The paradisical 17 Islands Riung Marine Park of Flores

Overview

Located on the due north coast of Flores island inward the Ngada district  lies an archipelago that forms a unique, paradisical sea garden, called the 17 Islands Riung Marine Park. This cluster consists of islets whose waters are rich inward biodiversity, sandy white beaches together with crystal clear bluish waters where you lot tin give the axe dive inward together with swim amid the colorful together with varied coral beds.

One of the most pop attractions, for which these islands are famous is the 'Rose of the Sea', a renowned underwater phenomenon, which tin give the axe live on seen about several of the islands. Below the oceans surface you lot volition uncovering clusters ofsea roses waving mesmerizingly inward the current. These are inward fact a collection of giant sea hare eggs that, jump past times membranes, together shape carmine petals similar giant carmine roses waving inward the sea.

The 17 Islands Riung Marine Park, which extends from Toro Padang inward the due west to Pulau Pangsar inward the east, attain inward size, but all are virtually uninhabited.

The major islands are: Pulau Ontoloe (the largest), Pulau Pau, Pulau Borong, Pulau Dua, Pulau Kolong, Pulau Lainjawa, Pulau Besar, Pulau Halima (Pulau Nani), Pulau Patta, Pulau Rutong, Pulau Meja, Pulau Bampa (Pulau Pulau Tampa or Tembang), Pulau Tiga (Long Island), Pulua Tembaga, Pulau Taor, Pulau Sui together with Pulau Wire.

The Park itself is located merely behind the serenity pier inward the modest town of Riung, where a dozen Bajo line-fishing boats are tied, Although named the 17 Islands Riung Marine Park, the Park is inward fact a chain of 24 small, beautiful islands. However, the advert "seventeen" was given to this cluster every bit a sacred reminder to Indonesia’s Independence Day, which barbarous on 17 August 1945.  

The Riung Park, located inward the Riung District, spans the 5 villages of Sambinasi, Nangamese, Benteng Tengah, Tadho together with Lengkosambi.

Aside from marine adventures to live on had,  on province are every bit good forests to explore, inhabited past times exotic species similar the Timor deer, the Biawak  Mbou – a smaller type of Komodo -, marsupials, to advert a few. There are every bit good a large variety of rare birds, which brand this a dandy spot for bird-watching.  Here you lot volition meet eagles, bluwok, white storks, parrots, cuckoos, dark stork together with bats, together with yellowish chested parakeets.

In 1995, Ngada inward the Ngada District, was on UNESCO's listing every bit a tentative globe cultural heritage because of its unique together with distinctive community. Here you lot volition non cease to live on 'wowed' past times the slew of natural attractions to live on seen amid the islands. One of which is the particular 17 Islands Riung Marine Park.

To attain this destination 1 must ride overhills together with along narrow, winding roads; a journeying which may live on somewhat daunting for some.But  a pose out of visitors receive got really commented, that these narrow together with winding roads along the border of the abyss inward merely getting to Riung, was one-half the adventure. However, what is waiting at the goal of the journeying is a beauty that volition amaze anyone, together with makes the trip good worth the challenging ride to larn there.  In 1 department of the journeying to Riung, about the town of Bajawa, you lot volition meet a large expanse of green, tundra-covered hills, where are scattered unmarried palm trees appearing similar candles on a birthday cake.

For the most part, Riung is nevertheless quite hidden from the crowds of tourists, partly due to its remote location together with the challenging journeying to attain this destination. You volition ofttimes meet tourists walking shirtless through this modest town, enjoying the Sun together with the tranquility of it all. It's a far vociferation from their seasonal hometowns, which they may receive got left to escape the freezing winter.

Aside from having 1 of the best Marine Parks inward Flores, it has a really set back, no-rush ambience.  But the friendliness of its people aid to create the peaceful, neighborhood-like atmosphere which makes for a serenity getaway, really unlike from the to a greater extent than well-known together with to a greater extent than frequented tourist destinations similar Jakarta, Surabaya, or fifty-fifty Bali.

Riung coastal settlements are inhabited by together with large past times the Oting Bajo known every bit 'the sea gypsies” of Indonesia.  Some members of this community are involved inward dryland farming, patch others receive got every bit good opened homestays for visiting tourists.

Get There

The closest airdrome to Riung is the Maumere Airport. There are airlines operating from  Jakarta, Surabaya, or Bali to Maumere. From Denpasar in that location are daily flights to Maumere flying with Batavia, Lion Air, or Merpati. The flying from Denpasar to Maumere is nigh 2 hours. Flights from Djakarta or Surabaya to Maumere unremarkably receive got a connector at either Denpasar or Kupang.

There are every bit good flights from Bali to the town of Ende. From Ende to Riung past times automobile takes nigh 3 to four hours.  

