Lewotobi volcano level 4: please be aware!
Since early March there were again new eruptions of the Lewotobi volcano and serious ones in the second half of March.
Apart from the injuries of local people living near the volcano again flights were canceled at several airports on Flores. The most vunerable airport is Maumere but
also a few flights to/from Denpasar have been canceled.
Also check www.flightradar24.com
Please note that this can happen at any time and we just don't know when it ends. The Lewotobi volcano is erupting since December 2023 and disturbed flights for 6
months at Maumere airport. Please check your flights regularly and contact the airlines.
Alternatively you can fly to/from Ende airport but there is always a chance flights to/from other airports do not operate.
Updated:
Tuesday March 23th 4:00 CET-11:00 WITA (Central Indonesian Time = Flores, Bali etc)
Komodo National Park: Close to closure? 🤷🏼♀️
There are a lot of articles, postings, rumours about the closure of (a part of) Komodo National Park in both media and social media.
There are a lot of proposals including one day a week, closure in the months of January and February and many many more.
Please be aware that nothing has been decided yet!
There is no need to postpone your visit to Komodo NP until further notice.
Updated:
March 25th 2025
DRONES
Drones in Komodo National Park and Kelimutu National Park are only allowed with a special permit.
https://drone-laws.com/drone-laws-in-indonesia/
Happy dronetravels on Flores.
To use a drone in Komodo NP you need to register first via https://siora.id then choose for "ijin khusus videografi/drone"
Requirements are:
-application letter for Komodo NP
-copy of passport
-copy of drone license from your country
-statement letter which can be downloaded from the previous website
In case you need help you can contact them via tel. +62 81138290000 (WhatsApp) but probably best to call them since
they are very slow with responding.
For parkrules you can
check this website however in Bahasa Indonesia only
New route Jetstar: Singapore-Labuan Bajo vv
Starting 20 March, Jetstar will fly twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays the route Singapore-Labuan Bajo
WELCOME TO FLORES!
welcome to our paradise
lontar palmtree - the source of moke - along the road Mbay to
Riung
SELAMAT DATANG DI FLORES!
selamat datang di surga kita
ALL AIRPORTS ON FLORES OPERATIONAL AGAIN
Finally, after 6 months troubles with flights to/from Maumere, Ende and Bajawa all back to normal again.
Thankfully.
Updated:
Wednesday December 18th 7:40 CET-14:40 WITA (Central Indonesian Time = Flores, Bali etc)
SITUATION VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS & TRANSPORT
The Lewotobi Laki2 volcano in East Flores is active for almost a year but it became more serious since early November. There have been many eruptions with one of the biggests ones 4 weeks ago when 10 people lost their lives, villages are burnt down and people are homeless. There is a lot of help from all parts of Flores, also from neighbouring islands and the government.
FLIGHTS
Due to the eruptions and volcanic ashes there are a lot of troubles with flights in the last 6 months.
Below the update.
Maumere airport
There are no flights to/from Maumere since early July and today both Wings Air and NAM Air suspended their flights again untill December 16th.
Ende airport
Starting today December 1st flights to/from Ende airport are operational again.
Bajawa (Soa) airport
Not clear but when there are flights to/from Ende, logically there should be flights to/from Bajawa again.
Larantuka airport
Business as usual
Labuan Bajo airport
Business as usual
Be aware of the rainy season and there is always a chance of delays and cancellations.
On Flightradar24 you can check the impact of volcanic ashes however this doesn't automatically mean flights operate or not. The extension of flight cancellations of Wings and NAM Air to/from
Maumere is also a financial decision.
I advise to be careful with bookings
ahead. Please be alert, check the news, with your airline and on
sosmed.
Furthermore the Iya volcano, just south of Ende has become status level III last month but no eruptions yet. Also the Rokatenda volcano on Palu’e island (north of central Flores) has become level II.
I hope the volcano situation doesn't mean travelers stay away from Flores and they still will come.
We hope for the best but in case of another eruption eg cancellation of flights below a few tips and alternative possibilities.
Download the Flightradar24 app and set volcano activity (tab “weather”). See example below. www.flightradar24.com
Blackline = current ash area, coloured lines are the predictions (green +6 hrs, yellow +12 hrs, red +18 hrs).
