Flores Highlights

By: Asian Way

Are you looking for unspoiled nature, authentic culture and quiet beaches? Explore the hidden beauty of the Lesser Sunda Islands!

Discover the flower of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Cabo das Flores (Flower Cape), as the Portuguese baptized the island in the sixteenth century. It is the westernmost island of the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT). Together with the island of Timor, the largest part of the population here is Catholic, though ancient animistic beliefs, are still part of daily life. The inhabitants of central and eastern Flores exhibit Papuan and Melanesian influences, the population of West Flores, however, has a strong Malaysian appearance.

In terms of natural beauty there is no doubt that Flores is the most beautiful island of NTT, it offers the most variety in scenery. From the west you travel through green rice terraces, tropical forest, gently rolling hills and mountains, to steep cliffs and deep ravines in the central area, giving way to a dryer, sometimes savanna-like landscape in the east. Over the entire length of the island one finds at least twelve volcanoes, some still active.

Tree Top Restaurant in Labuan Bajo, Flores Food & Views to Die for!

Sometimes you come across a place you never want to leave again. Tree Top restaurant, set in the hills overlooking the bay of Labuan Bajo is one of these places. Labuan Bajo is the capital of Flores, part of the lesser Sunda islands. The island, and its capital, are most often used as a springboard to visit Komodo, home to the infamous Komodo lizards. Yet, as owner Mattheus Siagian knows, Flores has so much more to offer. In a single breath he mentions the Ulumbu hot water river, the white sand beach of Ketebe, the old towns of Bejawa and Ende, the fishing village Lembata where people hunt whales traditionally every October, Tiwu Lewu lake, filled with crocodiles and of course…Tree Top Restaurant.

Mattheus is half Swiss, half Indonesian. After studying hotel management in Switzerland, he worked for the department of tourism on Flores (hence his in-depth knowledge on what to see and do on Flores).