A few days resort diving in Flores before Komodo Dancer March 2012 - what resort?

[Layla]

I have just booked my spot on the Komodo Dancer for March 2012

I would like to spend a couple days on land doing some diving before the Dancer
I've looked on Google and it returned a load of places ....

Can anyone recommend a place like a resort/ hotel which also has a dive club attached?
A basic hotel is fine, I'm not looking for 5* luxury

Is there any other 'must do, land activities while I'm on Flores?

Thanks ... L

 

[benjamin]

Hi L,

You could try Bintang Flores Hotel as they have a well run dive centre attached and are close to the airport and labuan bajo, Lake Kelimutu is certainly worth a visit - spectacular scenery and water filled volcanoes with amazing colours. The resort should also be able to arrange tours.

 

[Layla]

Great, I'll definately take a look at Bintang and check out the volcanos

Hi L,

You could try Bintang Flores Hotel as they have a well run dive centre attached and are close to the airport and labuan bajo, Lake Kelimutu is certainly worth a visit - spectacular scenery and water filled volcanoes with amazing colours. The resort should also be able to arrange tours.

 

[Luko]

Flores is a splendid island if you take the time to visit, it's widespread (400km long) and the roads are winding through beautiful landscapes (especially between Moni and Ende). It takes about 3-4 days with a driver to go from Maumere to Labuan Bajo or the otherway around.
I would recommend you enter Flores landing Maumere rather than Labuan Bajo, stay at Sea World on a very nice beach and run by a german missionary, go one day diving with them, they can arrange your full tour accoms, car rental and driver. Then afterwards you will be driving across Flores and stop at Moni for the spectacular 3 colored lakes at Kelimutu, which is also very nice for birding, stop enroute one day at Bajawa for perfect volcanoes and tribal villages, another night in Ruteng for a feel of remote small town life, the day after, you should be arriving Labuan Bajo, which is not really the city you would like to stay on Flores, though it is the departure point for Liveaboards to Komodo.
If you have a day left on Labuan Bajo you can stay at Bintang or downtown and spend the day on Bidadari island public beach which is really beautiful, you will just have to rent a boat and deal with a boatman.

 

[Layla]

Hi Luko

Thanks for your post

I actually wrote to Sea World this morning, it looks beautiful out there
only then did I realise how far they were from LBJ

I've just put together my itinerary and it is 18 days end to end including the required nights in Bali
and three whole days in LBJ, maybe I'll cut that down to two days and two nights

I was hoping to do some diving and some mountain biking - Sea World rent bikes which I thought would be great ...
diving in the morning + mountain biking in the afternoon
But, I don't think I will be going to Maumere just bc it is so far from the marina

 

[Layla]

Does down town LBJ have much in the way of night life?
I will be on my own, but I always go out on my own when travelling ... or is this not the done thing in Indo
Would a dive center come pick me up from my hotel down town

 

[Luko]

three whole days in LBJ, maybe I'll cut that down to two days and two nights

Layla, you wouldn't really want to stay on Labuan Bajo for 3 full days, it's big dusty willage with almost nothing to do and very very little nightlife if none. You should better only overnight in Labuan Bajo (Bintang or anywhere else) and maximize your Flores inland stay.

If you're stranded for 3 days in LBJ, then try staying on one of the islands, there's a new italian dive resort on Sabayur island very close to Komodo NP, or closer in LBJ bay, Kanawa island which I think also has a dive centre on premises now, from the informations I got.
If you want to moutain bike I don't think Sea world woudl be the place : it's quite far wayy from downtown and nothiung much around. you should then stay 2 days in Moni at the quit enew Kelimutu Eco Lodge, no diving but gorgeous environment, this is were I think mountain biking would be the most enjoyable, I am sure they can provide mountain bikes there.

 

[Layla]

Thank Luko

I did not think of staying on an island
I was wondering, if I do two dives in the morning then what will I do for the whole rest of the, that's when I though i could go mountain biking
Soundslike LBJ is not my place, I could not find anything on Google under 'things to do in LBJ'

I'll take a look at the nearby islands
I assume I can quite easily get a ferry over

 

[Layla]

Kanawa Island looks beautiful ... I've just written to them

 

[Bora_Horza]

There is a bit of nightlife in Labuanbajo, as it becomes more popular. Try The Corner or The Lounge in the evenings (on the shore road), and a nice view of the setting sun up the hill at Paradise bar (? I think). Easy to get around town, there's a one way circular road system going along the shore road, and back around up the heights and down again. You can flag down a motorcycle taxi / ojek, or the endlessly circling bemos and pay 3000 to 5000 IDR a go, though these stop after about 8 or 9pm.