After a successful KOMODO DIVE EXPEDITION, I decided to do something I have wanted to do since I first moved to Indonesia in 2018: explore Flores Island. My girlfriend Kate and I hopped on a plane to Maumere, one of the largest cities on the island, but not as popular as Labuan Bajo for tourism.

The main attraction for visiting this area is Kelimutu, a volcano containing 3 colored lakes, but of course, I also came out here for the scuba diving.

In general, Flores Island is not as popular as other islands in Indonesia and that’s what makes it special. It also means there are extra challenges to traveling around the island, which are not a deterrent as long as you can be patient and flexible. Many people get here by flying, but I also met several tourists who rented motorcycles or scooters to ride the whole way from Labuan Bajo. 

I booked one of the beach resorts to be closer to diving, and this spot was a magical, quiet place where everything would pause at sunset to take in the beauty. My original reservation was one of the cheaper garden rooms, but because there were several broken items in the room, we got an upgrade to the beach, which was the perfect place to be sick for a week…

I’ve had a few motor bike accidents in my travels over the past 15 years, so this 3 hour trip sounded a little sketch. The resort management assured me the roads were fine, but to go pelan-pelan, which means slowly, slowly, and with that, we were off. My nerves fell away as we blasted Chappell Roan and took in the beautiful views.

Koka Beach is about the midpoint between Maumere and our goal for the day, Moni, which is the main town outside of Kelimutu. Known for its heart-shaped coastline, this is an excellent stop for a rest, simple food, and Flores coffee, hot water with ground coffee which you allow to settle to the bottom of your mug before drinking. 

One thing to consider before heading to Moni is its remote location. There is little to no wifi in the area, so if you don’t have an Indonesian sim card, you won’t be able to connect, which was actually welcome on this trip.

Now, for visiting Kelimutu. I read a lot of blogs about people visiting at sunrise, but if you want to do that, you have to park outside of the National Park gate and hike up the road to the top. We arrived just after sunrise, and honestly, I thought the lakes were the most beautiful right before we left, with the bright, late morning sun sparkling on the water making the colors pop.

It is believed that spirits come to Kelimutu when people die. Which lake the spirit would enter depends on its age and character when alive. The mineral content causes the lakes to change colors over the years, which adds another layer of wonder to this already impressive site.

My favorite things about visiting lesser-known scuba diving locations are

1. The animals aren’t as afraid of divers.
2. The reef is usually gorgeous (unless it has been bombed for fishing)

Immediately into the first dive, I got a solid 5 minutes hanging out with an octopus, and it wasn’t worried about me at all. 

The coral and sponges in this area of the reef were insane. I was consistently finding pieces bigger than me, and it makes me happy to see places like this thriving while so many beloved reefs struggle. 

There are not a lot of dive shops in the area, and while I don’t recommend the one I went with, I can share my thoughts on where I think would be better. Reach out to me on Instagram, if you have questions.

See what trips are coming up. I always give my community first dibs on spots, so you can sign up for Patreon (and get trip discounts) or my email list to be the first to know about new expeditions in the future.