14 Comments on “Seeking Inspiration?”
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David says:
August 24th, 2009 at 11:34 amThe interesting people you meet along the way
For me that’s the whole point isn’t it.
Fantastic colours in that crater, looks good for a swim…
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timdog says:
August 25th, 2009 at 2:44 amKelimutu, and indeed all of Flores, is indeed a very fine place, though I don’t know that you would want to swim in those lakes Patung.
And yes, of course, the people you meet along the way are the point. Always.Last time I was at Kelimutu (I’ve been there a couple of times) it did have the slightly melencholy air of a place long-since dropped off the tourist trail. Once upon a time the Southeast Asia backpacker trail went snaking through Nusa Tenggara, all the way from Bali, Danau Toba, and back to its wellspring on the Khao San Road. But between bombs, visa restrictions and the fickle fashions of herd-mentality “travellers” (“Laos, man, I heard Laos is really chilled…”) they forgot all about Indonesia.
Did you see many other foreign tourists there Chris?As for amazing places in Indonesia, there are simply so many of them that it’s difficult even to start. But Sumba and Alor are two places thoroughly, firmly locked into my imagination. And I am very fond of the backroads of eastern Madura…
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Chris says:
August 25th, 2009 at 10:42 amDid you see many other foreign tourists there Chris?
We saw a few in Moni, mostly Europeans – English, French, German, Dutch.
Funnily enough, we manged to bump into one family again at a restaurant further along the road in Ruteng, the nearest major town to the Flores Hobbit.
It is quite possible other tourists were going in the opposite direction or the same direction more slowly – I did a shotgun tour.
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ET says:
August 26th, 2009 at 10:59 amA very nice way to travel in a small party from Lombok to Flores and back is by chartering a little boat (see pictures below). I still haven’t had the chance to do it myself but a cousin of mine has and he was quite enthusiastic about it. There’s provisions aboard, the skipper usually also cooks, you moor along the way in nice places or small islands and if the conditions permit you sleep on deck under the canvas. You may plan the trip yourself, make excursions on land and stay in the places of interest for as long as you like, within the limits of your charter of course.
For the financially more endowed there’s also the possibilty to cruise from Bali on penisi schooners but I don’t believe this has the same Robinson Crusoe feel about it.
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August 27th, 2009 at 8:41 amWow, that looks incredible ET, do you find those boats for hire at any old coastal town or is there a specific good place and any rough idea of daily charges?
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Oigal says:
August 27th, 2009 at 9:57 amOk..how about suggestions..young family, beach, nice hotel (young family thing again) beaches sans the trash and plastic?
Thanks
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Oigal says:
August 27th, 2009 at 10:15 amBack a few years ago, when East Timor was still part of Indonesia, we used to disappear for a week with our scuba gear..wander down the wharf and nego a price with one of the fishing boat fleet..
Good size boat and for fifty bucks a day (or less) the skipper was more than happy to skip the hard yards of fishing…Fantastic diving, pick your own agenda plenty of room to sleep on the boat and isolated beaches.
Downside..you needed to bring everything you, food (besides fish), beer, girls (Optional) scuba gear and compressor (which is a pain to fly around) and pre send your tanks by courier.
Ah yea..I have been around that long..time flies when you are having fun
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Oigal says:
August 27th, 2009 at 10:16 amBugger…so much for the fake penname to hide the young family bit…
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August 27th, 2009 at 12:27 pmTry using a different email address so I won’t think you accidentally put your real name in the box…and so your avatar image won’t be exactly the same as the ‘Oigal’ ones, bit of a giveaway there….back to topic.
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August 27th, 2009 at 2:30 pm@ Patung,
Wow, that looks incredible ET, do you find those boats for hire at any old coastal town or is there a specific good place and any rough idea of daily charges?
I’ll have to check with my cousin which may take a while. I only know they boarded in Lombok, went to Flores and back and took these pictures along the way.
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August 27th, 2009 at 7:52 pmChris
We saw a few in Moni, mostly Europeans – English, French, German, Dutch.
That’s nice to know. I had got the impression that in the last two years or so Flores has been rising once more as a destination for foreign tourists, though I suspect most of them fly in and out now, rather than follow a long overland trail through Nusa Tenggara…
Patung – you can set up trips on those boats easily enough in Lombok (either through travel agents in Senggigi, or independently around Labuan Lombok). You can also do it in Bima or Sape at the far end of Sumbawa. And of course, the easiest place to do it is in Labuanbajo at the western tip of Flores. Lots of people do a one day or two day trip on boats like this to the islands of the Komodo National Park (the third of ET’s photos was definitely taken there; some of the others too I would guess), but it’s perfectly possibly to hire the boat for longer and spend several days drifting between ribbed green islets and snorkling in clear water…
Can’t remember the charges exactly, but it was per-day, inclusive of food, and was far from prohibitive.
I’m sure you could set up a similar thing in other, less freuented places if you had the time and the inclination, but Labuanbajo is definitely the place to step off the plane/ferry, head for the harbour, and a few hours later be sailing off into the sunset… -
August 27th, 2009 at 8:07 pmOh yeah, Oigal – there’s a couple of places on Sumba, but it’s a loooooong way to go. There’s also a couple of places on the little islands near Labuanbajo, but the hotels aren’t exactly luxury…
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Lairedion says:
August 28th, 2009 at 7:44 pmThis Dutch tour operator organizes some sort of trip around NTB/NTT, including a 7 day boat trip but Sumba is not included:
http://www.djoser.nl/rondreis_indonesie/22_dg_kleine_sunda_eilanden/ -
hary says:
August 31st, 2009 at 5:51 pmActually, the new hotspot in Flores is Labuanbajo. Real Khao san feel. There’s great snorkeling, the Komodos/Rinca, and of course cheap cold beer.
I enjoyed Moni. It has a lovely setting and the walks from Kelimutu (downhill of course) offer superb views. Good to know that the sole hawker, coffee seller, is still there. Nothing oike a good Java in the bitter winds ontop of Kelimutu.
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