Arriving without cash
The single most common one. Draw in Bajawa or Ende; the ATM here is one machine and not dependable.
Pasar Maunori. Photo: Natalia Wewo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
First time
Nothing here is arranged for you in advance.
What Riung asks of you that a packaged destination does not, and the mistakes first-timers reliably make.
In short
Riung suits independent travellers who are comfortable arranging things in person, in cash, without a booking platform or an English-speaking front desk.
- No online booking for the local boat fleet.
- Cash only, and no reliable ATM.
- Basic Bahasa Indonesia makes everything easier.
Common mistakes
Four that cost people a day
Every one of these is avoidable with an evening of planning.
Booking the boat too late
Arrange it the evening before at the waterfront. Turning up at eight expecting a boat is how you lose the morning.
Photo: MANSURKOI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Underestimating the sun
Six hours on open water with no shade. People come back burnt and spend the next day indoors.
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Planning only two days
One travel day, one boat day, no margin. If the weather turns you lose the whole reason you came.
Photo: Felix Dance / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The trade
The informality is the product
There is no desk to complain to, no schedule to rely on and no app. There is also nobody selling you a sunset cruise and no queue for the reef.
If the first list bothers you more than the second appeals, Labuan Bajo will suit you better and that is a fine answer.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to put dates on it?
Riung boats are arranged locally, at the pier. For the Komodo leg or a full Flores itinerary, the reservations desk answers on WhatsApp.