Flores – Overland Trip

Flores Island belongs to Nusa Tengarra, which includes the islands east of Bali.Flores is about 360 km long and only between 12 and 60 km narrow, and one of the most scenic and varied island in Nusa Tenggara.

In 1544, a Portuguese merchant ship discovered the eastern cape of the island and named it “Cabo de Flores”, Cape of Flowers, although there are no more flowers growing here than in other parts of Indonesia.

Flores is located in the volcanic belt that stretches from Sumatra to Java, Bali and until the Banda sea. A turbulent geological history is reflected in the highly rugged mountain landscape of Flores. Several volcanoes cover the entire length of the island. The highest still active volcanoes on the island are the Egon Volcano near Maumere and the Inerie near Bajawa. The most famous volcano on Flores is the volcano Kelimutu, with its three different colored crater lakes.

Flores is probably most famous for its Komodo National Park, a couple of islands inhabited by a population of around 5,700 giant lizards, whose appearance and aggressive behaviour have led to them being called ‘Komodo dragons’. They exist nowhere else in the world. The islands consists of rugged hills covered by dry savannah and pockets of thorny green vegetation, contrasting starkly with the brilliant white sandy beaches and the blue waters surging over spectacular coral reefs.