Staying Safe in Flores
Part of the Flores travel guide — see every topic in All Flores Guides.
Flores has essentially no crime affecting visitors and a warm, open culture. The genuine risks are the road, which is the most likely thing to hurt you; remoteness, since medical facilities outside the main towns are basic and evacuation means a flight to Bali; and the ordinary tropical concerns of dengue, malaria in some areas, and water. Volcanic and seismic activity are real background conditions on an island that is a chain of active cones.
The road
Seven hundred kilometres of narrow, winding, unlit two-lane road across steep terrain, shared with trucks, buses, livestock and children. Landslides close sections in the wet season. Drive only in daylight. If you hire a motorbike, be realistic: this is demanding riding over long days, and the licence rule that voids your travel insurance applies as everywhere in Indonesia. If you hire a driver, one who works this road regularly is worth the fee for exactly this reason. Motion sickness is near-universal on the first days.
Remoteness and health
Hospitals in Labuan Bajo, Ende and Maumere are basic; anything serious means an evacuation flight to Bali, which is what travel insurance is for. Malaria is present in parts of Flores and the surrounding islands, so take medical advice before travelling and use repellent and a net regardless, since dengue is also present. Bring any medication you need. Phone signal is patchy in the highlands and absent at Wae Rebo. Tell someone your route.
Volcanoes and the sea
Flores is a chain of active volcanoes and sits on a major subduction zone. Lewotobi, Egon and others have erupted in recent years, occasionally closing airports and displacing communities; check current alert levels for anything you plan to climb or fly near. The 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami killed over two thousand people around Maumere, and the hazard persists — if you feel a strong or long tremor near the coast, move inland and uphill immediately without waiting for a warning.
Everyday
Tap water is not drinkable; use bottled or boiled. Home-distilled moke carries a methanol risk, as arak does elsewhere in Indonesia — drink what is offered in a village context and be cautious about unlabelled bottles. Dogs are common in villages and rabies is present in parts of Indonesia; any bite needs medical assessment. Flores is conservative in a Catholic rather than a Muslim way: dress modestly in villages and at church, and Sunday is genuinely observed.
Staying Safe at a glance
| Main risk | The road — drive in daylight only |
|---|---|
| Medical | Basic outside the main towns; evacuation means a flight to Bali |
| Disease | Dengue island-wide; malaria in parts — take advice |
| Seismic | 1992 Maumere earthquake and tsunami killed 2,000+ |
| Volcanoes | Several active — check alert levels |
| Alcohol | Home-distilled moke carries a methanol risk |