Flores Island is in eastern Indonesia, in the province of East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur). It sits in the Lesser Sunda Islands, east of Sumbawa and west of the Alor archipelago, with the Flores Sea to the north and the Savu Sea to the south. If you are planning a Komodo National Park trip, this is the island that matters: Labuan Bajo, on Flores' western tip, is the gateway town, and the park's dragons, reefs and pink beaches sit in the waters just offshore.
That short answer is what most people are searching for. The confusion starts because "Komodo" is famous and "Flores" is not, so travelers often assume the dragons live on a standalone destination with its own airport. They do not. Komodo is a national park of islands. Flores is the large inhabited island beside it. This guide pins Flores on the map, explains how it relates to Bali, Komodo and Labuan Bajo, and shows the practical routes people actually use to get here.
Where Is Flores Island on the Map?
Flores is roughly 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator and about 120 to 123 degrees east. In plain terms: it is far enough east of Bali that you should not plan it as a same-day island hop, and close enough to northern Australia that the dry-season trade winds feel familiar to anyone who has sailed the Timor Sea.
Useful neighbour points:
- Bali lies about 520 kilometres to the west. A direct flight from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo takes around 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Sumbawa is the next major island west of Flores, separated by the Sape Strait.
- Komodo, Rinca and Padar sit off Flores' western end and form the core of Komodo National Park.
- Timor lies to the south-east; Kupang is another regional hub, though most international visitors never need it for a Komodo trip.
- Darwin, Australia is across the Timor Sea. There is no useful ferry shortcut for holiday travellers; you fly via Indonesian hubs.
Flores itself is long and thin, running roughly west to east for about 350 to 360 kilometres, with a width that often feels closer to 20 to 70 kilometres depending on where you stand. Mountains and volcanoes form the spine. The coastline is broken into bays, headlands and offshore islets. That shape is why overland travel across Flores is slow and scenic, and why most visitors treat the island in sections rather than trying to "do all of Flores" in a weekend.
Flores, Komodo and Labuan Bajo: Which Is Which?
These three names get mixed up constantly, and the mix-up wastes planning time.
Flores is the main island: towns, airports, roads, villages, volcanoes, rice terraces and the overland route east toward Kelimutu and Maumere.
Komodo National Park is the protected marine and terrestrial park off the west coast of Flores. It includes Komodo Island, Rinca, Padar, and dozens of smaller islands and reefs. This is where the Komodo dragons live, where the famous viewpoints and dive sites are, and where day boats and liveaboards spend their time.
Labuan Bajo is the small harbour town on the western tip of Flores. It is not inside the national park, but it is the logistics base: Komodo Airport (LBJ), hotels, dive shops, boat charters and the evening waterfront. Almost every first-time visitor lands here, whether they stay in town, board a liveaboard, or transfer straight out to an island resort.
So if someone asks "where is Flores Island?" and they are holding a Komodo itinerary, the useful answer is: Flores is the island with the airport; Komodo is the park you boat into from there.
Is Flores Island the Same as Komodo Island?
No. Komodo Island is one island inside the national park. Flores is a much larger island next to the park. You can visit Komodo Island on a ranger-escorted trek and still sleep on Flores, on a boat, or on a neighbouring resort island such as Sebayur, where we run Komodo Resort.
There are no hotels on Komodo Island itself. If that is the question behind your search, our guide to whether you can stay on Komodo Island covers the real overnight options.
How Big Is Flores, and What Is It Like?
Flores is one of the larger islands in East Nusa Tenggara, with a population measured in the low millions rather than a few thousand. It is not a single-resort island. Western Flores around Labuan Bajo feels oriented to Komodo tourism. Central Flores is more mountainous and cultural, with places such as Wae Rebo and the crater lakes of Kelimutu. Eastern Flores, around Maumere, is quieter again and has its own diving scene, which we cover in our Maumere diving guide.
The island's name comes from the Portuguese for "flowers," a reminder that European contact here is older than the current tourism boom. Today the practical identity of Flores for most international travellers is simpler: it is the land base for Komodo, and a destination in its own right if you give it more than three days.
Where Exactly Do You Arrive?
For a Komodo-focused trip, you arrive at Komodo Airport (IATA: LBJ) in Labuan Bajo, western Flores. The airport name confuses people because it says Komodo while sitting on Flores. That is deliberate branding, not a separate island airport.
Other Flores airports exist, including Frans Seda Airport in Maumere (MOF) in the east, which is useful if you are flying an island-crossing itinerary. Most short Komodo holidays never need them.
