Flights between Jakarta and Flores

Hi there,

I arrive in Jakarta on July 24th and want to head to Flores Island the next day. Do you know which airlines offer direct flights to Labuan Bajo (or elsewhere)? Is it possible to book tickets directly on Indonesian airline websites (I get the feeling that when connecting from France, access is blocked...)

Also, are there direct flights from Maumere or Ende back to Jakarta for the return trip, or do I have to go back through Labuan Bajo?

Thanks and have a great evening

Hello,

Do you know which airlines offer direct flights to Labuan Bajo (or elsewhere)?

From Jakarta CGK*, Labuan Bajo is the only city in Flores served by direct flights. Some aren’t daily—on 25/07, the airlines operating will be Super Jet Air, Citilink, AirAsia Indonesia, and Batik Air Indonesia.

*No flights to Flores depart from Jakarta HLP.

Is it possible to book tickets directly on Indonesian airline websites? (I get the feeling that when connecting from France, access is blocked...)

Some Indonesian airline websites get finicky when they detect a foreign IP address or payment card. To make your flight bookings in Indonesia easier, this site is well-regarded and reasonable with its commission fees: https://www.tiket.com/en-us/flights?currency=EUR

Are there direct flights from Maumere or Ende back to Jakarta, or do you have to go through Labuan Bajo again?

No, there are no direct flights. You’ll first need to fly to Labuan Bajo, Kupang (Timor), or Makassar (Sulawesi)—though not all of these routes operate daily. Flights from those three cities to Jakarta *are* daily, so depending on your route from Flores, you can still reach Jakarta the same day.

Are you only visiting Flores? How much time do you have?

Thanks so much for this detailed answer! 🙂 Yeah, I’m only doing Flores (+ Komodo Islands)—I really want to take my time and spend a few days chilling in Maumere. I’ve got three weeks; do you think I *have* to see anything else (Bali, Lombok?)?

I’m staying for 3 weeks—do you think I absolutely need to see anything else (Bali - Lombok?)?

No, spend all 3 weeks in Flores. If you haven’t already, also look into the much lesser-known stops at Nggela (near Moni) and Detusoko (on the road between Moni and Ende). That said, you might want to consider spending your first transit night near Bali’s airport instead of Jakarta—I’ll explain why below.

It’s pretty common for domestic flights in the Lesser Sunda Islands to get canceled. For example, if at the end of your trip you’re planning a flight from Labuan Bajo to Jakarta preceded by a Maumere-Labuan Bajo flight (which only runs 3 times a week), and that flight gets canceled, you’ll miss your connection in Labuan Bajo and, as a result, your flight back to France. So I’d recommend crossing the island in the opposite direction to schedule the riskier flights at the start of your trip. That way, if a flight gets canceled, you can make up the time during your overland itinerary and still finish in Labuan Bajo. That said, I checked the Jakarta-Maumere flight options (with connections in Labuan Bajo, Kupang, or Makassar), and they’re really not great—either they’re long, require two connections, or both. From Bali, though, it’s a little easier. So instead of spending your first night in the country in Jakarta, I’d muster up the energy for one more flight: Jakarta-Bali.

Now you’ve got some food for thought...

Nggela (8°50'30.61"S 121°50'44.05"E):

Thanks so much for these great tips! I’ll think about an itinerary and post my travel plan (it’s not 3 weeks but 17 days). Have a good evening

Hey,

Oh yeah, you're heading to Flores—that’s awesome! So, I’ve got some good news and some not-so-good news for you. The good news is there *are* direct flights from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo. The not-so-good news? Connecting from France is still a bit of a hassle on Indonesian airline websites—you nailed it there.

Garuda, Lion Air, and Batik Air all fly that route regularly. From what I remember, you can usually find one-way flights for around 80-120 € if you book at the right time. For tickets, honestly, I’d recommend using aggregators like Skyscanner or Agoda from France—it’ll be way easier than wrestling with local sites. Once you’re there, though, you can deal with the airlines directly if you need to change anything, but for the initial booking, I wouldn’t stress it.

For the return trip, that’s where things get a little tricky. There are small regional flights from Maumere or Ende, but honestly, they’re not super reliable—schedules can be pretty random. Most people I know just head back through Labuan Bajo. It’s not a big deal; you take a domestic flight to Jakarta, and you’re set. I think it’s safer and more consistent than gambling on the smaller airports.

