Today I want to tell you about a very special place in Indonesia. It’s one of those places that annoying people call a hidden paradise or gem. And yes, we despise that phrase as much as you, but for once, we agree. The 17 Islands Marine Park in Riung, Flores, is a paradise. And it’s still off the radar, leaving it perfect for people like you and me.
Sitting on the northern shores of Flores Island, the modest town of Riung is the gateway to the dazzling 17 Islands Marine Park, just offshore. We spent two nights in Riung when we travelled across Flores, and we loved it. The idyllic islands perfectly counterbalance to central Flores’ chilly highlands and villages.
So, if you’re thinking about including Riung on your Flores trip (YES, YOU SHOULD), here is our quick and wet guide to visiting the 17 Islands Marine Park from Riung.
Quick because it’s to the point, and wet because those beaches are damn fine and great snorkelling awaits underwater.
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Quick Guide to Riung, Flores & 17 Islands Marine Park
Where we stayed in Riung: We spent two nights at Nirvana Bungalows. We liked it a lot. Riung Guesthouse looks like another great option we recommend.
Getting there: We took a shared car from Bajawa (2 hours), which was 100K IDR per person. Going to Ende we also took a shared car – 100K IDR (4 hours). If you’re into whips, chains and self-torture, there is also a daily public bus between either Bajawa and Riung or Ende and Riung.
Getting around: Riung is tiny, and you’ll only need to walk from your accommodation to the pier. Ask your guesthouse about scooter rental if you want to explore Riung beyond the 17 Islands.
Island Hopping: This is the real reason to come to Riung. We paid 1.5 million IDR (just under $100) for our island hopping trip to the 17 Islands. See below for more details.
How much time: We spent two nights in Riung, which was just right. You’ll arrive in the afternoon, go island hopping in the 17 Islands Park the next day, and then leave Riung on the third morning. There is not much else to see or do in Riung beyond a trip to the islands
Is Riung and the 17 Islands worth visiting? Absolutely! It’s a beautiful corner of Flores with idyllic beaches. For once, the term Hidden Gem is more than just a catchphrase. The 17 Islands Marine Park is a true hidden paradise of Indonesia.
Top tip: Wear sunscreen 😂
Getting to Riung
We visited Riung between Bajawa and Ende (near Kelimutu) as part of our 10-day Flores itinerary.
There is a daily bus between Bajawa or Ende and Riung, and you’re looking at a minimum 4-5 hour drive. We value comfort over saving a few bucks, so we travelled by shared car.
With the shared car, you book a single seat in a car (usually a Toyota Avanza), which will pick you up and drop you off right at your guesthouse. Ask your guesthouse to call and reserve seats a day or two in advance.
Older blogs ( or those that want to come off as adventurous) will tell you about the horrendous road between Bajawa and Riung. That is no longer the case. The road is in excellent condition, with only a short section (5 km or so) that’s badly potholed. We arrived in Riung about 2 hours after leaving Bajawa.
Going to Riung from Bajawa, we shared the car with only one other passenger. As we neared Riung, our driver pulled over for about 10 minutes at a point overlooking the sea and islands for him to rest and for the two foreigners to enjoy the view.
Travelling from Riung to Ende, we shared the car with seven others, so it was a bit of a squeeze. The road is also in great shape; it is definitely the best road we travelled on in Flores. Our driver dropped us at the bus terminal in Ende, from where we could get a public bus to Moni. The drive from Riung to Ende bus terminal took about 4 hours.
Staying at Nirvana Bungalows in Riung
Home for our two nights in Riung is the lovely Nirvana Bungalows. There are nine individual bungalows under the trees with a nice lawn. We loved the quiet atmosphere, garden, good food and friendly staff.
Our bungalow had a very comfy double bed with a mosquito net. There is a ceiling fan and AC inside and chairs outside on the porch. The bathroom was clean, with lukewarm water in the shower.
Breakfast was a yummy pancake, bread and egg combo or a classic nasi goreng. For dinner, they grill a damn fine fish served with rice and veggies, and of course the Bintangs are cold.
Like everywhere else we stayed in Indonesia, the staff was warm and friendly, going out of their way to make our stay memorable. Lali and his team helped us get our laundry done, took us island hopping, and called to reserve seats in the shared car to Ende.
Nirvana is not on any booking platform. I sent the owner a WhatsApp message two days before to make a reservation. We paid IDR 50K per night for the bungalow, including breakfast.
Contact Nirvana Bungalows Riung on WhatsApp: (+62) 813 3710 6007
About Riung
Riung is the proverbial one-hit wonder in northern Flores. Located off the main Trans Flores highway running the length of the island between Labuan Bajo and Maumere, most travellers skip Riung. The wise few who take the detour to Riung are here for one reason only – the 17 Islands Marine Park.
