Kuta Lombok to Koka Beach, Flores and return.

[merantau]

In June/July 2023 I completed a 2500 km ride to Flores and back on my KLX150. It had been a four year hiatus in my Indonesian travels - far too long!

The ride to Pelabuhan Kayangan via the east coast avoids the intense traffic that you encounter on the west to east highway that slices its way across Lombok's midriff. Even so it is not without its dangers - sand in corners, broken tarmac, lumpy undulations, craters: get the picture? I always feel at ease when I pass out of Pringabaya township as it signals just 15 minutes more to reach the port

As per usual the scene at the port was a busy one. Lots of scooters and bikes - mostly heavily laden - massive tray trucks, large inter island buses, mini buses and a few private cars. Lots of roaming sellers with trays of drinks, snacks, smokes and knick knacks.

The trip to Poto Tano in Sumbawa took two hours. We sailed over a placid sea, the formidable bulk of uninhabited Pulau Banta to starboard and some jagged islets to port.

I will continue adding to this thread in the coming days

 

[The Bigfella]

Excellent - I'm looking forward to it. I absolutely loved Flores. Amazing roads.

This shot is a slide I did for a Horizons Unlimited presentation a while back. That scale marker at the bottom is half a kilometre if I recall correctly. Back to you.... next update please :-)

 

[merantau]

Sumbawa is a pleasure to ride. A good highway traverses the island and there is a lot to see along the way. The total distance west to east is approximately 330km. There is very little traffic and the only town of any size is Sumbawa Besar, the capitsl of West Sumbawa Regency.

This is the sunset from the terrace of La Begong Restaurant, about 15 km west of Sumbawa Besar city - fabulous food and cold beer, cheap too. Just the thing after a day's ride. I stayed at Kencana Beach Hotel. A little pricy for what you get but it's the only hotel in the area that is right on the beach. It has a restaurant and swimming pool but why would you bother when the crystal clear waters of the bay are at your doorstep?

After a good night's sleep, a plate of golden brown pisang goreng and a pot of black local coffee I was ready for the day ahead. First stop was a famous eating house at Telok Santong on a lazy inlet where the highway hits the coast for the first time in quite a while. The tide was in and I'd never seen it so high. All the walk ways were under water.

After a delicious barbecued fish meal I continued on through Empang passing Bugis fishing villages, salt pans and fields of corn. Before long the azure waters of Salleh Bay appeared and the road began to climb steadily to the fabulous viewpoint at Nanga Tumppu

A short ride gets you to the top of the pass and then glorious sweeping bends transport you to another temperature zone - the warm.fertility of the Soriutu Vally with its rice padis and cornfields. The harvest was in full swing and hundreds of thousands of orange cobs lay on blue tarps baking in the afternoon sun.

Soriutu is a busy market town. Turn left at the roundabout and you're heading for the fabulous Tambora Peninsula watched over by Mt Tambora, site of the most stupendous explosion in modern history. Its 1815 eruption changed the world's climate the following year. There was no northern summer and thousands died from famine as a result of catastrophic crop failure due to freezing temperatures and no sunshine. I've been fortunate to climb this moutain twice and stare down into its immense beyond words crater

 

[merantau]

At Soriutu I dropped into the garage where a couple of great blokes came to my rescue back in 2019. I'd burnt out my clutch trying to ascend Tambora from a different route. They had the only set of clutch plates in town for a 150KLX. Fine chaps..

I bade goodbye to my friends and continued my journey east to Bima the largest city in Sumbawa. I was disappointed to find that my favourite eating house had closed - a victim of Corona as the operators had been forced to head back home to Java. But I found an alternative around the corner and fed royally on my favourite Nasi Padang dishes - tofu, tempe, daun singkong, fried chicken, vegetables and rice.

I fied up the bike again and headed out of town. The ride east took me through forests and farmland, hills, plains and river valleys. My destination was the De Aussef Hotel in Sape, the jumping off point for Labuhanbajo, "the port of the sea gypsies" and the gateway to the fabulous island that captivated the Potuguese - the Island of Flowers - Flores.

