Life Changing Experience - If you are thinking of booking this trip please do not hesitate! You will no regret it in the slightest! The guys truly care about their home and the people in it. You can see the way they interact with the local children that they love where they live. I provided a lengthy recap below but a few things I strongly encourage if you make this adventure: 1) please buy items from the locals, unlike in Bali the fabric items are all painstakingly hand made and not mass produces. 2) I brought candy for the local kids in Wae Rebo, but if possible bring a new soccer ball or volleyball. They love soccer and could use a new ball. Their current one has seen a lot of action and love. 3) if you open your heart and mind, this trip will change your life I can't express how amazing and fulfilling this trip was. I had spent 3 weeks in Bali before coming to spend a week in Flores. I wanted time away from the tourist filled areas and have a true authentic Indonesian while enjoying some of the amazing ecotourism sites of Flores. I flew into Maumere to start my journey. The night before we were to begin Irwan and Tony met me at Coconut Beach to introduce themselves and to meet me. They were extremely friendly and welcoming as everyone in Flores is. Irwan asked me why I chose to come to Flores. I hadn't expected that question but was quite excited he asked. I explained that I wanted to experience the local life, culture, and opportunities that most tourists overlook or miss out. What I got the next 6 days checked every single one of my boxes. We stared in Maumere visiting the Lepo Lorun weaving community where the local women start from raw cotton to create these absolutely beautiful sarongs that take 2-3 months to make. Witnessing how they use all locally sourced items to dye the thread different colors and to see how it all comes together in the end is magical. We then headed to Kristus Raja Statue, and then to Koka Beach in Moni for lunch (amazing heart shaped beach). After which we headed to Moni for an early night's sleep since we were getting up early for the morning hike to Kelimutu Lakes. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate that morning but I did get a brief clear peek of one of the lakes. If you spend any time in Bali, Flores, or surrounding islands you'll already know the clouds can be unpredictable at that altitude. You just roll with it and enjoy the adventure. After showering and getting breakfast, we headed out to the Wologai Traditional Village to look at the different structures there which include: traditional house, tribal house, and large house. While we were there, there was a wedding celebration setup taking place just outside the traditional village which provided some music to enjoy. We headed to Blue Stone Beach for some lunch afterwards. Irwan knew how much I loved photography and gave me an option of skipping the hot springs and going to Wolobobo viewpoint for sunset. I happily said yes, and could not have been more pleased. The view literally dropped my mouth. The massive scale of Mount Inerie right in front of us was such a beautiful sight. We stayed until shortly before sunset because some rain moved in so we made a laughing dash for the car. After we grabbed dinner, I got checked in at Manulalu Jungle Bungalow in Bajawa. As it was dark when we arrived I had no idea the amazing view outside on the patio that awaited me when I woke up. Mount Inerie once again in all of it's beauty. I was not aware when we checked in but the villa I was in had a bed outside on the patio with a mosquito net. I highly encourage sleeping out there if you can. I spent a few hours in it when I woke up that morning. After breakfast we headed up to visit Luba, Bena, Belaraghi, and Aimere Vilages. Luba village provided me such an amazing experience where we saw some preschoolers at school outside singing. Irwan had the idea to go check it out. Initially I was apprehensive because I wanted to observe and take in culture vs insert myself into it and disrupt. However what followed was a lifetime memory. I got to meet all the students. Some introduced themselves individually. One wanted to be in the army and another wanted to be a chef. We sang a few songs and danced. Then I got to teach them twinkle twinkle little star. It was such a surreal experience. I dont think I have smiled that big before. Thrighout the other villages, I met more locals and bought some coconut bowl and another hand made sarong. Unlike in Bali, all the sarongs you find in Flores are painstakingly handmade. You can literally watch them making them in the villages. Going row by row. I highly encourage everyone to buy one or a few. The impact and help they provide the locals is immense. They're not the mass produced ones like the ones that are pushed on you in Bali. They're a work of art and will provide you with a memorable token of your time in Flores. When we wrapped up our rime in the villages, we hit up Siquarra for lunch. Hands down the best fried rice in Flores! That night I got checked in at Spring Hill Hotel. I was treated to a dinner that evening that I will forever be grateful for. It checked a box I didnt think I would be able to check. Irwan, if you see this thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your family was extremely welcoming and I can't thank them of you enough. The next day we started in Ruteng. We headed to a vewpoint of the Golo Cador rice terraces. I was hoping to get some aerial photos of the multi-colored rice terraces however the viewpoint was too close to the local airport to take off. Irwan and Erland said they knew of a spot not far away that would allow me to fly. On our way to that spot we passed a high school (SMA Setia Bakti) where lots of the students were outside on the field practicing a dance. We stopped to watch for a bit. Eventually one of the teachers came up to us at the fence and invited us in for a closer view! I was introduced to some of the staff an encouraged to walk around and get closer for photos. Then I was taken around the school by the teacher (Simin) who had greeted us for a tour of the whole school. I tell you what, if you want to feel like a celebrity, be a Bule in Flores and take a tour through a school. lol It was quite flattering and amazing to meet students, see their classrooms, labs, and school. It was such a great experience. After the tour we came back out to the lawn where I was offered Arak from the local teachers like it was morning coffee and no big deal. I partook with them but something about taking shots at a high school during the school day made me laugh in some surreal acceptance of it being normal back home lol. After feeling like a celebrity, Erland and I headed to the Ruteng Traditional Market where I got to see where and how the locals shop for all sorts of items including vegetables, raw meat, live animals, raw fish, dried, fish, dry goods, tools, and more. I knew what to expect at the market but seeing is definitly different. However it's an experice I was very glad to have. After the market we stopped at Wulang Pari coffee on our way to the Spider Web rice field. If you love coffee like I do be sure to ask them to stop there and buy a few bags of beans. They pulled me a shot of espresso using their beans and it was like heaven in a cup. We headed to spider web rice field where they had just recently harvested so the spider web wasnt as prevealent but the view from up top is not to be missed. Just how big the field is blew my mind. When Eland was worried about lunch time I had told him I was okay taking lunch a little later because Irwan had talked about this resturant that he called smokey pork. If you remember one thing from this review, make sure you ask them to do lunch at smokey pork (aka La Nusa Resto). It was mind-blowing. I actually asked for more it was that good. We worked our way from there to Wae Rebo Lodge in Dintor. Shortly after La Nusa Resto is where you will get disconnected from the world as there is no cell service. The sunset we were treated to that night was absolutely amazing. Wae Rebo lodge was definietly more rustic in terms of the accomodations but it's the only option and if you're going to stay at Wae Rebo lodge you shouldn't have any issue with it. The food was really good there and the staff were able to offer laundry service even though its not advertised since I was getting to the end of my trip and didnt want to fly home with a bunch of extremely sweaty and dirty clothes lol. The next morning we began the trek to Wae Rebo village. The hike in itself isn't hard in my opinion, but it is quite steep for the 1st 2-3km but take it slow and you'll be fine. Also if you think that last 2-3 will be easy on the way down you're wrong. Burns just as much, just different muscles lol. When we arrived at the village, we were greeted and welcomed in after a prayer to the spirits after which we were welcomed as part of the village and not outsiders. We had some hot tea and coffee afterwards as a welcome drink. We were one of the first groups to arrive so we had the afternoon to visit and play with the locals. We got to play soccer as well with them. I had brought some candy as well and shared amongst the local children. They seemed quite happy. The guest hut that visitors stay in houses around 30 people. One new thing they recently got are mattresses which is great for those who have issues with back pain. They were extremely comfortable! During meal times all the visitors eat together and converse. It was a great way to help everyone interact as we all arrived at different times. It's amazing to see people come together to interact when they dont have a connection to the outside world with their phones. A 48 hour disconnect felt amazing. It allowed me to take the whole experience in. That night when the generator kicks off at 10 (electricity is only on from 6-10 to allow for lighting and small device charging) I was treated to a view unlike anything I had seen before. The stars were on full display and you could see the milky way with you bare eyes. It was unreal. Even as someone who has been to dark sky parks, I was taken back. I ended up staying outside for a few hours after most had gone to bed because I didnt want the adventure and experience to end. Eventually I caved and went to sleep. The next morning we all shared breakfast before we headed out to beat the crowd to head back to Wae Rebo Lodge for a shower and to pick up laundry. It was then that I realized how close my adventure was to ending. Irwan, Erland, and Tony had all been absolutely amazing. Constantly looking out for me. Stopping at killer photo spots, and making sure anything I needed or wanted was taken care of. Tony drove the entire trip and did an amazing job with it. Despite narrow, winding, and sometimes non existient roads, he did a wonderful job driving smoothly and safely. Once we got cleaned up we headed on the lengthy drive to Labuan Bajo. We stopped for lunch at Nangalili Beach which was a great view. The final accomodation at Puri Sari Hotel is extremely nice and a great way to wrap up the trip. It's right along the beach and a wonderful place to enjoy a bittersweet last sunset. All in all I can't thank the guys enough for such an amazing week. I will forever cherish the memories we made and look forward to returning again one day.

