Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2014 | Page 99

Explore | Flavours
Arriving at Labuan Bajo
airport you could be forgiven
for thinking you had landed
somewhere in Jamaica.
Dreadlocked and afro-haired
drivers were part of the greeting
team in the small arrivals room;
the only things missing were
guitars, drums and a reggae
tune. Our driver appeared
from the group with a smile
(and neat hair), and we followed
him obediently, ready for our
Flores adventure, humming
‘Buffalo Soldier’.
Our hotel, the Bintang Flores Hotel, is just
ten minutes from the airport and located on
a stretch of private beach near the centre
of town. It’s the perfect base for all sorts of
sightseeing. Our room overlooks a spectacular
panorama of turquoise-blue ocean, lofty
mountain ranges, coconut trees and distant
islands. It’s hard not to be spellbound by
its beauty. I fall in love immediately.
Our first meal: lunch at the Bintang
Flores Hotel. We order nasi goreng, which
is surprisingly good, and fish soup, tender
chunks of white fish in a delicate pool of
turmeric, lemongrass, tomato and chilli.
I detect a squeeze of lime juice, which
adds a refreshing finishing touch.
We head off to explore, which for me means
finding the local market. As we drive into town
across a mountain-top road, the expansive
harbour comes into view. It is majestic and
breathtaking in its movie-set perfection. There
is a sense that this charming port has enjoyed
a vibrant past of trad ing and exotic characters.
I have been told that Hobbit-style people once
lived in this region, and in this Lord of the
Rings mystical mountain country it certainly
seems possible.
Perched on the edge of the harbour near the
pier, the market is located on just about the best
real estate in town. It’s small as markets go but
has an extraordinary range of glistening fresh
fish in all sizes and colours, as well as fruit,
vegetables and other provisions. Labuan Bajo
still feels like a fishing village, although every
article I have read says that, on the contrary,
it is now a bustling epicentre of tourism.
I’m wondering how they define ‘bustling’?
Laid-back and quiet comes to mind.
At sunset we head to the Lounge Bar in Jalan
Soekarno-Hatta, and from the rooftop witness
the harbour in all its twilight glory. One of Sea
Trek’s elegant pinisi-style boats is moored
among others, adding to the romance and
glamour of the high seas. We laze about
on cushions and marvel at this extraordinary
destination and the diversity of Indonesia.

It’s hard to keep me away
from the market, so I return
the next morning. It’s time
to get to know the locals and
learn about their food!
While gazing at the stars I start cooking up
an idea and dream of an island cruise.
For dinner, we visit a humble eatery called
Philemon next to the market on the water’s edge.
I’m feeling a little overdressed in my high heels,
but the menu is promising and that’s enough for
me. We order a banquet of grilled fish, wok-fried
kangkung and sour fish soup served with a
full-bodied tomato-chilli sambal, a plate of
fresh lemon basil, slices of cucumber and
fried aubergine. All supremely delicious.
It’s hard to keep me away from the market,
so I return the next morning. It’s time to get to
know the locals and learn about their food! We
buy all sorts of sticky rice cakes that are layered
with coconut milk, palm sugar and grated coconut,

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