Labuan Bajo - Flores - Indonesia

So my dear friends, it's time to leave Sulawesi and visit another island of the Great Archipelago. I have chosen Flores. And to get there, I first have to take the night bus from Rantepao to Makassar and then, luckily, directly to the airport. I must mention that this is not just any bus; on this route, they offer the luxury option. They use the big Scania and Mercedes buses with mega comfortable seats, or better yet, armchairs. In addition, there is plenty of space, and everyone gets a pillow and a big, thick blanket, so the UFO is ready to take off.

Early in the morning at 5 o'clock, I arrived at Makassar Airport, right on time for my 8:30 am flight via Denpassar (Bali) to Labuan Bajo in Flores. I will explore Flores in the coming days, starting here in Labuan Bajo. And as many know, Labuan Bajo is also a starting point for trips to Komodo Island. But I will save that for another time. The next day, I prefered to rent a scooter and explore the surrounding area of L.B.

Driving a scooter here is super relaxed, and the main roads are good. However, I had to leave these roads at some point to reach my destination today, and it continued on an old, partially destroyed road through the jungle. It was very exhausting, but when I reached "Sano Nggoang" after 2 hours, a very large crater lake, possibly the deepest on Earth at 500 meters, I was happy.

After a good rest, it was time to head back, and I was quite relieved when I finally arrived back in Labuan Bajo in the early evening.

Labuan Bajo itself is actually just a small coastal town, but many tourist shops and dive centers have set up here because it is the gateway to Komodo and a great place for diving. Unfortunately, I can't go diving here, as I would need to stay for another 2 days. This doesn't fit into my schedule, and there are already too many tourists here for my taste. So I immediately booked my flight for tomorrow to "Bajawa" at a price of 15-20 euros. I will reach my destination in about 30 minutes, whereas the bus would have taken about 10 hours and cost the same amount.

So I relaxed on the terrace of my hostel, enjoying the amazing view over Labuan Bajo's harbor and the surrounding islands.