Word: islander
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...Koro is a native of Ende, the island's lush capital, which perches on the south shore in the shadow of emerald folds of lava-molded mountains. But he runs his adventure travel business from a wooden house on the outskirts of Maumere. "Maumere is the gateway to Flores. The airport is here, and the best hotels. That's why the tsunami was so devastating," he says...
...tourists might have doubts about Flores (arrivals last year barely topped 11,000, fewer than Bali's Denpasar airport handles on a busy day). Eight volcanoes grumble and belch sulfurous steam along the island's twisted, 360-kilometer spine. Most of them have erupted in the past century or two. The surrounding seabed is crosshatched with fault lines. Maumere, in the local dialect, means "big sea," suggesting the recent tsunami wasn't the first. It doesn't help that the noisy bemos?gaudily painted minibuses that zip around the snaking roads?are emblazoned with biblical names like Golgotha, Revelation...
...brimstone and killer surf, Flores represents a gentle face of Indonesia. It's a perfect antidote for those bored with Bali and jittery about politically volatile Java. The friendly, predominantly Christian populace has remained free of the religious and tribal violence that has wracked the archipelago. Much of the island is postcard gorgeous. The mineral glitter of its beaches cedes to vertiginous mountains and the misty mysteries of half-hidden valleys. "Most visitors are surprised by the unspoiled beauty of Flores," says Koro. "And the people here have realized tourism is our only hope if we are to prosper. They...
THERE BE DRAGONS The western tip of Flores is the jumping-off point for the island of Komodo, where the world's largest lizards (or dragons, if you prefer) slink about looking for something to sink their razor-sharp, bacteria-covered teeth into. Make sure it isn't you?the odd foolhardy tourist is known to have been chomped, and even if you survive the attack the wound may become so infected that, without treatment, you could die. Day trips are popular, but true dragon fans can spend a night or two in spartan cabins in Komodo National Park...
...THAR SHE BLOWS Those with time to spare?lots of time?might consider a side trip to Lamalera, on the island of Lembata just east of Flores, where subsistence whaling has been practiced for centuries. Depending on the currents and swell, it can be anything from a four-to seven-hour odyssey in a small, pitching craft from the Flores town of Larantuka. Sometimes months go by without a single whale sighting, but if you happen to be present when a bull sperm whale is harpooned you will think you've been swept back to the days of Nantucket whaling...