From Labuan Bajo harbour you can:
- Stay in town and take day trips into the park
- Board a liveaboard that anchors among the park islands
- Transfer by boat to a resort already inside the archipelago, which is what our guests do when they stay with us on Sebayur Island
How to Get to Flores Island
Almost everyone reaches Flores by air. There is no practical passenger ferry from Bali that competes with flying for time or comfort.
From Bali
Denpasar (DPS) to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) is the classic route: roughly 75 minutes, with multiple daily flights in high season. Our full Bali to Komodo route guide covers airlines, timing and what happens after landing.
From Jakarta
Direct flights from Soekarno-Hatta (CGK) to Labuan Bajo take about 2.5 to 3 hours. Connections via Bali or other hubs also work. Details are in our Jakarta to Komodo guide.
From Singapore and other international hubs
There is no meaningful direct international schedule into Labuan Bajo for most travellers. The normal pattern is fly into Bali or Jakarta, then take a domestic flight to LBJ. Our Singapore to Komodo guide walks through the connections.
Getting around Flores once you are here
Western Flores logistics are boat-led: park day trips, resort transfers, dive tenders. Crossing the island overland toward Bajawa, Moni (for Kelimutu) or Maumere is a multi-day road journey on winding mountain roads. Domestic flights between Labuan Bajo and Maumere exist on some schedules and save a hard drive if you are short on time. If your search was really "how to get to Flores," the short version is: fly to Labuan Bajo unless you have a specific eastern Flores reason not to.
Why People Search for Flores When They Mean Komodo
Search behaviour around this region is messy because the marketing names and the geography do not match one-to-one.
People type "Komodo Island" when they mean the national park. They type "Labuan Bajo" when they mean the whole trip. They type "Flores Island" when they have seen it on a map next to Komodo and want to know whether it is relevant. It is. Flores is the inhabited platform that makes the park accessible. Without Flores, there is no easy airport, no reliable supply chain, and no simple way to stage a diving or dragon itinerary.
That is also why a thin answer like "Flores is in Indonesia" helps nobody. The useful geographic facts are the ones that change bookings: which airport, which coast, how far from Bali, and whether your hotel is on Flores, on a park-adjacent island, or on a boat.
What Is Flores Island Known For?
If you only came for Komodo, Flores still shapes the trip. If you have extra days, it becomes the reason to stay longer.
- Komodo National Park access from Labuan Bajo: dragons, Padar ridge, Pink Beach, manta sites and some of Indonesia's best diving
- Kelimutu, the three crater lakes that change colour independently of each other
- Wae Rebo, the traditional Manggarai village in the mountains
- Rangko Cave, a tidal sea cave near Labuan Bajo best visited for the light shaft
- Maumere diving on the quieter eastern side of the island
- Volcanic landscapes, coastal villages and strong local food culture that feel very different from Bali
Our broader Flores Indonesia travel guide goes deeper on regions and itineraries. This page stays focused on location, because that is the question that currently brings people to our site without giving them a clear answer.
Where Should You Stay If Flores Is Your Gateway?
It depends how much of your trip is park time versus town time.
Labuan Bajo is convenient for flights, restaurants and last-minute boat bookings. It also means early harbour departures and late returns if most of your days are inside the park.
An island resort near the park cuts the commute. From Sebayur, our guests are already in the diving and island-hopping zone, which matters when you only have four or five days.
A liveaboard keeps you moving through the park overnight and suits divers who want site variety more than a fixed beach base.
For a side-by-side breakdown, see where to stay in Komodo. If your search was "where to stay in Flores Indonesia" more broadly, western Flores near Labuan Bajo is the default for first visits; central and eastern Flores make sense once Komodo is already on the itinerary or you are travelling overland.
Best Time to Be on Flores for a Komodo Trip
Flores follows the same broad monsoon pattern as Komodo. The dry season from roughly April to December is the most popular window for boat travel and diving, with July and August the busiest. Shoulder months can be excellent value. Our guides to the best time to visit Komodo and Komodo in November cover the monthly trade-offs in detail.
Geography does not change by season. Logistics do. In rougher months, staying closer to the sites you came for matters more than it does in flat-calm August.
The Short Answer, One More Time
Flores Island is in East Nusa Tenggara, eastern Indonesia, in the Lesser Sunda chain. Labuan Bajo on its western tip is the gateway to Komodo National Park. You get there by flying into Komodo Airport (LBJ), usually via Bali or Jakarta. Komodo Island is next door in the park, not a substitute name for Flores.
If you already know where you want to sleep and dive, tell us your dates and we will map the transfers from the airport to the islands. If you are still placing the destination on a map, you are in the right place: Flores is the island under your flight path, and Komodo is the park waiting off its west coast.
