Hello, guys! Previously, I shared with you my Day 1 Flores overland trip, where we explored Ende. Now, let me take you to Bajawa!
My Flores overland trip route: Ende > Bajawa > Ruteng > Labuan Bajo + Komodo
I was in Flores for 7D6N with my mother and sister. Before the trip, we had low expectations of the food, considering Flores was a remote island.
We thought since it wasn’t as popular or developed as Bali, the food would be just okay. But during the trip, we were spoiled with delicious food!
I’m not being biased here just because I’m an Indonesian, okay? Hehe… And Bajawa has a special place in our hearts because of… the food (and nature) ❤️❤️❤️ #foodislife
Enjoy a Fresh Seafood Lunch Near Blue Stone Beach, Flores
Alright, after we visitted Soekarno Reflection Park / Taman Perenungan Bung Karno, we continued our journey to Bajawa. On the way, we stopped at Blue Stone Beach for a fresh seafood lunch.
The Blue Stone Beach got its name thanks to the blue-coloured stones on the beach. At first, the blue hue was faint, but after the rain, the blue colour became bolder.
I don’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was just beside the Blue Stone Beach. There were various fish, lobsters, prawns, and squid—grilled or cooked according to your preference!
Eat Delicious Indonesian Food and Snacks at Anugrah Restaurant, Bajawa
It took us 5 hours to drive from Ende to Bajawa because we stopped at some places. If you drive nonstop, it will take around 3 hours.
By the way, Bajawa was where our local tour guide and driver, Chris and Ricky, came from! They knew the city well, so we were confident with their guidance.
When we reached the town, it was time for dinner, but I was still full from the late lunch. I asked Chris to suggest a place for a light dinner, and he took us to the locals’ (and his) favourite restaurant, Anugrah.
It was a humble, small restaurant that served Chinese-Indonesian food (non-halal). It also sold homemade breads and traditional snacks.
We ordered fried glass noodles and fu yung hai (fried omelette with sweet sauce), while Chris and Ricky ordered se’i fried rice (se’i: smoked roast pork).
My mom, who loved Indonesian snacks, bought some homemade breads, peanut steamed buns (bakpao kacang), and lemper. They were all very delicious!! 😍 😍 😍
The owner of Anugrah restaurant turned out to be from Surabaya, a big Indonesian city known for its delicious snacks, especially kue lapis / Surabaya layer cake.
Oooh, no wonder the food and snacks at Anugrah were 👌 👌 👌
My mom chatted with the owner for a while. She told her that we would stay at Sabrina Rest and Living. The owner turned out to be friends with the homestay owner, hehe!
Also read: “Flores Overland Trip: What to Do in Ende”
Also read: “A Relaxing Walk in Zhaoxing Dong Village, Guizhou”
Stay at Sabrina Rest and Living – Bajawa, Flores
After dinner, we finally reached our accommodation in Bajawa, Sabrina Rest and Living. It was a lovely, modern, and spacious homestay.
The rain was still pouring even after we reached the homestay. Guess who our neighbours were? Surprise, surprise… A touring group!
My eyes lit up when I saw some Harley-Davidson and BMW big bikes parked on the terrace. Yes, besides Porsche and vintage cars, I also like big bikes 🏍️ 🏍️ 🏍️
Too bad for the guys, they were all soaked in the rain. There were vests, gloves, and clothes lying on the floor or hanging—all drenched.
Before we entered our room, a staff member asked us what we wanted for breakfast tomorrow. The options were soto ayam (savoury chicken soup with rice noodles) and fried rice.
We asked for 2 fried rice to be packed (we wanted to give it to Chris and Ricky), and 1 soto ayam for dine-in.
People said the weather in Bajawa was cool, but again, I felt HOT. My mom and sister felt a bit cool, though. Oh ya, there was no AC in the Sabrina Rest and Living rooms.
On the next day, to our surprise, the homestay also provided complimentary snacks, bread, cheese, bananas, and boiled eggs in the dining areas. The donuts and lemper were delicious! 😍😍😍
CLARA15
Lemper is an Indonesian traditional snack, made of sticky rice cooked with coconut milk and shredded chicken filling, and then wrapped in banana leaves.
I guessed the donuts and lemper were from Anugrah restaurant, considering both owners were friends. No wonder they were yummy!
After breakfast, I went to the terrace to have a better view of the Harley-Davidsons. Someone was washing the bikes, and a guy who chatted with me last night was there too.
- How heavy is the bike? (one could reach up to 200kg)
- Why do you cover the back lamp? (so it doesn’t blind others)
- Do you feel tired bending down all the time during the ride? (yes)
- How do you bring the bikes from Jakarta to Flores? (hire a towing vehicle)
Also read: “#hellostrangers: The Quirky Travel Photos”
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See Inerie Mountain and Wolobobo Hill – Bajawa, Flores
A trip to Bajawa, Flores is incomplete without seeing Inerie Mountain and Wolobobo Hill up close! The road to the mountain and hill was relaxing, surrounded by green and small sunflowers.
Luckily, the sun was up and the sky was bright in the morning. But still, it was foggy, so you can’t see the mountain in my photos…
My mom was disappointed because we couldn’t see the Inerie Mountain. According to Chris, the stratovolcano had a perfect triangle shape and was the highest mountain on Flores.
What to do… so we just enjoyed ourselves, inhaled the fresh air, and took some photos.
Oh ya, the sunlight in Flores was very strong. Remember to use sunblock before any outdoor activities and wear a big hat!
