East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur)

1. Batu Cermin Cave
Batu Cermin, or Mirror Rock, is actually a tunnel or cave in a dark stone hill at Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. Sunshine comes in through a hole inside the tunnel and then bounces around on stone walls that reflect small lights to other areas inside similar to a mirror. That’s why this site is called mirror rock. Because the cave is dark, it is necessary for you to use a flashlight to explore its alleys. Your prime target is certainly to see the bouncing light on the stone walls. Inside the cave you can also see hanging bats, stalagmites and stalagtites. Outside the cave, you can see big trees and their roots growing through the ancient corals.
2. Diving Around Komodo Island
The sea around Komodo Island offers vibrant colors and exotic marine life which will enchant divers and snorkelers alike as endless schools of fish ride the waterways rushing up from deep sea vents, below them the seabed is covered with a thick carpet of florescent corals and marine invertebrates, an underwater photographers paradise. The waters that surround the island are turbulent and teeming with unparalled marine life. A marine reserve has recently been established and this reserve is largely undocumented and remains unexplored. Komodo National Park was established in 1980. It was declared as a Man and Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site in 1986. KNP includes three major islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar and numerous smaller islands together totaling 41,000 ha of land contains 132,000 ha of marine waters. The corals in Komodo National park are pristine, with Mantas, sharks, turtles, dolphins, dugong, many pelagics, to the tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, frog fish, you name it we've got it. The sites vary from gentle easy coral slopes to heart pounding adrenalin rides, from the warm waters of the Flores Sea in the north to the chillier waters down south in the Indian Ocean, the underwater terrain is so varied with sheer cliff walls, pinnacles, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs, channels, all with varying colours, sizes and types of coral both hard and soft.

DIVE SITES:
Bidadari Island
Angel Steps, huge towers of stone, encrusted with hard and soft corals, covered in nudibranchs, small caves and overhangs make this a very interesting and beautiful site, Dusky sharks, humphead parrot fish are among the bigger creatures we see here. Cathedral Coral, a gentle slope covered with table corals of every colour and schooling fish, a towering spire of coral with a small cave at it's base is the home to some huge lobsters.
Sabolon
Sabolon kecil a slope on the east side of this tiny island, with two underwater mounds at the southern end with fields of garden eels and sea pens, schools of round bat fish are often seen coming quite close for some nice photography. Sabolon Besar steep slopes off the southern and western sides of the bigger island, fabulous coral coverage and a good chance of spotting Scorpion leaf fish. Sebayur kecil walls and slopes of every kind of coral you can imagine, wide variety of marine life to be seen at this site, mantas often seen. Tatawa Besar slope with soft coral garden changing to hard coral along the slope, lots of shoaling fish, rainbow runners, fuseliers and often turtles and black tip sharks. Tatawa Kecil (current city) as the name implies, this site is washed by very strong currents, which is why this site is among the many world class sites in the Komodo National Park, schools of pelagic fish patrol the waters, best dived at slack tide.
Batu Bolong
A little further west from current city a small rock outcrop with a hole through it is the surface mark of another world class site, only to be dived at slack tide or with a current not long from stopping or starting to run, these giant slabs of rock which disappear into the depths are an amazing sight to see, covered with every form of marine life and patrolled by giant trevally, Napoleon Wrasse, sharks and turtles with schools of barracuda sweeping in to check out the divers.
Diving the Komodo National Park provides some fantastic conditions:
WATER TEMPERATURE: 20 - 28 Degrees Celsius (68-85 F), cooler water is experienced on the southern sites. Full 3mm wetsuit & hood is recommended. More active people will prefer a sports suit in northern sites.
VISIBILITY: 10 - 50M year round. Traditionally clearer water on northern sites.CURRENT: Komodo experiences a strong tidal flow. Not all sites are affected by current. Drift diving is excellent, however during spring tides some sites are impossible to dive. Particular attention is placed on diving the correct sites at the most suitable time to ensure optimum conditions, in accordance with the preferences of the group.
NIGHT DIVING: The night diving in Komodo is breathtaking. The sheer beauty, color and diversity of life makes it a must see for all divers.
WALLS: There are numerous walls to choose from. Both drift and static wall dives are offered.