Fabulous experience with an excellent tour company - We had an excellent 6 day, 6 night tour of Flores Island provided by our guide Erland and our long haul driver Mus of the Flores Traveler company. They took us from Labuan Bajo across the island to Maumere in their brand new Toyota (still had the new car smell). The itinerary we developed with them was from Labuan Bajo to Dintor where we slept at a hotel in a rice field, hiked up to the traditional village of Wae Rebo where we slept overnight in one of the traditional houses, then spent nights in Ruteng, Bajawa, Moni and lastly Maumere. Lovely tour, saw plenty of countryside, a few traditional villages, sat in hotsprings, viewed volcanoes, colourful volcanic lakes, and even went to an arak distillery to try the liquor produced from the Palm tree fruit. Both Erland and Mus were excellent hosts and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. Erland's English was very good, and his knowledge of the island and culture of the different tribes was impressive. Mus was quieter but when we introduced Erland and Mus to "car karaoke" Mus sang like a bird. It was great fun belting out the tunes of the 70s, 80s, and 90s which we all seemed to know most of the words to, as we navigated the seemingly never-ending hairpin turns and potholes that stretch across the island. Whenever we wanted to stop for a photo, get laundry done or to buy fruit at a roadside stand, our guides were very accommodating. Other than one hotel in Dintor which was a bit sub par, all the class 1 accommodations provided by the company were very nice. The Flores Traveller tour company is a professional, small, local enterprise that reaches international standards. Their attention to detail, prompt responses and ability to tailor your tour makes this organisation excellent to deal with. We would highly recommend Flores Traveler as a tour provider to anyone wanting to explore the island of Flores in an easy and stress-free manner (except for the climb up to the remote village of Wae Rebo - we got a good workout but it was well worth the effort!). Thanks Erland and Mus!!