Riung town itself doesn’t offer much, but it’s still a pleasant town with friendly people, a handful of quiet streets between coconut groves and a few guesthouses. It feels like we saw more cows, water buffaloes, goats and chickens in town than people.
Surprisingly, quite a few foreigners are in town, but we suspect they are staying long-term or volunteer workers. A popular hangout for these guys is PatoResto, where we saw a group of about 20 at dinner. A sign in the restaurant also displays the names of scouts from Quebec who come to Riung every year.
There is no beach in Riung. The only access to the sea is at the over-ambitiously named Tourist Pier, from where the boats to 17 Islands Park leave. The Tourist Pier is in a mangrove; the water is muddy and dependent on the tides. Locals might come for a quick dip, but tourists will likely turn up their noses.
Arranging a Boat for the 17 Islands Marine Park
The best way to arrange your island hopping trip to the 17 Islands Marine Park is with your accommodation. Your guesthouse will likely have its own boat, and all boats charge the same price anyway. So, there really is no need to go down to the pier and scout and haggle for boats.
We arranged our trip with Nirvana Bungalows, where we stayed.
Are you a solo traveller or looking to share a boat? The same still applies to you. Your guesthouse will WhatsApp his buddies to see if there’s space for you with another group.
All the boats going to the 17 Islands Marine Park from Riung are the same. They are all slow wooden boats for up to six passengers and have roofs for shade.
The going rate during our visit (July 2023) was 1.5 million IDR – just under $US100. The price is for an entire boat and includes snorkelling gear, national park fees, a delicious seafood lunch on an island and fruit and water.
These boat trips all follow a standard itinerary, so there is no difference between choosing one over the other. You will visit Flying Fox Island, stop for snorkelling, and have lunch at one island, followed by one last stop on another island before returning to Riung Pier.
There were three other boats in the entire park on the day of our visit, bringing the total of tourists for that day to less than 15. It really is a world away from the other places claiming to be a hidden paradise. For now, the 17 Islands Marine Park can truly claim this title.
We left Riung Pier at 9 am and were back around 4:30 pm. It was a fantastic day, and I can easily do it again.
See the Flying Foxes at Pulau Ontoloe
The 17 Islands Marine Park trip wasted no time to wow us. The first stop is Ontoloe Island, home to an enormous colony of flying foxes. And I mean huge; there are thousands of them. It is a fascinating spectacle.
Seeing the flying foxes of Riung blew us away for three reasons. First, the sheer number of bats is incredible. Even Batman might get the shivers at seeing thousands of these fruit bats descending from the sky.
And they are huge. Flying foxes are the largest bat species, with wing spans of 1.5 meters! Watching these large furry animals doing their thing with their leathery wings was fascinating.
Lastly, you associate bats with darkness, but seeing them in bright daylight is just grand. When we discussed our island hopping trip before booking, I tried to be smart and suggested we visit Bat Island around sunset to see the bats become active. I was hesitant to believe Lali when he assured me the morning was the best time to see the flying foxes. And he was right.
When we arrived at the island, thousands of flying foxes were in the bare trees, asleep, hanging like leather umbrellas. I was going to tell Lali TOLD YOU SO, but I decided to keep quiet.
Within minutes Lali pointed back toward Riung, and the sky was dark with bats returning to roost. This is the first time I have seen something like this! Lali explained that these bats were returning from town, where there are many fruit and wild fig trees. Trying to imagine how much a colony like this can devour crossed my mind, and it must be in the tons every day.
17 Islands Marine Park Snorkelling
So what’s the snorkelling like in Riung? we hear you ask.
Our next stop after the flying foxes was a snorkelling spot and I was in the water before the anchor. Yes, I love snorkelling and I was excited to see what the the 17 Islands had to offer.
I found the snorkelling in the 17 Islands Marine Park pretty fun, with excellent visibility, decent coral and good marine life. Of course, the snorkelling in Riung cannot compare with other heavyweights such as the Banda Islands or Komodo, but it’s an outstanding addition to your island hopping trip.
There are plenty of small colourful fish to see (LOTS of damsels, Moorish idols and clownfish). It’s like swimming with Nemo and his friends. Come for that, and you’ll be happy as a clam. There was no current, making it a relaxing snorkelling experience. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.
Watch out for the highly venomous lionfish. They might look pretty, but it takes just one sting to ruin your day in paradise. So give them a wide berth. I saw about five different individuals while snorkelling in the 17 Islands.