CANYONS: Huge chasms drop thousands of meters, fringed by extraordinary coral gardens.
CRITTERS: Found in all locations, however we do offer special sites for encountering unusual marine species.
OTHERS: Seamounts, fringing reefs, gutters, muck, and sandy locations are also found in the archipelago.
3. Kelimutu: The Mysterious Tricolored Lakes
Kelimutu Lake on Mount Kelimutu, Ende, Flores has three smaller lakes located next to it. The lakes appear to have different colors that change over time due to volcanic activity which started million years ago. In the entire world, this color changing phenomenon only occurs at Kelimutu. Presently, these three lakes have black-green color in the far east lake, green in the middle lake, and black in the west lake. Previously, the far east lake was red and the middle lake was blue. The local community considers these lakes a sacred place, where the souls of the dead lie. The name Kelimutu itself was derived from the word ‘keli’, means ‘mountain’, and ‘mutu’, means ‘boil’. The East lake is also called “tiwu ata polo” or lake for evil spirits, while the middle one is called “tiwu nua muri koo fai” or lake for young souls, and the west lake is called “tiwu ata mbupu” or lake for elderly and wise peoples souls. Lake Kelimutu and its spectacular panorama are now a very popular tourist attraction.
Kelimutu area is surrounded with forest containing floras that are scarcely found in Flores area. Other than pines, there are also casuarinas, red wood and edelweiss. Pine forest grows well in this side of Kelimutu Mountain. The other side of the mountain is dried land with highly unstable sand and soil. Local community believes that Kelimutu Mountain is sacred and donates fertility to the nature nearby. Visitors can only walk around Lake Kelimutu but not all areas can be explored because some are dangerous and therefore restricted. From Moni to Kelimutu, if you like to go trekking, there is a path which is shorter than the car access route. Distance from Moni to the top is about 12 kilometer (km). The distance to the parking lot by motor vehicle is 11 kilometer, and then visitors will climb on foot through the pathway for 30 minutes.
Morning is the best time to witness the beauty of Kelimutu Lake. Close to the midday and at evening the scenery of Kelimutu Lake is blocked with thick mist. Other than the scenery of Kelimutu Lake, visitors can enjoy Flores's hilly topography from the peak of Mount Kelimutu, during a sunny day. Or the beauty panorama at Kelimutu National Park. There's the Conservation, containing pines and casuarinas trees which are sights for sore eyes. Tired of hearing car horns? Listen to the chirp of birds inhabiting Kelimutu National Park. Or feed the many long-tail monkeys in the forest to the south. Kelimutu area's also adorned with cultural wealth like traditional houses, traditional dances and woven clothes of Flores. In addition, there are hot water sources, waterfall, and tradition settlements that you can visit along the way. The best time to visit is July to September. But if you missed that period, you can witness a local tradition in mid-October when the community offers livestocks for paa loka (religious offerings).
4. Komodo National Park: Into The Heart of The Dragons
Real dragons spurt no fire, have no need to fly and cast no magic spells. And still, one look from them might render you speechless. These komodos, the real life dragons, are a sight indeed. Gigantic, the lizard-like creatures are about two or three meters in length. They can easily weigh about 165 kilograms. Despite of their sheer size and appearance, they are not active hunters. What makes them intimidating is the fact that they are a patient predator. In the wild, they stalk a victim, usually a weak or injured one. One bite and that’s what it usually takes. After following the victim for a while, sometimes up to several days’ time, the komodos will devour the dying prey.
The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is an endangered species which can only be found in the Komodo National Park (KNP) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Because of the unique and rare nature of this animal, its habitat – KNP - was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.
The park includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2.At least 2500 Komodos live in this area. Large dragons are usually three meters long and weigh up to 90 kg. Their habitat has beautiful panoramic views of savannas, rain forests, white beaches, beautiful corals, and clean blue seas. In this area, you can also find horses, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar, snakes, monkeys, and various types of birds.
KNP has a rich and amazing underwater sea biotica. Divers claim that Komodo waters are one of the best diving sites in the world. It has fascinating underwater scenery. You can find 385 species of beautiful corals, mangrove forests, and seaweeds as a home for thousands of fish species, 70 types of sponges, 10 types of dolphins, 6 types of whales, green turtles and various types of sharks and stingrays.