Outstanding tour of beautiful Flores - I loved my six day tour of Flores, which started in Maumere and finished in Labuan Bajo. The guide Erland and driver Mus took excellent care of me and were delightful guys to be with. Erland was full of fascinating information, and Mus's driving was consistently excellent and safe. I saw such a lot of beautiful places and had some lovely meetings with local people.

An unforgettable trip ! - We can only recommand this agency to organise a trip across the island of Flores. We had an unforgatteable trip and 3 beautiful day cruise around Komodo National Park. From the start, Irwan was reactive and answer all my questions. Ino, our guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, very well spoken in english and keen to make our holidays the best. Mus, was a nice young smiling driver always there after a walk or a visit. Be prepared for long drives and not fancy hotels but you will have an extraordinary insight of this unspoiled island and will understand more about the culture, history, flora and fauna of this island after this 6 days trip. We extended this 6 days with 3 day cruise in the Komodo National Parc and it was even more beautiful than on the photos. Just go for it !

Wonderful cultural and scenic experience - The tour overall was very good. Our guide, Yani was wonderful. He spoke English well, was very knowledgeable about the history of Flores and the local people including the various tribal villages. He was an excellent photographer, helping find the best spots for photos as well as taking numerous pictures of us. He also had a wonderful sense of humor, and always looked out for us. The highlights of the trip were Kelimutu (beautiful crater lakes), Bajawa Bena tribal village, hiking up the moutain to Wae Rebo, and the spider rice fields. The only negative about the tour was the Dintor Lodge accommodation was run down, lacked a shower and there was no hot water. Overall, I highly recommend the tour, especially if Yani is your guide. Tedd and Theresia

Amazing Adventure - What an amazing trip! Afin and Tony were waiting for us when we arrived in Ende. We had sent our pictures ahead of time and they met us like we were old friends. What a nice touch. We had read many good reviews about Flores Traveler and we were not disappointed. The car was in good condition, equipped for the kind of travel we expected. Afin refilled our water bottles from a tank of filtered water in the back of the SUV whenever we needed. It made us feel better having as much water as we wanted without worrying how many plastic bottles we were leaving in our wake. Even though there were long stretches between stops Afin filled our time with his knowledge of the areas we passed. We stopped frequently for photo ops and Tony pulled over whenever we wanted something extra to capture for our photo journey. Tony was an excellent driver and was always watching to keep us safe. Afin stopped along the way and explained how Flores Traveler reserved a portion of each trips fees to give back to the communities in Flores. He gave us the chance to see this first hand as he found people along our route and let us hand out care packages to those who needed help the most. It was a heartwarming gesture to see their expressions as we handed out gifts of daily essentials and food. We spent six days with Afin and Tony and halfway through our trip Irwan, the owner of Flores Traveler, stopped in to see how we were progressing. Each night was a new experience in a local hotel or bungalow. Each stop had unique dining experiences and all of it was curated by Flores Traveler. They really hit a home run for us and we recommend them to anyone wishing to really see and experience the whole of Flores Island.