If you are interested in volcano activity, please check this very informative website https://magma.esdm.go.id/ (also for earthquakes, floods and landslides).
BOATS
There is a daily ferry from Labuan Bajo to Sape on Sumbawa which will take 6 to 8 hours. From there you can take a bus to Bima or Sumbawa Besar and take a flight to Denpasar. In case there are also no flights from there you need to continue to Pototano port in west Sumbawa and on by ferry to Lombok, overland to Lembar and by ferry to Padangbai on Bali or flights from Praya (Lombok) to Denpasar, Surabaya or Jakarta.
There are also Pelni boats from Labuan Bajo to Bima and the Dharma Rucitra VIII which sails Surabaya-Labuan Bajo-Ende-Kupang and back again.
However they are not sailing every day. Also bear in mind that you will need a couple of days to get to Bali or Jawa.
For ASDP check here
For Pelni boats check this website
For Dharma Rutrica veryyyyyyyyyyy slow website though :-)
FROM EAST FLORES (BAJAWA AND BEYOND)
If you are on the eastern half of the island there are a few possibilities. Below the most useful ones.
From Ende Pelni boats sail to Kupang (Timor) and the Dharma Rucitra to Kupang and via Labuan Bajo to Surabaya. From Maumere there are Pelni boats to Makassar.
From Aimere (1 hour south fo Bajawa) there is a ferry twice a week to Waingapu on Sumba.
Finally: don’t shoot the messenger, and ….I don’t have a crystal ball 😉
Updated:
Sunday December 1st 12:30 CET-19:30 WITA (Central Indonesian Time = Flores, Bali etc)
Source: FlightRadar24
Update:
Sunday December 1st, 12:30 CET, 19:30 WITA (Central Indonesian Time, Flores, Bali) irt volcanic
ashes.
Black line = current situation
Green, yellow and red the forecast, 6, 12 and 18 hours
A new and heavy eruption of the Lewotobi volcano
PRAY FOR LEWOTOBI!
A new and heavy eruption of the Lewotobi volcano on November 3rd/4th has caused a lot of panic, at the time of
writing 10 people lost their lives and destroyed a part of the environment including people's homes.
The Lewotobi volcano is active since December last year but this eruption seemed rather unexpected and caused a lot of damage.
Eruption Lewotobi CNN
See also the message below about Maumere airport.
Updated:
November 5th 2024
WINGS AIR and NAM AIR FLIGHTS to
MAUMERE suspended up and untill December 1st
Dear guests,
A new eruption of the Lewotobi volcano on November 4th has caused a lot of panic, at
the time of writing 10 people lost their lives. Due to the eruption on November 4th all airports on Flores were closed but in the meantime most of them operational
again.
However, there are still no flights to/from Maumere up and untill December 1st;
this is for flights to/from both Labuan Bajo and Kupang.
The alternative for Maumere airport is Ende airport or Larantuka airport (for those who come to Flores for diving near Maumere/Wairterang.
However, since there are still new eruptions and in combination with east (or south east) wind sometimes there are also no flights to/from Ende and even Bajawa airport. So please check with
your ticketprovider or the airlines.
For those who have already a ticket to Maumere I advise to contact Wings Air (Lion Air Group), NAM Air or your
ticketprovider. Wings sometimes adds an extra flight to Bajawa and Larantuka.
Updated:
November 18th 2024
KOMODO NATIONAL PARK- NEW ENTRANCE FEES?
On October 25th the entrancefees for Komodo National Park seem to be raised however still not clear since only the basic fee is mentioned.
One of the online newspapers
Antara News already wrote an article, no international of articles in English available yet.
NEW ROUTE:
Kuala Lumpur-Labuan Bajo
Starting September 3rd 2024 Air Asia opens a new route from Kuala Lumpur to Labuan Bajo.
They will fly 3 times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
KUL-LBJ 11:10-14:25
LBJ-KUL 14:55-18:35
This means Labuan Bajo will become the status of an international airport.
Kuala Lumpur and Labuan Bajo share the same timezone
Source: Air Asia
FLORES, an island in the tropics south of the equator belongs to the lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara Timur) of Indonesia. The original name of Flores is Tandjoeng Bunga, Malay for flowercape. When the Portuguese came to the island they renamed it into Cabo de Flores and the Dutch shortened it into Flores which means flowers.
