Maumere
Maumere is a port town on the northeastern coast of Flores and a stop over on the way to Ende or to Larantuka. It is well connected by air with Kupang, Denpasar, and Ujung Pandang, and noted for its good beaches. The bay of Maumere is considered a good diving spot (Flores Marine Resort) as it promises extremely rich marine life. The resort is a paradise for all divers, underwater photographers, and for everyone interested in marine biology.
Ledalero museum at the out skirts of Maumere has an interesting collection of ethnological objects from the region. Visitors are welcome but advance arrangements should be made. Ledalero is also a name of a major catholic Seminary from where many of Flores priests originated.
Labuanbajo
On the west end of Flores is the picturesque little town of Labuanbajo. A little town inhabited by fishermen, lies at the extreme western part of Flores. The town serves as a jumping-off point for the trip to Komodo Island. It is a beautiful area for water skiing, wind surfing, fishing, and many other marine activities. Pede Beach is an ideal place to do all this and from where sunsets are beautifully visible. Labuanbajo (on the western tip of Flores) is a town often used by tourists, from where they can visit Komodo and Rinca. Labuanbajo also attracts scuba divers, as whale sharks inhabit the waters around Labuanbajo. Scuba divers from around the world come here to dive the rich waters between Komodo and Flores, some choosing to stay on expensive liveaboard dive boats. Most of them pick up their passangers at the dock in Labuanbajo, or at the airport and then bring them to the boat.
Larantuka
Larantuka is a neat clean seaport with a beautiful view. Everything is within walking distance except for the pier where the boats leave for Timor (4-5 km from town). Even that is a pleasant walk if we do it early enough before it gets too hot. A little port nestled at the base of a tall hill at the eastern end of Flores, from where Solor, Adonara, and Lembata islands (the small islands near by) are visible across the narrow strait. An Old Portuguese cultural heritage like the Easter Procession is held in this town, and worth seeing. Flores people are very outgoing and friendly. Their bemos are brightly painted with murals on the sides and their radios are blasting the latest tunes. Lots of Catholic churches line the roads with a few mosques sprinkled in. Larantuka is a pleasant little town on the Far East end of Flores. There is a harbor in town and another one a few kilometers away where the ferryboat leaves to Kupang and Rote in West Timor. The boats going to Alor leave from the one in town. There are a number of tuna boats at the docks. They have a big square platform on the bow where fishermen line up with bamboo poles line up flipping hooked tunas.
There are 6 to 8 water jets that spray a steady stream of water on the surface to attract the tunas and then baitfish are tossed in driving the tunas into a feeding frenzy. These are not the big yellow or bluefin tunas but the smaller ones about 2 feet in length. They are often seen for sale by roadside vendors along the road from Maumere. There are some New Orleans style cemetaries along the beach on the way. They are well maintained and very colorful. These people put a lot of work into them.
Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com
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