Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Flores: Rinca, Komodo & Seraya: a paradise of incredible beaches, coral reef and dragons!

It feels a little bit strange as I am writing this just after coming down the Everest as I didn’t have time to do it before so it will be a nice thing to remember the good times in the sunshine…. Tough life! Jajajjaja

Coming back to Labuan Bajo it felt like coming back home. I kind of like that feeling of knowing where to go, the places and going to take a cafĂ© and being greeted by the people by my name and they know what coffee I am going to take… its starts to feel a little bit like home!

I decided to take a day trip to Rinca and some snorkelling and this turned out to be an incredible day! I met a really nice couple of a Canadian and an Argentinean, they live in Canada and we had a wonderful time. In the boat we were 9 people!

We started by going to Rinca, where I was so so so looking forward to meeting the so famous Komodo dragons…  they are a little bit of a mystery as no one really knows why they are in Rinca and Komodo… huge lizards that can eat you alive in a matter of seconds. To hike in the island, you need to be guarded by a guy from the park who carries a stick to protect people from the animal…

Sounds nice… well, to be very honest when I made it there I was a little bit disappointed as most of the dragons were around the kitchen as they smell the human food… and I heard in Rinca they also feed them. I didn’t like that AT ALL! This should not be a zoo, it’s a place for the animals to be wild and free, right?!

I try to swallow my pain and still had a wonderful walk around the islands, so so dry. The dragons are big and even if they feed them I felt scared to get too close to them, just in case! Jajaja

Next stop, snorkelling….. hay hay hay… for a bit of background… I have tried to snorkel many times in my life and each of them it has been a failure. I became blue, purple, green and always had to get out, not to mention me being scared of having to breath only by the mouth, yes, that’s me! Well, I knew this time was different. I just took the mask, didn’t over think it and jumped into the water. WOW!!! I have been missing out on so much all this time. What a beautiful experience… ok, there were not too many fishes but the coral was truly beautiful, all colors, blue, purple, green, violet. I have seen Nemo and all his friends swimming around and then I made it to the beach… a white sand, deserted beach. 

We just chilled there for a while until it was time to put the mask back on and enjoy a wonderful, colourful snorkel to the boat.







We sailed for a while in these beautiful new paradise and stopped in a little island, really small, with one hill and just pristine clear water and white sand all around…. You know, I am not a beach person, not at all, but I am truly loving this idea of just going around islands with a boat, snorkel and seeing dragons…. Back to the islands, everyone just took their towels and lay down in the sand…. That’s simply not me… I put on my hiking shoes and climbed the hill to be rewarded with an incredible view. It was at that point where it hit me… WOW, I am in paradise, I am among all size of islands which look like a postcard or a movie, but they are real and is me and my eyes that are seeing them….. This contrast of blue, turquoise water, white sand beach, some green and some yellow of the dry islands its just way, way, way too perfect! I think I stayed up there for a while, admiring the beauty of the place. I also ate what the guy of the tour gave me for bfast: Tante, which is banana cooked in its leaf… delicious. I love to try the local food!











I eventually went down the hill and jumped into the transparent water! With my new friends we just lay in the sand and let the water take over our bodies… really, loved it! 

When the guy told us it was time to leave I was not happy… but well, made it to my favorite Italian place to eat the Tofu Capresse and a papaya and coconut smoothie…. Really, a wonderful day! Cheers!



The next three days were MAGIC…. I decided it was time to relax and I booked myself into the most incredible and amazing resort in the Komodo area: the Seraya Resort (https://www.serayahotel.com/) 

I super over did it, went over the top on my budget but I really wanted to have this experience, something new I have never done before in my life!

It was all perfect! I was picked up in the wooden port by Rosie. Before departing she had to go to buy food to make sure they cook special vegetarian meals for me without all the things I am intolerant/allergic to. She mentioned her mum, Maria, was all over the place to make sure I eat well. And I did! They took such good care I felt like home!

The boat ride to Seraya its about one hour in the slow boat… one pleasurable hour of blue water and beautiful islands J The sad side here is that there is a lot, really a lot rubbish in the sea. The Indonesian people are not educated enough to put rubbish in the bean and even if there have been many efforts to help with the issue it is something it will take more time and effort to be accomplished.

Arriving to the land I felt I was arriving in Paradise, like one of this incredibly beautiful hidden beaches you see in picture but you think you will never make it… yes, It was real. The boat approaches and I set of in a long wooden pear with incredible turquoise water… I could see the coral and the fishes below, it couldn’t be better! Maria was waiting for me, such a wonderful woman! They hotel it’s a Greek family business. They came on holidays, fell in love with the place and decided to share the beauty with the rest of the world by providing a place of relaxation! Yay! :)



I spent my first day chilling, walking to the village on the south of the island and playing with the kids, chilling, reading and going up the hill for sunset… paradise… I LOVE this place!



  








The next day I felt like being in the water, so I took a boat to go to Komodo (Thanks Rosie for the arrangements, you are the best!). I wanted to check the dragons there do some more snorkeling…. 

Wow, to start the day I enjoyed an AMAZING sunrise… It made me dream more and then the boat ride was incredible… I had the wooden boat all for me. It was smooth and nice, I had black Indonesian coffee and simply chilled on the front deck until we made it to Komodo! I was super excited!!!! 





I took the longest hike and off we went with my guide and his stick! Here the dragons are way bigger and he told me that they don’t feed them. I decided to trust him! I saw about 9 dragons and had a nice walk around. He explained me about the different type of palm trees and a bit more abut the island….














Time to sail! :) we stopped in pink beach… believe me, it is really pink and beautiful! The water was cold here as it is more in the open sea. Nevertheless, I was able to take my snorkeling gear and hop into the water. Much better than the previous one… whoooooo so many more fishes and nicer and bigger coral, I do love the under water world… and the walk on the pink sand, loving all these new experiences!





Off to the boat again… sailing back was more of an adventure… I was laying on the front deck until waves splash on me.. time to move to the back…. Not so much fun anymore, but I kept my smile! J we made it safe back home, stepping of the boat was another adventure as waves were coming over and it was moving, but the guys were great!


I cannot explain how good I slept and ate on this place each night! Wonderful!!!!!!




Last day I chilled and enjoyed the beach and the hills, read and relaxed, snorkelled out of my bungalow and had amazing food! Wow!.... honestly, it was a surprise for me to like this, a new experience... and there is no way back!

Next morning, 30th September and end of my visa… time to say good bye. I enjoyed the sunrise, walked in the beach, had a shower in the open water toilet, took bfast to go and had a great boat ride with Maria to Labuan Bajo….


This was the perfect way to end a month of adventure in this wonderful country of Indonesia!