Where We Slept is our hotel roundup from our time on the road. We hope it helps budget travelers see how far their dollar can go--even though sometimes, it's not far enough!
Here's the truth: budget accommodation in Flores sucks. It's expensive and shitty, which makes for an overall unpleasant traveling experience.
Unfortunately, the island's guesthouse owners seem to suffer from neglect syndrome. They want your money, but they don't want to clean their rooms.
Here's where we stayed, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend any of these places.
Labuan Bajo: Suraya Hotel - 225,000 IDR for AC room with partial bay view. Breakfast could have been worse. Bajawa: Hotel Johnny - 90,000IDR for a room in a half-finished hotel. To say it was sketchy would be an understatement, though the owner did take a liking to me and offer me lots of freshly baked donuts. Moni: Maria Homestay - 175,000IDR for a decent room with no frills. Damp but otherwise fine, with a big bed. Ende: Hotel Ikhlas - 120,000IDR for an okay room in a hotel with WiFi!!! Actually had a pretty social vibe and you could literally walk to the airport from here in about 10 minutes.
All these rooms had cold water, crappy breakfast, and no character, though on the plus side they were all relatively clean. Other travelers experienced the same issues (especially with any place in Lonely Planet). Book ahead as any well rated places on TripAdvisor go fast. Labuan Bajo is particularly popular.
More Indonesia
Interested in seeing what Flores has to offer without paying for a plane ticket? Check out our Flores photo tour.
You can also share your tips for budget travel in Flores and Indonesia by leaving a comment!
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