Relaxing on Pulau Tiga
Tiga Island is drop-dead gorgeous, with white sand, calm, clear water and shade. We arrived on Tiga Island first and had it to ourselves for about half an hour before the other boats arrived.
One boat decided to join us (no problem), while the two people from the other boat decided to avoid us and went around the corner of the island. We never saw them, but we knew they were there.
Soon, everyone settled into their island groove, which reminded me a little of a tribe of the TV series Survivor. Some went snorkelling, some went looking for shells on the beach, others stayed at camp and discussed all their Indonesian travels, while others lay down on the beach.
The snorkelling at Tiga Island is pretty decent, but you first have to swim over the patch of seagrass to get to the coral. Be careful of venomous lionfish, especially in the grass.
Lunch
While everyone was living their best life on a stunning deserted island, our crew quietly got ready for lunch in the background. Crew from different boats made a fire together and grilled the fish and squid on one fire. When the fish was ready, each boat set up a separate stand where their guests could help themselves.
Our island buffet was seriously delicious. There was Giant Trevally ( fish similar to tuna), squid rings, rice, noodles, boiled veggies, the most delicious eggplant and a salad. Jin went back for seconds and myself for thirds!
All the crew members cleaned up nicely when we were done and did not leave any trash behind. Good job, guys!
Great Views & More Snorkelling at Nunsa Rutong
Nunsa Rutong is yet another stunner of an island, with a white sand beach and excellent coral a few metres into the water.
The island is one of the highest in the group, so you will want to tackle the steep little path leading to the top. You’ll have an incredible view of the 17 Island Marine Park from the summit.
The path is a little hard to find, and when we did find it, we were unsure, as it was very steep. Luckily, an Indonesian boy from another boat showed up and started clambering up, and we followed his example. Coming down is even more difficult, with lots of loose gravel, so be careful and go slowly.
Back on the beach, Lali took me snorkelling and pointed out the best spots. The coral around the island’s tip is excellent, sloping down almost like a wall. I was thrilled to see a pair of tomato clownfish ( a first for me) that Lali pointed out. They are territorial and stay in the same anemone.
To end our snorkelling session on a high, Lali caught a pufferfish with his bare hands, and we took it back to the boat to show Jin (boys will be boys). Jin was seriously impressed. And don’t worry, the little guy wasn’t hurt, and we let him go again.
Returning to Riung
On the way back to Riung, Lali had one more surprise – watermelon. It was such a sweet way to end our already perfect day.
We arrived back in Riung after 4 pm, returned to Nirvana Bungalows to shower the salt and watermelon juice off, and then took a short nap before dinner.
For dinner, we went to PatoResto, which was surprisingly busy. We gathered that quite a few volunteer workers are based in Riung, and this charming warung seems to be their clubhouse.
Live music, cold beer, colourful lights and a breeze rustling through the palm fronds made for a good final night in Riung.
So as not to overdose on seafood, we ordered the satay, sweet and sour eggplant, and soto ayam.
17 Island Marine Park: Takeaway
The islands around Riung might not have the legendary status of Komodo, but that’s why it’s so special. If you’re looking to be Robinson Crusoe for a day, living your best life on a deserted island, 17 Island Marine Park has your name on it.
You really shouldn’t/can’t compare Komodo to 17 Islands. The scenery in Komodo, both above and below water, is EPIC. There are dragons and mantas. Snorkelling is about 2500 times better in Komodo than in Riung.
We found island hopping around Riung a lot more enjoyable than in Komodo. It felt like we spent hours on the boat in Komodo, getting from one place to the next. Distances from Riung and between the islands are much shorter, giving you more time to snorkel or swim. The Riung island trip was roughly 25 times more relaxing and enjoyable than the Komodo trip.
In terms of costs, we paid the same price (1.5 million IDR) to rent a private boat for half a day in Komodo (we only visited Kelor Island and Manjarite Beach on this trip) as we did for a full-day trip in Riung. The food on the Riung boat trip was about 200 times better than in Komodo.
The most significant difference between Komodo and the 17 Islands Marine Park is the number of visitors. Spots like Kelor, Padar Island and Manta Point see hundreds of visitors daily. (It’s incredible sights, that’s why). On our visit to the 17 Islands, fewer than 20 people were in the park!
It’s safe to say that 99% of people visiting Komodo will not make it to Riung, while 99% of those coming to the 17 Islands will also visit Komodo.
What I’m trying to say is, if you’re travelling overland across Flores, put a few days aside for Riung and the 17 Islands. It’s a very special place.
The Flores Files
Looking for more Flores travel information? Check out our other posts
And that should have you well on your way to Riung and the 17 Islands Marine Park. If you still have any questions, drop them in the comments below, and we’ll try our best to help
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