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Having finally got our return avios seats out to SIN for summer 2024, we are now exploring onward options for our family of five (with kids aged between 10 and 15).
While I appreciate there are unlikely to be points earning/burning options, and this is HfP, there seems to be a wealth of knowledge amongst the community re SEA and so I thought it was worth asking if anyone has been to Flores/done a Komodo boat trip, followed perhaps by Bali or Lombok?
If so, how did you find the Flores/Komodo trip and do you have any tips/must dos/to avoid etc for me.
Many thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
I’m afraid I can’t help but it sounds like and awesome Dragons and Hobbits-themed trip!
It’s quite a long time ago now, but we did a trip similar to this in 2007.
I wasn’t in the points game then, so we had cash flights to SIN and then onto DPS. We overnighted there and then had another flight to Labuan Bajo ( I think). A short drive and we were on the boat which we stayed on for about a week. Visited Komodo and went swimming in some of the most gorgeous water you can imagine out in the open sea, just diving off the boat.We stayed on the Island famous for the pink beach ( can’t remember it’s name) and I have some photos of the kids with big starfish they found.
We then went over to Borneo and got on another boat up river to visit the Orang Utan sanctuary.
Final leg was back to Lombok and then we climbed the volcano Mount Rinjani. We were just an average fairly active family (two kids 14 and 12) but it was hard work. I can remember being really worried on the final ascent to the top it seemed to be a very narrow ridge with a drop to oblivion either side. Mrs and eldest stopped before the top, but youngest and I made it. i’ve never felt so happy to be back afterwards.
I did it all with a guy that one of the kids found on the internet and he was sole trader I think, but he’s still around and everything worked. I’ll see if I can dig out his details if you are interested.
Overall it was an absolutely fabulous trip, in my top 3 with 4×4’s across the Pantanal in Brazil staying on Estancias and Botswana.
Pre Covid and kids, wife and I did Bali, Lombok and Komodo.
Diving at Komodo was amazing but note Komodo itself is very basic but was a very authentic Indonesian experience.
A massive contrast coming off a long haul flight in J and a 5G connection.
Health and safety is at a very different level out there so bear that in mind with your kids.Lombok was our favourite being a happy medium with enough to do, cultural experiences, waterfalls, pearl farm visits etc which your local driver / tour guide would have as a standard itinerary.
Pricing difference is completely immaterial for a GBP earning tourist ie. full day for boat trip to the Gili islands was £20 pp as part of a group of £75 for a ‘private hire’ – not a yacht but a fishing boat!Sadly, also to consider is that Lombok was impacted quite badly by tsunami several times over the last decade.
One that plays with my mind to return with 2 toddlers of our own.Never been to Flores and there is enough information about Bali out there but is not one for me.
Thank you all for the replies. We have also visited Indonesia before but as backpackers 20+ years ago, so have some understanding of the health and safety attitude etc – but as you say, ring of fire/tsunami is a consideration that perhaps we were more blasé/ignorant of as young things…. We are after adventure, but will ponder options across the region.
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
But it also does look amazing… so we will look into it..
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