Flores VS Belitung ( Anyone been to both ? )

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marco_polo_84
marco_polo_84

Hey all,

anyone been to Flores and Belitung and could give me some advice which one is more impressive, fun, cheaper etc.?

We'll be in Indonesia in September for 16days (btw we been before already to Yogyakarta, 2x Bali and Lombok). This time we arrive in Jakarta and wanna stay around 1 week in Bali and 1 week Belitung OR Flores. We love explore islands with motorbike especially beautiful beaches for snorkeling, diving and also surfing.

Flores is quite big so which places should we go (only west flores like Labuhanbajo and Komodo or also east flores like Ende and Maumere) ?

Thanks in adavnce !!

Mats

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nathalie2
nathalie2

I haven't been to Belitung, so cant compare.
I dont surf and dive, so not the right person for that either. I love snorkeling however, and Flores is great for that. I also love Flores for the amazing landscapes, the lovely people, the great food, and for it being totally different in terms of culture and religion to most of the rest of Indonesia. I would find it difficult to choose where to go. In terms of culture or landscape, for me, it would be Moni (for Kelimutu) and Bajawa. For snorkelling, near Maumere, or Labuanbajo or tiny island nearby.

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Laszlo
Laszlo

Been to both, they are totally different.
Belitung has stunning beaches, and being flat it is easier to tour by motorbike.
In all other respects, Flores is better.

My info & thoughts:
on East-Indonesia.info: Indonesia, Maluku, West Papua, Raja Ampat & Indonesian Visas
on Thorn Tree: Seeing Orangutans, Kalimantan, Kiribati & Tuvalu
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lunagothq
lunagothq

Belitung is definitely cheaper if you're traveling from Jakarta. But since you're starting from Bali, Flores would be closer and totally worth it. Wouldn't be as 'open' as Belitung, which by that I meant signals, and other comforts might be less than Belitung but Flores would be better if you want some relaxing time as Belitung is more frequently visited by the locals

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thrive
thrive

Flores. We met quite a lot of people traversing the island in 1 week. That is traveling much too fast for us and we took over 2 weeks. However, if you like fast travel you might want to consider Labuan Bajo to Maumere or the reverse. East or west depends on what you want most to see and do. Both have good beaches, but one must get out of the usual tourist towns to find the really gorgeous ones. Both have great snorkeling and diving. West has the dragons and the best diving in my opinion. East has interesting villages and cultures, Blue Stone Beach and the amazing Keli Mutu craters.

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shr01
shr01

Belitung is cheaper, but there is not very much to do/see. diving/snorkeling/surfing: definitely Flores/Komodo.

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