Xplore Flores: Our Latest Destination Series
Flores is a destination that keeps revealing something new the further you go. Many travellers know Flores through Labuan Bajo or Komodo National Park, but there is much more to discover across the island. Unique local traditions come together to create a journey that feels very different from the more familiar side of Indonesia.
That is exactly what inspired Xplore Flores. A journey to explore the destination firsthand and discover what makes Flores worth experiencing beyond its best known highlights.
Destinations We Visited
Our journey took us across different parts of Flores, bringing together a mix of nature, culture and local experiences. We begin our journey from Ende, and our first destination stop is Kelimutu before continuing westward through some of the island’s most distinctive landscapes and communities.
Rather than focusing on one type of attraction, Xplore Flores was about seeing how different experiences can come together across one island.
Among the highlights were:
- Kelimutu – Three colored volcanic crater lakes
- Bena Traditional Village – A Megalithic traditional village with houses shapes like giant boats.
- Malanage Natural Hot Spring – Natural pool where hot volcanic water meets a cold river.
- Mausui Savannah – Wide open savannah landscapes with free roaming horses and wildlife.
- Spider Web Rice Fields – Unique spider web shaped ricefield near Ruteng
- Todo Traditional Village – The former royal center of Manggarai
- Wae Rebo – The mountain village above the clouds with iconic Mbaru Niang houses
- Nuca Molas – Known as the “Jurassic Park of Indonesia” for its rugged island landscape.
The Reason Behind The Journey
As a Destination Management Company, exploring a destination is about more than finding beautiful places. Before recommending it to our clients, we want to experience it ourselves and understand what it is actually like to travel there.
The purpose was simple: to see the destination through tourist’s perspective. We wanted to understand how long it takes to move between destinations, which places are genuinely worth the journey, and what the road experience really feels like. We looked at which local experiences add real value to an itinerary, and how to keep the journey comfortable without losing what makes it authentic.
All so we can build trips that are realistic for our guests before we ever recommend them.
What We Found Along The Way
During our Xplore Flores trip, our team visited a range of destinations across the island to evaluate both the experiences and the practical aspects of travelling through Flores.
Each destination offered something different. Kelimutu and Mausui highlighted Flores’s natural landscape, while Bena, Todo and Wae Rebo villages provided opportunities to learn more about the island’s traditional culture. Other stops such as Malanage and Nuca Molas added different types of nature and leisure experience to the journey.
Beyond the destinations themself, the team also experienced the level of services from the local operators. This helped us better understand what works well for different types of travellers and how the experiences can be combined into a well paced itinerary.
From Exploration to Experience
Xplore Flores was also part of something bigger for us. A destination inspection allows us to look at Flores not only as a traveller, but also a DMC preparing experiences for future clients. We looked closely at the practical side of the journey including accommodation, transportation, local experiences, timing & logistics and on the ground experiences.
Experiencing it firsthand tells us what a traveller will encounter. That firsthand knowledge helps us to create itineraries that are not only attractive, but also realistic and thoughtfully planned.
Xplore Flores Is Now Live
Our journey has now become Xplore Flores, our latest destination series. The series is now live on our YouTube channel, giving you a closer look at Flores through our own journey. Watch the videos of Xplore Flores in this LINK.
In our experience having explored Flores firsthand from the roads and stays to the destinations themselves. For travel partners, within our experience having explored Flores firsthand from the roads and stays to the destinations themselves, our team know exactly what it takes to put together a smooth and well paced itinerary.
If you’re interested in introducing Flores to your clients and would like to create a journey inspired by Xplore Flores, get in touch with our team and we’ll be more than happy to help.
