For some years now, I’ve maintained that Indonesia, with its many beaches, rich history and rustic infrastructure, is the most underrated travel destination in Southeast Asia. Flying under the radar, places like Lombok and the Flores retain a good measure of their raw charm that would otherwise have been bulldozed in favour of a spanking new resort or mall like neighbouring islands to its west.
I touch down at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport at Denpasar, only two hours and S$300 away from Singapore. An additional 1.5 hours away to the western end of the Flores, on a S$100 Transnusa propellor plane ticket, lies Labuan Bajo. This scrappy town is lively, gritty, but friendly. It is also the jump-off point for trips to the Komodo islands.
As the plane approaches Labuan Bajo, at the western end of the Flores, we pass a tropical utopian landscape of royal blue velvet, casually laid on the ground, studded with strings of pearls. The sight of countless coral fringed islands and an equally innumerous number of white sand islets floating in the dark blue seas sets the imagination alight and pulses racing.
The terrain is decidedly more dramatic. Deep ridges are clawed into the arid, ferrous red stained slopes, vegetation is more scarce and scrubby. This is a land etched in time and also the home of the Komodo dragons, which is one of the main reasons to come here.
Another popular activity is to view the abundant marine life here. Located in the coral triangle, scuba divers and snorkellers can have an absolute field day spotting elusive creatures as the sun fish, manta rays and hammerhead sharks.
The journey to the lair of the dragons begins with hiring a boat to Komodo National Park. The port itself is in the centre of town. Arranging a guide, the necessary park permits, ferry transfer and accommodation usually starts with a walk down Labuan Bajo’s main street where just about every other shop is a travel agency.
An early morning departure to my first island of the day, Rinca Island, is inspiring to say the least. The clarity of the waters is excellent, and the natural amount of refuse that comes with close proximity of human settlement is surprisingly absent. Blue skies, and darker blue waters, wisps of clouds and occasional pod of dolphins served as the backdrop for the half-hour journey.
The jetty at which we are let off is constructed at a craggy section of the island. A path snakes through towering sedimentary rock formations before leading us to the Komodo park entrance. Almost immediately we spot one of the fearsome lizards that kill with a single bite. But wait, they are hardly aggressive but instead seem to be rather listless and fatigued. Their leaden feet plodding lazily forward look almost comical, even lovable. However, their languid demeanour belay the true danger of cavorting with the legged serpent. But the park rangers with stout poles, presumably more than 10 feet long, keep the Komodo Dragons at a safe distance from us.
Classified as endangered, the population density of the dragons come as a surprise to me. They are not difficult to spot and a number of large specimens drift lazily across our paths, almost oblivious to our presence.
The jetty of Loh Liang on Komodo island is picture perfect. Right at the jetty, an idyllic composition jutting out to the boundless sea points to the horizon; we caught sight of more overgrown lizards lazily ambling by on the white sand beaches. There are many more here amongst us than on Rinca island. At our lunch venue, they gathered at the foot of the raised platform where we watch them slither around.
From here, we made our way, by boat again, to Pink Beach which is on the other side of Komodo island. Initially skeptical of the name being an accurate description of the sands’ hue, the scream of “It’s pink!” corroborates that the beach was indeed pink.
The pretty colours do not end here, though. Although slightly blighted by controversial fishing practises that the authorities have been trying to tamp out, slightly further out the corals are reasonably healthy. We see clown fish darting around the tentacles of the anemone. Corals of vibrant reds, greens and blue cover the floor, with no plagues of starfish and sea urchins in sight.
Our final stop is to catch the sunset atop a magnificently carved quadruple bay formation at Padar island. Unlike anything I’ve seen before, there are four bays, two each on either side, back to back. This leaves a narrow ridge of land to rise steeply from the beach and climb to the hightest point that top out at 600m. Suffice to say, the naturally grandiose spectacle of the days sunset is made all the more breath-taking by the picturesque surroundings. So spectacular is it that we are torn away by our guides, having delayed the departure time by an hour. With the sun sinking into the dusty red of the twilight sky, the mood is contemplative. Mere mortals’ eyes are not made to witness so much of heaven in a space of only a day.
After three days in Flores, we backtrack to Bali island. The change of tempo takes a little getting used to. A paradise of a different sort, Bali has sun, surf and sex on the beach.
In the day, the name of the game is sun and sand. There are several beaches famed for watersports and suntan lounging such as the perennial favourites Kuta, Jimbaran and Sanur. At all these day tripper hotspots, snacks and cocktails are never far away.
By night, the clubs fling open their doors to the young and beautiful. The Potato Head Beach Club is one such celebrated watering hole. With a raised platform precisely positioned to watch the sun sink into the ocean, the Potato Head Beach Club sets the perfect scene to admire the beauty of the night sky and fall in love.
If you would like to take a break from the party scene, there are opportunities for a rustic retreat. At Rumah Desa, you will learn to prepare Balinese cuisine, as well as pick up some village skills like husking a coconut and steering an ox cart. All fun for me as a city slicker.
Cultural activities abound on this mainly Hindu island. At Uluwatu, one of the main Hindu temples on the island, dramatically perched at the precipice of a cliff, you can catch a sunset performance of the Ramayana.
If after all this manual labour, you’ve worked up a healthy appetite, do try out Bebek Tepi Sawah, a restaurant set in a padi field. Its namesake duck is the dish to try. Marinated and then crispy deep fried, it is a treat for the senses.
I have a real blast exploring West Nusa Tenggara. If you want a sedate same old same old holiday, stay in the cities. Because when you head to the untamed East of Indonesia, expect to have a wild time.
Special thanks to Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia for making this trip possible for Asia 361.