Flores is such a beautiful island, we are so grateful that we chose this place on earth. - We had 6 days and 5 nights on Flores Island. It`s been a amazing trip, with a lot of driving, but the roads were much better than expected. We started in Ende and our final destination were Laubanjo. Opal lakes, 17. islands, heritage villages, coffee, spiderweb field, blue stone beach and so much more, were on our wanted list. And we saw, tastede and touched it all. The places we slept and eat, were all local and very very good. We had a amazing guide, who really went out of his way, to make sure our wishes came true. He knew his way around the island and we felt safe. Our driver, also knew his way around the island, and even in the narrow and steep mountains, he made us all feel safe. Flores travlers has our highest recommendation.

Flores: Full of Life - Where can I start? The trip was unforgettable and thrilling. Despite arriving at noontime in Labuan Bajo, Kak Irwan and Alvin did not waste a single minute as they booked a delicious seafood meal accompanied by breathtaking seaside scenery. Our family thought it was the perfect way to start the trip as we enjoyed devouring the fresh local delicacies. During the second day, we woke up bright and early for our journey to Ruteng, Flores. During the trip itself, though it was a long 4-5 hour ride, Kak Irwan and Alvin always conversed with us about various topics and games. Our first stop in Ruteng was Todo Village, where we learned about the traditional cultural lifestyle embedded in the region for centuries. It was pretty interesting how the community preserved its culture while adapting towards modernization. The second stop was at one of Manggarai's coffee plantation, where we witnessed the harvest process of Juri coffee beans that are endemic to the region and only grows once every two years. Our last and final stop in Ruteng was the spider web rice field; my family and I found it interesting how the field's structure links to Manggarai citizens' historical culture. We then headed back to Labuan Bajo, where we got to experience its beautiful sparkling waters and scorching sun. We were impressed with how the Alexandria boat crew, Kak Irwan and Alvin, managed to strategically arrange the island hopping itinerary so my family and I could enjoy all the islands, landmarks, and sites (e.g., swimming with manta rays, finding Nemo and Dory fishes, taking beautiful shots at the long pink beach) all to ourselves. Throughout the trip, the team as a whole was amiable, lively, and accommodating in every form possible. Transport is clean and always supplied with water, so no fear about dehydration! My family and I enjoyed our trip and would love to revisit Flores with the same team. To anyone considering traveling to Flores and who has come across this page, please do not hesitate to contact the team. I am sure that you will have a fantastic experience!

Wonderful Flores, a hidden gem in Indonesia - By end of Oct 2020, when Indonesia government has opened tourist spot for domestic and “new normal” has been started, we picked Flores as our destination to enjoy nature far from hustle bustle city life in Jakarta. Irwan Tour provided us with all safety procedures like face mask, hand sanitizer, face shield and off course all of us have to provide rapid test result letter from hospital prior to start the journey. . We started the journey from Maumere to Labuan Bajo. The highlight of our trip was Sunrise at Kelimutu crater, soooo amazing, nothing like you ever seen before. Must see if you are in Indonesia. We enjoyed the Flores Land tour very much, the beautiful nature, the delicious food, traditional culture and the friendly people made this trip are unforgettable. The accommodations and restaurants were very clean, safe and have beautiful view. We won’t forget the fresh grilled fish and the best coffee we had along the journey. They are sweet and yummy. You don’t have to worry about anything. One of our best journeys in our life. . Irwan the tour guide and Tony the driver are really good person that you want to be with for this very long winding road trip. Irwan is friendly and speaks English fluently. He’s very knowledgeable, environmental friendly and always support local community, where we visited some of them. Tony is calm and very polite, he always drives safely and knows all the terrain. He always aware of unexpected hazard while driving on the road. . Our trip to Flores is the experience of the beauty of the mountain, waterfall, hot springs, white beach and clear blue ocean water. Its experienced that you’ll keep in your life.

Beautiful Flores overland trip - Beautiful trip with scenic places to stay except for Moni. Great trip if you want to experience the real life in magnificent Flores. Thanks to our great guide Venan, our driver Mr Syaris and a number of local guides, we got great insights and felt very safe and comfortable, even on Flores winding roads. Due to the distance between towns/sights, the drives are an important part of the trip- and a great way to see the country. See them as part of the activities. The highlight of the visit to the traditional villages was the lunch in Tololedo. The office is very responsive and flexible, and responds very quickly- even in unforeseen circumstances. We would warmly recommend travelling with Flores Travel to anyone considering such a trip.