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Visit Bena Traditional Village in Bajawa, Flores
Afterwards, we went to Bena Traditional Village. The shape of the traditional houses in the village was similar to Wologai Village, Ende.
However, Bena Traditional Village in Bajawa was larger than Wologai Village. We learned that the cost to build one traditional village was super high. It started even before the house was built!
The villagers must do many rituals before building a house, such as rituals to ask ancestors where they should find the trees to be cut, sacrifice some animals (pig/chicken), etc.
And then, they also need to fork out some money for the house’s materials, labor costs, etc.
The village has a wide park in the middle, surrounded by traditional houses (U-shape). In this village, you can find some megalithic altars, used for rituals and traditional ceremonies.
Similar to Toraja in South Sulawesi, the villagers’ status is shown by how many buffalo horns they display outside their house. The more buffalo horns they have, the more respected they are in the village.
The buffaloes could be the buffaloes that the house owner sacrificed or were given by the neighbours. Usually, the sacrificed animals are buffalo, pig, and rooster.
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As buffalo prices are expensive, it becomes a status symbol. Unfortunately, for locals whose family member passes away, they are the ones who have to sacrifice some animals.
Alamak, sudah jatuh tertimpa tangga pulak! Oh my, they already had a misfortune, but still need to spend a lot of money on the burial ritual!
The unique thing about Bena traditional village is that it has a cave of Mother Mary (Jesus’ mother). Interestingly, my mom had been thinking about Mother Mary before visiting the village.
She was so happy and prayed in front of the statue for some time. Afterwards, we rushed to the exit, worried it would be raining.
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Relax at Malanage Hot Springs, Bajawa
Alright, our next stop is Malanage Hot Springs!
Malanage Hot Springs in Bajawa is a natural, warm river. So, there is a cold river and a hot river in Bajawa. Both rivers eventually go in the same direction, resulting in natural hot springs.
There are no rules on how you should dress up for the hot springs. You can wear a bikini, swimming pants, boxer, or a t-shirt with short pants – it’s up to you. There’s a changing room nearby.
As I still had a long way to reach the next city, Ruteng, I only soaked my feet in the hot springs. The temperature was perfect!
Surrounded by green, with sand and some stones at the bottom of the river… I wish I had more time relaxing at Malanage Hot Springs 🌿🌿🌿
Enjoy Mexican-Flores Lunch at Heaven’s Door – Bajawa, Flores
Next, it was time for lunch! Our car stopped in front of an iconic cafe, not far from Malanage Hot Springs.
Who would have thought there would be a Mexico-themed cafe in a small Flores town, like Bajawa? Moreover, it sold yummy fusion food and had a fantastic view of Inerie Mountain!
If you travel to Bajawa, I highly recommend Heaven’s Door for brunch or lunch. The locals and travellers’ favourite place was more than a pretty, Instagrammable cafe. The food and drinks were delicious!
From locals, international, to fusion food… There’s a food or drink for everyone. The food that surprised me the most was the tacos 🌮🌮🌮
It was a fusion of Flores and Mexican food – rolled tortilla filled with se’i (traditional Flores food, spit-grilled pork) / chicken with red beans, corn, lettuce, cheese, and tomato salsa.
The taste? Muy deliciosa, very delicious! 👌👌👌
Oh, and did I tell you they also sell alcohol? Beers, cocktails, mocktails… If you drink alcohol, I recommend you to try Heaven’s Door’s cocktails as they use local wine. My sister ordered one and she loved it!
Like I shared before in the previous blog post, many Muslims in Indonesia were flexible. So, don’t be surprised to see Muslims, even with hijab, eat at Heaven’s Door, Bajawa.
I saw it myself, a Muslim family entered the cafe. At first, I thought they just wanted to check the place out and take some photos. But then, they sat down and ordered some food.
I didn’t bother to see what food or drinks they ordered. Nobody in the restaurant cared about it…
In general, some Muslims in Indonesia don’t care as long as they don’t eat pork or drink alcohol. Some of them drink. Some are also okay working at non-halal places.
So don’t feel awkward, okay? It’s something normal in Indonesia, hehe!
After lunch, I went to the balcony and was greeted by a beautiful, clear view of Inerie Mountain. The fog had cleared up! My mom, who followed me from behind, was excited.
“Quickly take photos!!” 🤩🤩🤩
I was curious why there was a place like Heaven’s Door in Bajawa. Chris, our out guide, told me that the owners were a local and a foreigner. Ooo, no wonder!
He also shared that in Labuan Bajo, the most modernised city in Flores (and also the departing city to see Komodo), there were some Italian restaurants because many Italians visitted the island.
Flores got its name from the Portuguese language, “Copa de flores” (flower cape), as the Portuguese were the ones who first explored the island.
When you travel to Flores, you will see many international travellers and just a few Indonesians because… the flight ticket from Labuan Bajo to the small Flores cities is expensive.
For example, my flight from Labuan Bajo to Ende, which took only 50 minutes, was RM700 (around 165 USD). I’m lucky to work in Malaysia, hence my salary is in Malaysian ringgit.
For many Indonesians who earn rupiah, RM700 = around 2,7 million rupiah for a very short flight is very expensive. So, they prefer to travel overseas rather than explore their own country.
After lunch, we had a long drive to Ruteng. It was another delicious dinner and beautiful accommodation for our Flores overland trip, which I will share with you in the next blog post 😍😍😍
Okay guys, I hope you enjoy our Flores overland trip, exploring Bajawa. Thank you for reading and have blessed days ahead 😊🙏🌻
CLARA15
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