Your feet will be your trusted companion on this island. Good thing most people never leave home without them. When you wish to see these animals in their natural habitat, you have to walk to the hills nearby (paths have been designated). On Komodo Island, you have to climb Mount Ara (538 meters above sea level) for three to four hours. On Rinca island, you have to trek for about one and a half hours. If you are lucky, you can see Komodos attacking prey, fighting, or even employing their mojoes along the way, as illustrated by this picture on the left. If that's too wild for you, you can try to spot a group of deers, buffaloes or wild horses.
You can see and do many things here. It is amazing to see Komodo dragons up close in their native habitat. On Rinca Island, you can see Komodos lying down outside the homes of national park rangers, or "parking" near the officials' homes. Previously, to find one, you had to “offer” a goat to attract the Komodo, but now this practice is no longer allowed. If you don't see a dragon, Rinca and Komodo have beautiful sceneries with white beaches, mangroves, savannas and blue waters. During the dry season, these savannas and hills have dried grasses. You can also egage in other activities such as diving and snorkeling. You can take a cruise ship or fishermen's boat in the persuit of these activities. There are diving points highly recommended to visit which include Merah Beach, and Batu Bolong and Tatawa islands. If you want to see thousands of bats, you can stay overnight in a motorboat on Kalong Island waters (near Rinca Island).
5. Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo is an amazing coastal city with many fish. It is the entry point to the Komodo National Park (KNP) and Flores. Although it does not have any interesting beaches, its islands near the city (e.g., Bidadari, Kanawa, and Serayu islands) offer various types of coastal and marine sites of interest to visitors. Labuan Bajo has spectacular scenery at sunset as many small islands silouette in the distance crating a dramatic magical effect.
You can take a rented car or travel car from Komodo airport to any place on the Flores mainland. The rate depends on your negotiation but currently it is about Rp500,000 per day. Hotels can help you find a rented car. For your mobility within the city, bemo (traditional public transportation) and motor taxis are available, but their business hours stop after 21:00. If you want to go to nearby islands, such as Komodo and Rinca, rented motorboats and speed boats are available at the port.
Nearly all interesting sites in Labuan Bajo are located on islands at its front. Most of these islands are unoccupied and you can go there for sunbathing, diving or snorkeling. Bidadari Island has a beautiful beach for sunbathing. Its water is good for snorkeling and diving. Kanawa and Kukusan Kecil Islands are also good for snorkeling and diving. In addition, Serayu island has white sand and beautiful corals.
6. Liang Bua
Liang Bua is a cave in a limestone hill in Manggarai District, Flores. The local community is familiar with this cave because of its huge size (50 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 25 meters tall). Due to its size, it was once used as a religious worship place and school. Liang Bua is famous the world over following the finding of an ancient skull. The skull was that of a short human called Homo floresiensis, found at a depth of 6 meters. Its brain measured only 380 cc (compared to a minimum 1200 cc for a normal modern human brain). Archaeologists are of the opinion that this skull originated from an era back in time some 18,000 years ago. In addition, in a depth of 10.7 meters, ancient animal bones were also found including those of stegodon (an ancient elephant), komodo, turtles, and lizards.
Despite its famous archaeological findings, no replica or information about these findings is located in Liang Bua. Visitors can only see the massive cave with stalagmite stones, imaginating that ancient elephants, komodo and short humans (Homo floresiensis) once lived here thousands of years ago. Near Liang Bua, there are other caves such as Gua Galang (with bathing stones) and Gua Tanah. You can walk to these caves.
7. Pantar Strait, Alor Archipelago
Indonesia has many famous diving sites. For professional divers, Pantar Strait Marine Park is one of the most beautiful in the country and comparable only with that of the Caribbean Sea near Central America. This Marine Park has its own unique characteristics and beauty. This strait is located between Alor and Pantar islands in the Alor Archipelago, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). This narrow strait has a number of small and beautiful islands such as Kepa, Pura, Ternate, Buaya and Tereweng islands. The waters have a strong current and its sound is as loud as a waterfall. At unpredictable times, a cold current comes, killing small and medium size fish near the beach. There are at least 26 diving sites around Kepa, Pura, Ternate, and Tanjung Matap islands, and Papa Jahe beach (Alor)- including the famous Shark Close. At this site, divers can play with groups of friendly sharks. In the waters around Papa Jahe, you can also go diving at night.