 

[merantau]

Sape is an interesting town and the De Aussef is the perfect motorcyclist's hotel. Cheap, clean, accommodating, close to the port and well-used to putting up motorcycle riders. The owners are happy for you to bring your bike inside for the night. The town also sports a fabulous restaurant a couple of kms away - the Taliwang. Fabulous food, lovely people. Sape has many Bugis among its polyglot inhabitants and they still make large wooden vessels in the town's shipyards.

 

[merantau]

After a good night's sleep and a black coffee and doughnut breakfast it was off to the port to catch the ferry to LBJ - 7-8 hours east. There's always a lot of speculation about what time the ferry will leave. In Indonesia the answer is: "It leaves when it leaves." I made myself comfortable top side, out in the breeze and the sunshine. For me, there's nothing more enjoyable than a ferry trip: gliding over a millpond- sea, beneath a golden sun climbing a blue sky staircase, sailng past the brooding bulk of Komodo - the island of the Dragons - just perfect. I might be sitting on a hard iron seat, or on my backside propped up against the bridge, but I'm chatting with friendly people and enjoying the sunshine. Who needs a Palm Court Orchestra and a flunky serving luridly coloured cocktails decorated with bits of fruit and a coloured paper umbrella?.Not me. The Carival Cruise crowd can have that!

There's always a canteen in the passeger lounge seeing coffee, pop mie noodles, biscuits and snacks and on a day trip it is a well patronised facility. There's always plenty to observe both on board and out to sea so time passes quickly. LBJ came in to view in the late afternoon. It's a spectacular harbour - even more so if you tie up under a setting sun.

I first set foot in LBJ forty years ago. It was a tiny port - a fishing village sheltering beneath jungle-covered hills, a bay protected by a clutch of islets. It had one place to stay - the Mutiare losmen, next to the port. Now it has a Starbucks and a Marriott Hotel is near completion. LBJ is a big diving centre and thr jump off point for trips to the Komodo National Park. It is a very busy place now is super clean and they're still no traffic lights!

 

[merantau]

Excellent - I'm looking forward to it. I absolutely loved Flores. Amazing roads.

This shot is a slide I did for a Horizons Unlimited presentation a while back. That scale marker at the bottom is half a kilometre if I recall correctly. Back to you.... next update please :-)

That looks like the run from Bajawa down to Aimere on the coast. Incredible road as you say

 

[merantau]

On leaving the port I headed right up the one-way main street dotted with dive shop, restaurants of all persuasions, tourists agencies and bars. It really has become a tourist town. Around 60 boats are engaged in the Komodò National Park tourist trade. I spent the night wandering the main street and ate an overpriced hamburger served by a very beautiful woman with one a those faces you can still recall years down the track.

Next morning I got an early start and headed for Ruteng. Before long I was climbing ithrough fern forests and giant bamboo nto the island's mountainous spine,

The road dips and climbs into the clouds weaving its snake-like path through a maelstrom of vegetation. I rode through mist that soon became misty rain - pity that, back at the hotel, I hadn't been able to locate the poncho I thought I'd packed! Never mind - you get wet, you get dry. And it never gets too cold in Flores - even in the mountains.
Lunch in Ruteng at a Nasi Padang was beyond excellent so thoroughly fueled up I set off again for Mborong where I took a break at an excellent bakery/coffee shop - the Bougainvillea- operated by a Chinese/Indonesian family. If you're ever in Mborong don't miss it.

Onwards to Aimere. This small port on the south coast has ASDP ferry conections to both Kupang on Timor and Waingapu on Sumba - surprising really as it is just a dot on the map with no discernable town centre. On a good day you get magnificent views of Inerie volcano but this day was overcast so here's an old photo.

 

[merantau]

Beyond Aimere the road climbs rapidly into the mountains. Some of the countless hairpins on this 40km climb are so sharp and steep that an overloaded truck would have no hope of making the turn. Even with the low gearing on the KLX I sometimes found myself engaging first gear both ascending and descending. It's a road with so many bends that, unless you know it like the back of your hand, overtaking any vehicle is best done when going uphill. Try it the other way and you could easily run out of road and find yourself at the mercy and skill of an upcoming driver - not a risk I want to deal with!

As the afternoon wore on and I climbed higher the rain - real rain - came down and I was drenched in a trice. Not much else to do but continue on at reduced speed: the goal is always to arrive, the TOA is immaterial.

