Tip: Visit the island of Flores!
Bali is, of course, a fantastic place to go! But do you have some time left? Then visit the island of Flores... Just a 2-hour flight from Bali, you'll find the island and the Komodo islands. You'll enter a completely different world; the world of the sea, pink beaches, ultimate snorkeling experiences, and Komodo dragons! Sounds cool, right?
#1 A 3-day trip is enough!
We spent 3 days sailing through the Komodo islands on a boat! In those three days, we were able to see the highlights of this beautiful nature reserve and witnessed things we will never forget. Truly an unforgettable trip!
If you also want to discover Flores in addition to the Komodo islands, 3 days won't be enough. Flores is a large island with much beautiful nature and special traditional villages and customs. Definitely worth it! But of course, you need to have time for that...
#2 Don't expect luxury!
3 days and 2 nights on a boat. Eating whatever's on offer and sleeping in your own (primitive) cabin. Absolutely do not expect luxury when booking this trip. We were with 8 others on a large boat, everyone had their own room. Our room was not much bigger than the bed, damp and dirty. Luckily, I had brought some large towels and sarongs that I could put on the bed.
We found the food very tasty, but it is just whatever they serve. The locals on the boat work incredibly hard every day to serve you a delicious meal. This mainly consists of fresh fish and rice.
We even went with one of the crew members to his village to buy fresh fish. We found this very special too. The village was in the middle of the nature reserve and was very primitive, but that's what made it so incredibly special to be allowed to go there. So if you get the chance, ask for it, because you don't often get such an opportunity :).
TIP: Buy some drinks and food for yourself in the supermarket beforehand. During this trip, you won't encounter any civilization, and thus no shops.
TIP: Do you love luxury? There are plenty of hotels on Flores where you can stay in luxury, of course. Then you could book day trips, where you can see a different part of the Komodo islands every day.
#3 Pay close attention to which boat you book!
We were happy with our super friendly crew and relatively decent boat with a private room! But we've also heard stories where they take 40 people on one boat, without private rooms, without lockers, with mattresses on the floor. So really make sure you don't just book anything, but are sure you have a boat with a private room!
#4 Enjoy this gem on earth to the fullest!
Our highlights at a glance:
- Visit to the Komodo Dragons
- Watching the sunrise on Padar Island. This island is known for its view over 3 beaches: a white beach, a black beach, and a pink beach.
- Watching the sunset at Rinca Island. Every evening, 20,000 flying foxes (bats) fly from this island to Flores in search of food.
- Snorkeling with Manta rays at sea. You go out to sea in a small boat, and then suddenly you're told to "jump out". It's very special to swim among the Manta rays like that!
- Visiting one of the pink beaches. Some beaches here are pink, which is due to the red coral from the sea.
- Snorkeling at Turtle Point. A place where many large turtles gather.
- I've forgotten the name, but I've included a photo of it... In the middle of the sea, a pearly white beach suddenly appears. It's very special to walk on just a beach with clear sea all around wherever you look!
- And of course, 3 days of sailing on the sea, past the various islands. Incredibly beautiful and an experience never to be forgotten!
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