FLORES is mostly green, partly dry, mountainous and heavenly beautiful. Flores has everything for a wonderful holiday in the tropics.
FLORES has some gorgeous touristic attractions like the prehistorically komodo dragons, the “Spielberg like” Kelimutu lakes, majestic volcanos like Inerie, Ebulobo, Iya and Egon and even a twin volcano laki2 and perempuan (male and female) Lewotobi, traditions we have almost forgotten in this hasty world. And much more.
Come and see the empty beaches, enjoy wonderful diving, adventurous hikes, deserted islands, pristine forests, all colour lakes, hidden waterfalls, impressive
ceremonies, traditional villages, awesome music, interesting ikat (woven cloth) and above all the welcoming people of
Flores.
Superb is the only word which fits them all. You will be surprised by this warm and cool island. People of Flores are awaiting you and will be proud to show you their island. Well, actually me as well ;-)
Quick to
- Car with driver (halfway the page)
- FAQ'S/Q&A'S
- Routes on Flores
- What to see & do on Flores
Komodo National Park
Please be careful when you book a boattrip!
Most questions and comments on social media are about prices, and yes they have have raised since covid. However since Labuan Bajo has a safety issue every now and then, I strongly advise to pay attention to safety in the first place. See tips in the relevant section for Komodo NP and in the Q&A section
GOOD TO KNOW
This website is filled with information and everything you need to know for your holiday on Flores. Be aware that I am not an agent! My goal is to promote Flores and to generate an income for local people without any profit.
I try to update as much as possible. Prices and schedules mentioned on this website are an indication and sometimes not clear as they are prone to change. So always check and double check.
I think my website is pretty complete and fairly updated including places of interest and practical
information. Have you already seen the Q&A pages?
If you still have questions or you need a car with driver (halfway down the page) please contact me via email floressurgakita@gmail.com
(your mail will be answered within 48 hours).
Tel +62 81284773377 (Indonesian telephone
number) is for short WhatsApp messages which cannot wait, eg for departure within
one week. Please take notion of the possible difference in time with the place you are as I am most of the time in the
Netherlands.
If you are satisfied with the information and/or the result please tell me, preferably via the comment page. If you are not, please let me know as well.
A WELL MEANT ADVISE
Please pay attention to the sections about boat trips to Komodo NP and hiring a car with driver. Or check the relevant information in the Q&A section
Flowers of Flores...
ласкаво просимо до Флореса bienvenue à Flores
bem vindo a Flores
Wilkommen auf Flores
Sveiki atvykę į Floresą
Sugeng
rawuh ing Flores
ยินดีต้อนรับสู่ฟลอเรส bun venit la Flores
dobrodošli u Flores добро пожаловать в Флорес
Vítejte na Floresu
플로레스에 오신 것을 환영합니다
välkommen till Flores wilujeng sumping di Flores
benvenuto a Flores
フローレスへようこそ
wëllkomm zu Flores
welkom op Flores
chào mừng đến với Flores
Flores'e hoş geldiniz
vitajte na Flores Tere tulemast Floresesse
ברוכים הבאים לפלורס
Velkommen til Flores
добродошли у Флорес
tervetuloa Floresiin
bun venit la Flores
به فلورس خوش آمدید
merħba lil Flores
maligayang pagdating sa Flores
welkom by Flores
fàilte gu Flores
欢迎来到弗洛雷斯
Flores मा स्वागत छ
bienvenido
a Flores
witamy w Flores
üdvözöljük Floresben
مرحبا بك في فلوريس
laipni lūdzam Floresā
ласкаво просимо в Флорес
benvinguts a Flores
फ्लोर्स में आपका स्वागत है
fáilte go Flores
witaj w mieście Flores vítejte na Flores
Thank you for your visit. Terima kasih banyak.
This website is made with love and passion.
Colours are well chosen: green (forest & ricefields), blue (sea and rivers) and brown (mountains & traditional villages), the colours of Flores.
You will find here travel information about the island of Flores, which will be updated frequently.
Questions - please check the Q&A's and comments are welcome.
Anne Mieke - AM PHOTONESIA©