island to reach another destination. Good place for breathtaking and relaxing your body after a day trip. You can find many standard and basic hotels in Ruteng for your overnight stay such as : Dahlia Hotel, Hotel Manggarai, Wisma Agung II & Wisma Agung I, Hotel Sindha, Rima Hotel. Here you are easy to find food and small cafe offering the local food. Bajawa is small hill town of Bajawa the center of Ngada People, one of the most traditional ethnic groups in Flores. Located 1100 meter above sea level, cool temperature and surrounded by volcanic hills. A good place for doing countryside tours and exploring Ngada villages. As one of tourist object, many investor built hotels and recommended hotel for your trip such as : Hotel Sehati, Edelweiss, Hotel Karina, Home staySunflower, Hotel Ariesta, The Friendly Hotel Kencana, Anggrek Hotel, Hotel Kembang. You need more time to stay at Bajawa because this is the heart of tourist object in Flores, you can explore one by one such as : Kampung Bolozi around 30-45 minutes walk west from Bajawa where you can find some Ngadhus a few traditional houses and an old tomb. Langa & Bela where you can see Ngadhus and Bhagas (miniature thatch-roofed houses) in Langa around 7km from Bajawa. Bena is one of the most traditional Ngada villages and its stone monuments are a protected site. Nage is a traditional village around 7km from Bena. Wogo is the largest village with 8 or 9 sets of Ngadhus and Bhagas, ringed by traditional houses. Soa is round 20km north of Bajawa as traditional culture religion whose people are related to the Bajawanese and the Boawaenese. Boawae is 41 km from Bajawa on the highway to Ende and the center of Nage-Keo people. Ende is a gathering places between South-Central Flores people mix of Malay and Melanesian features. Ende is a pleasant town surrounded by mountain scenery and very hot and dusty towards the end of the dry season. Ende is located at the beck of peninsula and most of shops and port located at the western side and the main port of Ipi at the eastern side. Many thing you can see in Ende such as Museum Soekarno when Ir. Soekarno was exiled by the Dutch to Ende in 1933 and now become the Museum, Museum Bahari, Museum Rumah Adat, Waterfront Market, Ikat market, Ndona village & Walotopo where you can find traditional houses. For your accommodation you can stay at : Hotel Iklas, Hotel Safari, Hotel Anggrek, Hotel Nur Jaya, Hotel Persada Indah, Hotel Homansyur, Hotel Flores, Hotel Dwi Putri, Hotel Wisata, Bitta Beach Bungalows, Hotel Melati, Hotel Nirwana, Losmen Makmur, Penginapan Rinjani. In Ende you are very easy to find food stand, small cafe and restaurants for dine outside. Ende is start point to get boat to Sumba with few schedule per week. There are also several boat to Kupang. Pelni's Pangrango has schedule to spot at Ende port every two week and sail to Waingapu. The most interesting tourist object in Flores is located in Ende town, the name is Kalimutu where you can see three colored lakes set in deep craters at an altitude of 1600m and color may changes at anytime. From Moni village up to the Lake is around 13,5km and Moni is located 52km north-east of Ende. Moni Village is a pretty village as the gateway to Kalimutu the Flores main tourist attraction of three colored lakes. For the early morning hiking we suggest the visitor to stay and overnight around Moni village where you can find many hotels and restaurant there. Recommended hotel around Moni such as : Sao Ria Wisata, Hidayah, Regal jaya, Nusa Bunga, Arwanti Homestay, Sulvester, Kalimutu, Watugana, Flores Sare Hotel, Palm Homestay. Maumere is popular with its Seaport as the main district of the Sikka Ethnic located between central Flores and Larantuka. The language of Sikkanese close to Larantuka and Ende Ethnic. The name of Sikka taken from a village on the south coast when the island controlled by Portuguese. Sikka is the center of Catholic activities in Flores since the Portuguese arrived some 400 years ago. In 1992 Maumere was hit by an earthquake and the ensuing 2 m high tidal wave killed dozen peoples. Recommended hotel around Maumere such as : Garden Hotel, Hotel Senja Wair Bubuk, Hotel Jaya, Hotel Wini Rai I & II, Hotel Maiwali, Hotel Permata Sari, Hotel Beng Goan I & III, Hotel Bogor II. Dining outside is very easy in Maumere as many small cafe and local restaurant you can find there. When staying in Maumere, some of interesting tourist object you can visit such as Ledalero & Nita around 19 km from Maumere as the center of Florin ese Priests Studied Catholic seminary, Sikka is the Portuguese settlement town located 27 km from Maumere. The popular one is Sikkanese ikat, Watublapi located in the hills around 20km south east of Maumere as the largest Catholic mission, Waiara is just off the Larantuka road around 13 km east of Maumere. Waiara has two resorts for the visitor overnight such as : Sea World Club and Flores Sao Resort, Wodang & Waiterang beach is 28 km east of Maumere the closest place to diving sports of Pulau Besar and Pulau Pangabatang. Larantuka is little busy port at eastern end of Flores island separated by narrow strait from Pulau Solor and Pulau Adonara. Larantuka is the departure point for the boat/ships to Solor Island. You can see a little tourist site in Larantuka town but they have some object such as Large Cathedral and Larantuka Traditional Market. During your visit at Larantuka town, we can recommend you some hotels for your overnight such as : Hotel Rulies, Hotel Tresna, Hotel Fortuna I, II & III and Hotel Sederhana. For the adventure and deep culture interest, please contact for some briefing of the program as we are expert on the field. Please come and see our rich Flores cultures and beautiful nature through our agency (PT. Bali Kumala Sari, nick name "BISTUR")

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