Bajawa is reached by a turn off from Trans Flores Highway and is situated in a deep valley. I arrived at Lucas Authentic Homestay looking like a drowned rat. The kids looking after the place helped me unload in the rain. I was the only guest. A hot shower and dry clothes soon had me up and about. I ate an excellent meal at a little restaurant down the street memorable more so from the pompous elderly Frenchman who deigned to dine with us. He appeared at the doorway, saw four Caucasions inside and sniffed: "Humpf, Europeans. I don't normally eat in places like this but I think, just this time, I'll make an exception." I guess I was supposed to feel honoured!

 

[merantau]

Up early I met Lucas the owner for the first time even though I first stayed at his accommodation back in 2013. A lovely man he spoke fluent German and English as well as Indonesian and his mother tongue which I think is called Nggada. Lucas prepared me a sumptuous breakfast of pisang goreng and local coffee.

I packed up and set off. Today would be a decent ride. East and then south east to Ende on the coast, then north again into the highlands to Moni village at the foot of Kelimutu and Its crater lakes.
Once again it rained a little but as soon as I began the descent to the south coast I began to dry out. There's a spectacular green stone beach before Ende. The stones are collected and transported to the far corners of Indonesia for decorative pebble work. Ende is connected by ferry to Kupang - I think it's a 24 hour trip. It is also the place where the Dutch banished independence leader, Soekarno, in the 1930s. The home he lived in is now a museum.

After a few more light showers I turned off the main road for Moni village and found a cheap place to stay - Daniel Lodge at the far end of town. Moni was quiet. Very few tourists wandered the main drag. I found a pretty hip bar and had a beer. The sound system was top notch, the music was Flores reggae, the decor Route 66 and California. The world has shrunk so.

Flores - it means "flowers" in Portuguese.

There were a lot of local tourists at the top of Kelimutu next morning. The first time I went to this place it was totally natural. Now there was a carpark, toilet block, lots of souvenir stalls and a few warungs. The crater lakes are a great mystery the way they change colour from time to time.

I rode back down to the main road and headed east again- destination Koka Beach on the south coast near the village of Paga..If you don't have a shrp eye you'd easily miss the turn off as there is only a tiny sign. From the Maumere side there's a big highway sign. I guess that's the direction most people come from..I bumpy track takes you to the beach - actually two beaches separated by a rocky peninsula. It's a magic spot..I spent a couple of nights at Blasius' Homestay and was well fed on fresh fish cooked by his lovely wife Serafina.

 

[merantau]

Koka Beach was fairly busy with locals on Sunday but by Monday I had it to myself. Running along the curve of the shore on hard packed sand, caressed by a gentle sea breeze, the sun on my back, a blue sky - draw your own conclusions.

Lunch was mahi-mahi, mixèd vegetables and rice. Dinner likewise. Just the perfect place to relax. But I could only stay a couple of days as my visa was due for an extention. So I paked up and headed west.

I decided to try the north coast route. The road was good as far as Reo but after that it was just a track. I'd travelled it in 2014 and only saw one truck and one motorcycle in the best part of an afternoon. I was confident it had improved since then.
My route took me back through Ende and then I commenced the long climb the Aergola. The higher i went the heavier it rained but I figured as soon as I got to the top of the pass at Aergola, took the right fork and started descending in a north westerly directtion towards the coast, the rain would cease, the sun would come out and I'd be dry again in no time. And I was right.

The north coast is much, much drier than the rest of Flores and there are far less people. The only settlements of note between Aergola and Riung are Dangga and Mbay - both sleepy backwaters
Riung is another town without an obvious centre. I pulled up adjacent a group of folk chatting in their front yard and inquired about a place to sleep. A young lad jumped on his Honda and said, "Follow me." A couple of minutes later a pulled up in the yard of a lovely garden and was soon set for the night.
The following morning one of the staff insisted on taking a photo of her daughter and me. I'm not sure the little girl was that happy. Mum said, "You're the first bule she's seen up close." Riung is a bit out of the way!

 

[Snakeboy]

Fabulous write-up and photos Steve!
Its almost like being back there albeit its 8 years since I past through there….
One day I will be back though!

