The roads on Flores, Indonesia are sublime!

From:
Wrong Way To Kathmandu - A Sidecar Misadventure - Part 2 - Indonesian Island Hopping - ADVrider

The Roads on Flores Post
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I'm getting ahead of myself here. We've reached Larantuka, the end of Flores. We only felt the need for the truck from Bajawa to Ende and the rest was a smiling sidecar slide.

As I may have mentioned once or thrice, driving on Java was a special sort of hell. Most likely designed by the dark lord to punish you eternally for past vehicular sins.

Flores roads though have been a dream. There is one great 800km highway that snakes from one end of the island (Labuan Bajo) to the other (Larantuka). It's fresh smooth blacktop courtesy of an Australian aid project. A dream ride. Curvy, empty, and with amazing scenery. Winding along the sunset coast with it's sweeping views and crashing waves, through forests of coconut and palm, and a cool breezes in your face as you pass towering volcanos. The road is almost empty, you see a small bus or truck maybe once a day and even cars are 15 minutes or more apart. No horses or peddle carts. None of the monolithic mega trucks and busses that try to lumber over you on Java. An occasional wild monkey. These are some of the best bike roads I've ever seen. All elements in place.
It reminds me why I ride and what I love. Any day on these roads would be a good one.

The two best sections were Ende to Maumere and Maumere to Larantuka.

Ende to Maumere is very curvy, taking you up and around the mountains.
Maumere to Laurantuka is straighter with long sweeping curves as it rushes along the coast. I even sustained 90km/h for a bit. That's a first for us in Indonesia!
The driving was so good, the scenerey so beautiful, the entire experience so pleasant, that I didn't want to stop for gas or pictures.


Around Bajawa. There be curves!


A less curvy section.


Amazing views.


A rest stop.


Maumere to Larantuka


Maumere to Larantuka

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Wrong way to Kathmandu - A Sidecar Misadventure