IslandGuide — Flores
🇮🇩 Indonesia

Where to stay in Flores

Flores is a long, mountainous island in eastern Indonesia, stretching some 360 km west to east. The western tip, Labuan Bajo, is the gateway to Komodo National Park and the centre of the island's tourism. The interior is volcanic, with the active Inerie volcano above Bajawa and the three coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu near Moni. The southern coast city of Ende offers an alternative airport (ENE) and access to Kelimutu from the south. Most travellers fly into Komodo Airport (LBJ) in Labuan Bajo and either stay there, board a liveaboard, or drive the trans-Flores highway east. The best bases concentrate around Labuan Bajo for diving and Komodo trips, and Moni, Bajawa or Ruteng for the cultural and volcanic interior.

Search hotels in Flores

Where to look

Komodo & Diving

Labuan Bajo is the only realistic base for Komodo dragons, Padar viewpoint and the Komodo dive sites. Stay close to the waterfront for early-morning boat departures. The town has grown from a fishing village to a premium dive hub since 2018, with options from simple guesthouses to clifftop eco-resorts above the bay. Liveaboard boats are a popular alternative for serious divers.

Volcanoes & Lakes

The interior of Flores is volcanic and dramatic. Moni village at the foot of Kelimutu is the standard base for the famous coloured-lake sunrise. Bajawa, on a 1,100 m plateau below Inerie volcano, is the base for the traditional Ngada villages of Bena and Wogo. Highland temperatures are noticeably cooler than the coast — a welcome break from the tropical heat.

Culture & Trekking

Ruteng in central Flores is the practical overnight stop near the Lingko spider-web rice fields and the trailhead for Wae Rebo, the UNESCO-recognised mountain village reached by a 3–4 hour forest trek. Travellers crossing Flores by road typically split the journey into 2–3 nights here and in Bajawa. Accommodation is mostly small family-run guesthouses with simple but clean rooms.

Boutique & Quiet

For travellers wanting Komodo without the Labuan Bajo bustle, several private-island and clifftop boutique resorts have opened on the islands and headlands around Labuan Bajo Bay. These are typically reached by hotel speedboat and offer spa, infinity pools and sunset views over Komodo silhouettes. Quiet beach bays on the north coast east of Labuan Bajo also have a few small upscale properties.

Search hotels in Flores

Some links are affiliate — they help keep IslandGuide free.