 

[merantau]

Fabulous write-up and photos Steve!
Its almost like being back there albeit its 8 years since I past through there….
One day I will be back though!

Hi Kurt. Good to know I'm helping revive some vivid memories for you. I know exactly how you feel. I just love riding east of Bali too. Being out on your own in areas that rarely see tourists, in areas of incredible beauty, fantastic winding roads with little traffic to disturb you, really is good for the soul.

 

[merantau]

Koka Beach was fairly busy with locals on Sunday but by Monday I had it to myself. Running along the curve of the shore on hard packed sand, caressed by a gentle sea breeze, the sun on my back, a blue sky - draw your own conclusions.

Lunch was mahi-mahi, mixèd vegetables and rice. Dinner likewise. Just the perfect place to relax. But I could only stay a couple of days as my visa was due for an extention. So I paked up and headed west.View attachment 91279

I decided to try the north coast route. The road was good as far as Reo but after that it was just a track. I'd travelled it in 2014 and only saw one truck and one motorcycle in the best part of an afternoon. I was confident it had improved since then.
My route took me back through Ende and then I commenced the long climb the Aergola. The higher i went the heavier it rained but I figured as soon as I got to the top of the pass at Aergola, took the right fork and started descending in a north westerly directtion towards the coast, the rain would cease, the sun would come out and I'd be dry again in no time. And I was right.
View attachment 91280
The north coast is much, much drier than the rest of Flores and there are far less people. The only settlements of note between Aergola and Riung are Dangga and Mbay - both sleepy backwaters
Riung is another town without an obvious centre. I pulled up adjacent a group of folk chatting in their front yard and inquired about a place to sleep. A young lad jumped on his Honda and said, "Follow me." A couple of minutes later a pulled up in the yard of a lovely garden and was soon set for the night.
The following morning one of the staff insisted on taking a photo of her daughter and me. I'm not sure the little girl was that happy. Mum said, "You're the first bule she's seen up close." Riung is a bit out of the way!View attachment 91281

After getting instructions as to the way to get to the Road to Reo I was off. The road followed the coast at first but then, blocked by a headland it turned inland and zig-zagged through dry scrubland populated by flocks of goats and little else. The sun beat down and my Camel Back was getting a good workout.
I reached Reo around noon and ploughed the dusty main street looking for a place to eat and grab a cool drink. There weren't many options but eventually I spotted a well-patronized Nasi Padang, parked up and stepped inside. I was greeted warmly by the Javanese owner and was soon tucking in. I inquired about the road to LBJ. Some people thought that it was better to take the long way around and head direct south to Ruteng. Others said that the road was being improved and my KLX would be able to handle it ok.

 

[merantau]

So I set off and was pleasantly surprised to be following a good road that clung to the coast. I passed through the small port of Kadindi and made inquiries about the route ahead. The hamlet of Kajang was the next objective and when i reached it I stopped at an unmarked intersection and waited for someone to turn up. On my earlier trip in 2014 I knew the road passed through a village called "Pacar". Before long a villager arrived and set me straight.
It wasn't long before the good bitumen turned bad. Indeed the road was being improved. Whatever had been there before had been dug up completely. Every 30 metres truck loads of gravel had been dumped on either side of the scar that was worming its way through the landscape.

Two hours of careful riding negotiating lots of steep descents and climbs and one creek crossing finally re-united me with bitumen. The rest of the ride into LBJ was a doddle. I found a hotel unpaked and washed away the grime of an 8 hour ride with a well-earned shower. I then got to enjoy a cold beer and watch a beautiful sunset from the hotel restaurant's terrace.

 

[merantau]

While kicking back on the hotel terrace I spotted a white bellied sea eagle and so followed its flight. It landed atop the communication tower that appears in the above photo. There it had built its nest. Apparently they have to be at least 1.5mt wide as the young don't leave the nest until they are almost fully grown. You can see the nest clearly in the next photo.

I watched these birds next morning and eventually one left the nest and headed out to sea. About an hour later it returned holding something in its tallons. Mission accomplished!
My time in LBJ was short as a vist to the port confirmed the Sumbawa ferry would leave the next morning. So I spent the day swimming at Waicucieu Beach, just a short ride out of town. The first time I'd been to this spot I walked around the coast and never saw a soul. Now the beach was in a suburban area surrounded by dwellings, playing home to a run down resort complex. Still, the water was clean and there was a bar/warung that served excellent satè.

