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FLORES is equipped with abundant tourism spots, both on land and below sea level. The natural and cultural raw materials for Flores are also waiting to be polished to attract more tourists.
Flores which in Portuguese means ‘Island of Flowers’ turns out to be quite a collection of volcanoes. About 14 active volcanoes inhabit this 14,300-square-kilometer landmass. When juxtaposed with other islands in Indonesia, the collection of volcanoes owned by Flores is only inferior to Java, which has about 35 volcanoes.
One of the dozens of volcanoes is Mount Kelimutu with a height of 1,690-meters above sea level which is famous for having a three-colored lake. The lakes, each named Tiwu Ata Mbupu (lake of the spirits of the people), Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (lake of young people’s spirits), and Tiwu Ata Polo (lake of the spirits of the sorcerers) were formed from the volcanic activity of Mount Kelimutu thousands of years ago.
Similar to Kelimutu, the Flores landscape which is glued by many mountains has the potential to be developed as a tourist attraction. Based on data collection conducted by the Flores Destination Management Organization, there are at least 85 locations that have tourism potential on the Trans Flores route, the main road that divides Flores Island.
There are many more tourist attractions that have not been explored because it is located in the interior of the island of Flores which is still difficult to reach. Even so, the beauty of Flores tourism, which is still virgin and what it is, we believe is very capable of attracting tourists from all over the world.
Blue Stone Beach, which is located not far from the Trans Flores route, is one example. Along the coastline, there are many blue, green, and purplish-brown stones. Not only beautiful to the eye, the stones are also a source of livelihood for the local community.
Many people depend on them for their livelihood by picking up stones to sell for IDR15,000-20,000 per sack. Although it continues to be taken, the number of colorful stones does not necessarily decrease. That’s because every wave that reaches the shoreline always carries the rocks from the sea.
Another object is the Riung 17 Marine Park in Ngada Regency. The exoticism of the underwater world is not inferior to the Bunaken Marine Park in Manado. In this location there is also Bat Island, a tiny island that is home to thousands of bats.
In addition, there is also Rutong Island, one of the best places to see the panoramic view of the Riung Marine Park from the top. From this place, the seabed that supports the small islands in the Riung Marine Park can be seen quite clearly.
Satisfied with enjoying the beauty of the sea, tourists can enjoy the charm of the view of Mount Inerie from Bajawa, the capital of Ngada Regency, which has cold air. In Bajawa, tourists can also watch the sunset behind Mount Ebulobo. In addition, tourists can also climb the valley to get to know the Indigenous Villages of Bena, Tololela, and Gurusina as well as the hot springs of Malanage.
For coffee lovers, don’t forget to visit Papa Wiu’s traditional coffee factory in Bajawa in Mangulewa Ngada. For accommodation matters, visitors do not need to worry because in Bajawa there is the Silverin Hotel which offers a panoramic view of the mountains in Flores.
Lack of Infrastructure
The problem is that the lack of infrastructure to support tourism activities requires support from various parties and synergies between districts and signs from the Provincial and Central Governments to improve the tourism sector which has economic benefits for the people of Flores.
Lack of and damage to supporting infrastructure are the main obstacles to advancing Ende tourism. We are constrained by the availability and handling of infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. Although the infrastructure is still minimal, the trend of tourist visits to Ende shows a positive number. In 2013, the number of tourist visits to Ende amounted to around 34,000 tourists, then increased to 52,000 tourists in 2014.
The availability of hotels in the Ende area is actually sufficient, although in some respects there must be improvements. Currently there are 28 hotels and homestays with 392 rooms.
Unfortunately, the number of workers in this sector is only 124 people, or about one person handling four rooms for eight hours of work. Not only that, the quality of service is not optimal. It seems that the problem of tourism in Flores is not only about infrastructure, but also human resources. [sources/photo special]