For divers, Pantar Strait is paradise on Earth. Experienced diving service agencies such as Dive Alor (www.divealor.com) and Alor Dive (www.alordive.com) are available. In addition to diving, snorkeling is also fun. You can walk around and enjoy the quiet and clean beaches on Kepa Island and Alor Kecil while waiting for groups of dolphins to pass through, or enjoy the underwater current to hear the sound of waterfall.
8. Prailiu Village
Prailiu is one of the many traditional and exotic villages in Sumba. It is located in a suburb area of Waingapu, the capital city of East Sumba District about two kilometers away from the city center. Despite rapid development, traditional tall houses with sharp leaf roofs are still apparent here. However, you can now see many zinc roof houses with different designs. The local government, assisted by the World Bank, is currently reconstructing local traditional houses in this village.
Although most of the local inhabitants are Christian, they still follow local traditions based on their original religion of Marapu. Tall houses and burial processes, for instance, are closely related with their traditional beliefs. Their traditional houses have three parts, representing local cosmology i.e., underground as the home of the dead, the middle part as the home for the living, and the roof as the home of the Gods. In addition to traditional houses, Prailiu also has a number of original cemeteries. You can also find the famous traditional woven fabric and its weaving process here.
You can do many things in Prailiu. Local inhabitants are familiar with tourists and researchers. You can see mothers weaving fabrics who can show you how to weave, spin, and make natural colored dies for yarn. Buying fabrics and various types of woven products are certianly what they expect from tourists. You can walk around the village while observing traditional houses and cemeteries full of carved materials and corpse preserving process.
9. Semau Island
Semau Island. Thirty minutes by boat from Kupang, this untainted island paradise is well worth a stopover. The surrounding crystal-clear waters offer exceptional snorkeling and swimming. Bamboo bungalows are available on the white sandy beach, and you can barbeque your freshly-caught dinner while enjoying a spectacular sunset.

10. Soekarno's House in Ende
During the struggle for Indonesian independence, the first Indonesian President, Soekarno, was once exiled by the Dutch colonial government for four years to Ende Flores (from 1934 to 1938). Upon his arrival here, Soekarno did not have any place to stay. After staying in a house near Port Ende, he then looked for a rented house facing east. Soekarno then found a Dutch house occupied by Haji Abdulah Ambuwaru. In this house, Soekarno lived for four years. In 1954, when Soekarno became the Indonesian President, he officially inaugurated this house as a museum. This house is now called Rumah Soekarno. This house has two bedrooms, a living room and an office. In the back of the house is a room previously used by Soekarno for meditation and several rooms for maids. In the back yard is a well, which is still working today. During his exile here, Soekarno painted and wrote several plays such as Dokter Setan (Satanic Doctor).
You can see the interior of Soekarno’s house including its rooms, well, items previously used by Soekarno (plates, bed, and kerosene lamp), and Soekarno’s painting made in 1935 called Pura Bali (Balinese Temple).
11. Traditional Village of Compang Ruteng
A compang is a stone altar usually found in the yards of traditional homes in the Manggarai community. The Compang is the center of traditional ceremonies such as penti, a ceremony to thank God for the harvests. Buffalo and cows are tied to this Compang to be subsequently sacrificed. Compang Ruteng is located in the center of Ruteng Pu'u village in Golo Dukal sub-district, Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). This Compang is made of stones, and the yards surrounding it are higher than the local homes. Long ago, a Beringin tree (Ficus Benjamina), locally known as a Ruteng, grew in the middle of this Compang. That tree no longer exists but there is now a Dadap tree. To the east, the Compang has two local traditional tall houses with sharp roofs.
You can go inside the traditional house, Rumah Gendang, to see its construction, wooden interior, and other main equipment such as a gong, dendang and shields for traditional dances. When you first enter the house you will be received as an official guest and there will be a series of ritual ceremonies that you have to follow. Local inhabitants can only speak in Manggarai and Indonesian languages. It is necessary for you to take your interpreter if you can't speak Indonesian and wish to enter the Rumah Gendang.

(references: www.indonesia.travel and www.my-indonesia.info)