One more thing: July 24-25 is peak season, so brace yourself for prices and availability. But it’s totally doable.

If you’ve got questions once you’re there, don’t hesitate to ask! !

Hello and a big thank you for all this info! :)

I’ve done a lot of planning for this trip, and here’s what I’ve settled on. Before I book my Indonesian flight tickets, I’d love to hear what you think of my itinerary. Thanks for all the tips that helped me put this together!

July 24 – Arrival in Jakarta at 7:15 PM (overnight in Jakarta) July 25 – Flight from Jakarta to Makassar at 9:50 AM July 26 – Visit Ramang Ramang July 27 – Head to Bira (4–6 hours by road) July 28 – Bira July 29 – Return to Makassar July 30 – Flight from Makassar to Maumere, arrival at 12:30 PM July 31 – Maumere August 1 – Maumere to Moni (4–5 hours by road) August 2 – Wake up at 4 AM (Kelimutu Volcano) + road to Bajawa August 3 – Explore around Bajawa (Ngada) August 4 – Bajawa to Ruteng (5–7 hours by road) August 5 – Ruteng August 6 – Early morning trip to Wae Rebo + overnight stay August 7 – Return to Ruteng to pick up our things + road to Labuan Bajo (4–5 hours) August 8 – Speedboat day trip to the Komodo Islands August 9 – Labuan Bajo + flight to Jakarta (departure at 5 PM) August 10 – Explore Jakarta + return flight later in the day Have a great weekend

What’s the point of those 5 nights in Sulawesi when the goal is Flores on a short trip? Those 5 nights mean the average number of full days per stop works out to a ridiculous 0.54—basically at the limit of what’s doable.

Maumere arrival 12:30 PM July 31 Maumere

Are you planning to do some diving/snorkeling in the area?

Moni (4/5 hours by road) August 2 Wake-up at 4 AM (Kelimutu Volcano) + road to Bajawa

So if the day you hike up Kelimutu it’s completely clouded over, you can’t try again the next day—it’s a no-go.

I chose this option to avoid connections and overly expensive domestic flights... I looked into it a bit more and found a flight from Jakarta to Makassar on July 24th (the day I arrive) and then a flight from Makassar to Maumere the next morning. I want to avoid backtracking on Flores, and the only domestic flight I found was from Ende on August 6th to Labuan Bajo...

So I’m thinking of going with this plan: Maumere to Labuan Bajo, then finishing with the Komodo Islands before heading back? (3-4 days in Maumere for snorkeling, beach time to relax and recover from the trip, then the classic stops at a chill pace to make my way back to Labuan Bajo. If I leave Maumere on July 28th, that gives me 12 days to reach Labuan Bajo around August 8th and do my Komodo day trip before flying back to Jakarta. Does this seem more logical to you?

I found a flight from Jakarta to Makassar on July 24th (the day I arrive) and then a flight the next morning from Makassar to Maumere (...) 3/4 days of snorkeling, beach time to chill and recover from the trip (...) and then leaving Maumere on July 28th

So, arriving in Maumere on the 25th for 3 nights, meaning 2 days of *dolce far niente*, not 3 or 4, but 2 is already great.

Does that seem more coherent to you?

Yes. Provided you don’t add any extra stops to your previous Flores itinerary and that the Komodo Islands trip is a day excursion, not a mini-cruise lasting several days. The average number of full days per stop would then be 1.12, which in my opinion isn’t quite the "chill mode" ideal yet, but it’ll still be better—more relaxed and reasonable—than your previous version.

I don’t know Wae Rebo, but from what I’ve read, the stop seems interesting enough to be worth the detour. However, getting there doesn’t seem easy, so I’d make the most of the place by staying at least 2 nights, which now fits into the itinerary. For example: Jakarta 0 nights, Makassar 1 night, Maumere 3 or 4 nights, Moni 3 or 2, Bajawa 3, Ruteng 2, Wae Rebo 2, Labuan Bajo 2, Jakarta 1.

Are you sure it's possible to do the Wae Rebo-Ruteng-Labuan Bajo route in the same day?