Most people definitely associate Indonesia with Bali, although in fact, Indonesia is made up of 17,804 islands, and more than half of them do not even have an official name. Each island is beautiful and unique in its own way, but, of course, for an interesting and eventful holiday, you should choose larger islands with developed infrastructure. Today we will tell you about the island of Flores, located in the Eastern part of Indonesia.
1. Beaches
First of all, a wonderful beach holiday awaits you in Flores. The state, along with private investors, invests in the development of this island, so there are hotels and beach clubs, well-groomed private beaches, restaurants and souvenir shops. And at the same time, if you go a little further from the tourist area, you can find authentic villages and deserted wild beaches, where you feel like you’re on the edge of the earth.
Yes, we almost forgot – Flores has a unique beach with pink sand. There are only seven such pink beaches in the world. The fact is that in this bay there is especially a lot of plankton of a certain type. At high tide it mixes with the white sand, naturally giving the beach a strawberry hue.
2. Diving
Divers from all over the world have known about Flores Island for a long time. Even Jacques Cousteau considered diving in these places to be one of the best in the world. The rich flora and fauna of the underwater world amazes with its diversity – here you can find sea turtles, majestic manta rays, hammerhead fish and gray reef sharks, and in addition, one of the most mysterious fish, the Mola Mola, or sunfish, lives in these waters.
3. Boat trips
This is something without which a tropical vacation would be incomplete. Depending on your preferences, you can go to sea on a wooden sailboat or rent a modern catamaran. The standard program includes a boat trip along tiny uninhabited islands, swimming in bays and a picturesque sunset in the open ocean.
4. Living volcanoes
Like all the other islands of Indonesia, Flores is of volcanic origin. Several volcanoes rise in its center, some of which are still weakly active. Trekking to the Egon volcano is especially popular among tourists; the ascent takes only three hours, and from the top there is a stunning panoramic view of the island. At the top, you will hear the hissing and gurgling of the volcano, and when you look inside the caldera, you will see smoking craters.
5. Hot springs
Another entertainment for those who love wild nature is hot springs. On the slope of one of the volcanoes, among the wild jungle, there are natural pools with cold, warm and hot water. Spa treatments among tall trees, accompanied by the singing of birds and the shouting of monkeys, will appeal to lovers of the exotic.
6. Colored lakes
Perhaps this is the main attraction of the island of Flores. The three craters of the Kelimutu volcano are filled with water, which changes color from time to time. This is probably caused by the activity of the volcano, causing a change in the chemical composition of the lakes, but scientists still find it difficult to answer the question about the nature of this phenomenon. Of course, you can’t swim in the lakes, but just seeing them is worth climbing to the top of the volcano.
Photo: danielpanuturi.files.wordpress.com
7. Rice fields
Traditional Asian rice fields are demarcated here in such a way that from a distance they look very much like a spider’s web: terraces in the shape of concentric circles, separated by radial paths, look exactly like spider webs. A walk through the fields can be combined with a visit to a small local village and an acquaintance with the traditional way of life.
8. Komodo dragons
If you like thrills, be sure to visit Komodo Island, located near Flores. This unique nature reserve is home to the rare species of Komodo dragon. The direct descendants of dinosaurs live here in relative isolation and have remained virtually unchanged since prehistoric times. Excursion tours to Komodo regularly depart from the island of Flores, during which you can look at the monsters from a boat, and if it’s not scary, then go down to the shore. Beach monitor lizards are fed raw chicken by visiting tourists, so they behave non-aggressively, only walking slowly, waiting for the next treat.
9. Dinner on the beach
As the sun begins to set on the horizon, the air is filled with aromatic smoke from the grill, adding a special ambiance to a classic sunset on the beach. A romantic dinner on the beach is the perfect ending to every day in Flores. The signature dish of local restaurants is seafood. You can rest assured that the fish you are served for dinner swam in the ocean this morning.
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