Komodo National Park, Flores - Lonely Planet Indonesia
Flores island used to actually get by on bali’s overflow alone, and therefore the trickle of travellers that landed within the whole sleepy west coast city of labuanbajo usually used it being a spring board onto the epic komodo national park, then quickly left.
other then labuanbajo is sleepy get rid of. that trickle has elevate to a river, and therefore the island named “flowers” by 16th-century portuguese colonists who were astonished by its lush, fragrant forests, is by the verge of turning into indonesia’s next massive eco-travel hotspot.
it is smart. in any case, flores will be the more than a little attractive that grabs hold individuals tightly. it's empty white sand beaches and bay islands, glorious diving and snorkelling as well as a skyline of perfectly shaped volcanoes. the 700km trans-flores highway that connects the east and west coasts skirts knife-edge ridges that sheer into spectacular river canyons, brushes by ancient villages and results in multi-hued volcanic lakes. for years this tropical jewel box remained a secret, its gems accessible solely to actually those willing to actually venture off of the beaten track. other then due to steadily improving infrastructure as well as a maturing tourism business, flores is blooming like never before. most visitors hire a car with the use of a driver and bring it all in on any long slow road trip, providing to actually linger, before or when among the national park’s komodo dragons.
Port city boom town in Flores island
tucked into your country’s west coast, labuanbajo is a bit, romantically ramshackle bay harbour city that isn't thus very little anymore. in the previous 3 years, the harbour has doubled in size and therefore the population has exploded. lately, visitors from all over the planet check into sweet and homey guesthouses etched into your rugged hills – or one amongst the new tower hotels the coast – to actually take within the whole surrealist sunsets and book passage onto the national park. meanwhile, numerous young flores locals are drawn to actually labuanbajo for the office, that lends a lively boomtown bustle. whereas the town’s chief attractions stay offshore, due to glorious restaurants like created in italy and mediterraneo you can find a growing dining and nightlife scene brewing during this charming city that helps it be an effort to leave.
Raw Wildlife in Flores island
in fact, labuanbajo initially popped on traveller’s radars as a result of flores’ 1, 817sqkm komodo national park, that includes additional ocean than land, nurtures reef systems that lure an array of underwater life and protects the largest lizard the world over. komodo dragons are gargantuan swaggering beasts that live on 2 rugged islands within the whole national park – komodo and rinca. these prehistoric giants grow to actually more often 3 meters long and weigh up to actually 100kg. you'll charter a native boat from labuanbajo for 2 or 3 day cruises in park waters, snorkel over pristine reefs, lounge on pink sand beaches and hike on rinca and komodo ( one as well as a half and 3 hours by boat from labuanbajo respectively ).
rinca, 17 nautical miles from labuanbajo, gets possibly the most visitors, just like the dragons are likely to congregate close to the park ranger offices and spotting them is simple. other then additional fulfilling is every day hike by the spectacular and remote komodo island, 22 nautical miles coming from the mainland. take into account a guided trek through poreng valley by the island’s northeastern flank, where you might can possible spot a dragon within the whole scaly flesh, and up and more than bukit randolph, a 1, 835ft-high peak that looms between 2 harbours, loh sebita by the additional exposed northeast coast and loh sebita, a sheltered bay additional south and west, where your boat will choose you up.
source and image: bbc.com
