Diving in Flores ^*

Set between the island of Komodo and Rinca to the west and Lomblen, Pantar, and Alor islands to the east, the island of Flores offers superb diving, spectacular scenery and a unique blend of cultures (after all it was named by Portuguese colonists). This once little-explored island is having a moment, tipped to be a tourism star for those looking to venture beyond Bali, and it’s easy to see why, it certainly has some of the best diving in Indonesia. There are two major dive sites on this island, Maumere and Labuan Bajo, and Flores is considered to be one of the most rugged islands in Nusa Tenggara with a collection of 14 active volcanoes. The island has become an exciting tourist attraction thanks to its stunning landscapes and fine ikat weavings. The dive sites in the island are spread wide apart along the long northern coastline and the best way to visit them all is with a liveaboard. The best time for diving in Flores is the dry season from April to December, which is sunnier with better visibility. The west part of Flores is a more mountainous region and it gets more rain and consequently more run-off, while the south is particularly rough, which is why much of the diving on this island is done along the north coast.