Flores, the island given an incongruous Portuguese name by its 16th-century colonists, has become Indonesia’s ‘Next Big Thing’. The serpentine, 670km Trans-Flores Hwy runs the length of the island, skirting knife-edge ridges, brushing by paddy-fringed traditional villages, and opening up dozens of areas few tourists explore.Lying to the east of Sumbawa and to the west of Lembata in Nusa Tenggara, the long island of Flores offers an array of natural and cultural sights. The most famous attraction in Flores is the Kelimutu volcano caldera, which has three lakes fed by volcanic gas that change color according to the amount of oxidation in the water. Flores also has a growing eco-tourism industry, where travelers can visit traditional villages, stay with local families and join in activities such as bird watching and trekking.
