Skip to content
Riung Flores Riung Flores
Wooden boats drawn up on the shore at Riung under an orange dusk sky

The guides

Everything we know about Riung, in one place.

Fifty-five guides to the marine park, the road in, the boats and the town — grouped so you can find the one you actually need.

In short

Riung is the gateway town to Taman Wisata Alam Laut 17 Pulau, on the north coast of Flores in Ngada Regency — reached only by road, and worked by day boats out of the harbour.

  • Overland from Bajawa or Ende. There is no airport.
  • Boats are arranged at the pier, usually the evening before.
  • Snorkelling and island-hopping, then Ontoloe at dusk.

Orientation

Five things worth understanding first

The short version of each guide group, before you open one.

Empty sand beach running along the Flores coastline under a bright sky

Where it is

North coast of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. The town is the gateway; the park is offshore.

Flores coast — representative. Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Sealed mountain road curving through green hills on Flores

Getting in

Overland only. Public buses run from Ende and Bajawa; a private car is the comfortable version.

The road across Flores. Photo: Felix Dance / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Wooden jetty reaching over clear turquoise water toward a low green island

On the water

Snorkelling and island-hopping over shallow reefs, three to five stops on a standard day.

Pulau Kanawa, Flores — representative. Photo: Stepgun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wooden boats drawn up on the shore at Riung under an orange dusk sky

Where to sleep

Homestays and guesthouses in town. Simple, fan-cooled, walking distance to the harbour.

Riung waterfront. Photo: MANSURKOI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thatched houses around the open central lane of a Flores village

The town itself

A working fishing settlement, not a resort strip. That is the reason the park is still quiet.

Bena, near Bajawa — village housing on Flores, not Riung itself. Photo: Serenade / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Flying foxes lifting off a mangrove island at dusk
Kalong Island, Labuan Bajo — the same species and the same dusk flight as Ontoloe. Photo: Khoirul Amri / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ontoloe

The part of the day nobody schedules

The boats turn for home around four. What most people remember is what happens next: the flying foxes lift off the mangroves on Pulau Ontoloe, in their thousands, and keep coming for the better part of an hour.

It costs nothing and is not on any itinerary. Ask your captain to wait.

The guides

Start with one of these

The nine guides most readers open first. The full index of fifty-five sits under each of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still deciding?

Riung boats are arranged locally, at the pier. For the Komodo leg or a full Flores itinerary, the reservations desk answers on WhatsApp.

Book with Komodo Luxury