The ferry left behind schedule as normal and arrived in Sape around 5pm. I reacquainted myself with the De Aussef crew and was greeted like the Prodigal Son back at the Taliwang restaurant.

The trip back across Sumbawa saw me outrunning the rain in the hills between Sape and Bima. I climbed out of the Soriutu Valley via its sweeping bends and stopped for a coffee halfway down the Nangga Tumpu rise at a little truck stop buolt by an enterprising Balinese guy and his Javanese wife. I had known them for years and wasn't surprised to learn that their daughter, Karina, was away at Uni in Java studying International Relations - she's a very smart girl.

I spent the night at Kencana Beach and the following day headed for Sekongkang down south on the west coast. I took the secondary coastal road that goes via Kertasari and was surprised to see a massive project underway. Huge earth moving machine, fleets of dump trucks with kilometres of wire fencing already installed topped with razor wire. Maybe the proprosed prosessing plant for the ore from the Batu Hijau gold and copper mine.
It's a fine ride down through Taliwang to Maluk with some great views of the coast around Poto Batu.
This is the Taliwang River just before it reaches the sea.

This is a shot looking back to Kertasari Beach. Looks like a lot of land has been sold here for future tourist development as quote a few stone walls have been built.

I rode down Maluk's main street and into the hills that separate it from Sekongkang a few kilomtres further south. I pulled up at Santai Beach Bungalows and got a room - cheap and cheerful and right on the beach. Sadly, the restaurant no longer operates as they used to do an excellent breakfast. This is the view from Santai Beach Bungalows taken a few years previously.

The weather closed in and there was a big swell. I heard reports of ferries being cancelled between Lombok and Bali and talk of ferries from Sumbawa being cancelled too.

This is a shot of Maluk Bay taken from the old road. It's one of my favourite beaches.

So I made a decision to leave. My visa was about to expire and in any case I had to be back in Lombok to attend the 1000 days ceremony for my deceased mother-in-law. I could not risk being stranded in Sekongkang even thougjlh if I could choose a place to be stranded this part od Sumbawa's coastline would be high on my list. If I was ever on the run from authorities I think I could have a wonderful time evading them as I traverse the roads and trails of this wonderful island. I kid you not, in all the time I've been travelling there I've only encountered cops on the road once. And that was about 10 years ago when they pulled over a Dutchman riding a KLX250 because they'd never seen one before!

I got rained on again heading to Poto Tano. This time I took the main road. Just before Seteluk there is a massive rocky hill that must have its own micro climate as it poured for 15 minutes and then abruptly stopped once I got beyond it.
Soon the sun came out hot and fierce and when I hit the dual highway, about 10km from Poto Tano, I zinged along at 80kph - wet clothes taken of!

When I arrived at the port there was a ferry discharging. Eventually we got underway but had to queue at the Lombok end for about an hour which meant having to ride home partly in the dark - not something I enjoy but as you're reading this you can see I got back in one piece despite the car drivers who don't know what a dip switch is.
Would I do it all again? Is the Pope a Catholic?!

 

[merantau]

Sekongkang in the rain.

 

[The Bigfella]

Fantastic. Thanks for the report

 

[merantau]

If you ever get back let me know. I'll be back in Lombok early next year.

 

[Captain_Slash]

A great trip report there Steve.

 

[merantau]

Further to island hopping. There is a new system in place for purchasing ferry tickets. There is an electronic card called a "BRIZZI" card. The system is being operated by BRI - Bank Rakyat Indonesia. It's a debit card that is loaded up and is then used to pay for public transport tickets, tolls, retail purchases etc. Not sure if foreigners can get them but not having one did not present a problem. There were plenty of locals willing to use their card to purchase a ticket for you in return for a couple of bucks. This system worked perfectly. You just go with the guy to the "top up" counter with the money, your ID and the papers for the bike. The details are noted on your ticket and that's it. A lot different to before when you just rolled up, bought a ticket and rode on. In the event of a disaster you just might disappear without a trace unless, of course they have CCTV footage of vehicles entering the ferry. I'll have to check that out next trip.