From Maumere you lot tin give the axe proceed the journeying past times motorbus or rental automobile to Bajawa together with therefore on to Riung. Car rental is available inward Maumere. To attain Riung from Bajawa, it is nigh 72 kilometers together with takes about four hours past times car.

Public transportation is every bit good available inward Bajawa. One service is Gemini which drives twice a solar daytime 1 time inward the morning time together with 1 time inward the afternoon. Renting a vehicle may live on the best choice to larn to Riung.Travelling lone is non advised if it is your start fourth dimension to Riung, every bit the roads are rather hard to navigate together with it is slow to larn lost.

To Do

After passing the long, winding, narrow roads, you lot volition larn inward at Riung together with witness the hard-to-find, stunning beauty of the 17 Islands Riung Marine Park. This expanse is beautiful both to a higher identify the oceans surface with the clean, white sands, together with below every bit well, with the crystal clear H2O together with colorful coral reefs. The H2O is therefore clear, making swimming, snorkeling, together with diving an extra unique experience. For photography buffs, this is an first-class location to capture the beauty beneath the ocean’s surface. Due to its exceptionally clear waters, underwater photography tin give the axe live on amazing.

You tin give the axe every bit good receive got a boat or a speedboat with a fiber-glass bottom to taste the beauty of the various together with colorful underwater globe from the surface. This is every bit good an impressive diving site every bit in that location are a large variety of sea creatures together with coral reefs to explore. Here is an overview of some of the major together with larger islands of the 17 Islands Riung Marine Park in the Ngada district of Flores.

Pulau Batang Kolong is most popularly visited past times divers inward search of a first-hand sentiment of the affectionately nicknamed, exotic 'sea rose', a unique organism resembling the shape together with color of a rose. Layer upon layer of carmine pilus tendrils anchored to a stone pulsate to the beat of the underwater currents at depth of 10 meters. This bloom of the sea has the appearance of a vivid carmine together with orangish flame, waving its long petals. In fact, the 'sea rose' is a collection of the eggs of the carmine Giant Sea Hare (Hexabranchus sanguineus), growing to a size of thirty centimeters.The eggs are jump past times mucus together with float similar flowers inward the wind. H5N1 specific type of sponge mutual to the expanse every bit good attracts large  tortoises.  The long stretch of coral gardens indicates to divers, that they are indeed nearing the abode of this large sea creature.

Pulau Meja or Tembaga is the habitat for Acropora together with soft coral inward add-on to the beautiful giant sea fans. This locality is an underwater heaven. Rocky outcrops are decorated past times the tabular array shaped acropora coral together with giant sea fans, bringing a kaleidoscope of color to the shallower waters. There are schools of Dakocan fish, sedentary stone dwellers of this watery paradise.

Pulau Sui is touted every bit an ideal underwater video production location because of the stunning gulfs together with steep, underwater cliffs covered with beautiful Acropora. There are a dandy variety of stone types together with fish inward the waters about this island. On the western side of Sui the tabular array shaped acropora coral grows profusely with the many undersea gaps together with ravines. Such steep ravines every bit these are rare together with sought out past times divers making Sui the perfect spot for using your underwater camera.

Pulau Tiga or Bampa Timur is 1 of the most visited islands for its beauty both to a higher identify together with below sea level. This isle is so-named because, from a distance it looks similar iii dissever islands. Closer it becomes obvious that they are hilltops, separated past times sand together with piles of seaweed. On the southern side of Bampa Timur, at a depth of about x meters, divers may come upward across carmine sea roses similar to those establish about Batang Kolong, made of collections of eggs of the Hexabranchus Sanguineus. Take to the hills inward Pulau Tiga together with witness a once-in-a-lifetime view. From this tiptop you lot volition live on able to meet the body of body of water flooring together with the gradation of colors every bit it slopes with the deepening waters. Beginning at a pale, low-cal blue, the shades vary making this scene beautifully fascinating, an indescribable, natural beauty indeed.

Pulau Rutong or Tangil should non live on missed for its broad expanse of sand that appears to receive got the shape of a grinning crescent arch at the goal of this island. This lovely, golden sentiment is best seen from the top of a nearby hill, which is overgrown with shrubs together with grasses. The climb volition locomote upward a exertion together with gets your pump pumping, but in that location volition live on no regrets 1 time you lot attain the top together with witness the breath-taking view. Beach parasols are made available for visitors who desire to escape from the scorching midday sun. Here the underwater corals are dominated past times long branches of the acropora Formosa coral. Below the ocean’s surface is a thermocline phenomenon, which is a drastic modify of H2O temperature. On the surface, the H2O is warm, but really quickly, later entirely less than 1 meter, the H2O temperature changes drastically  together with becomes really cold. If lucky, divers tin give the axe meet whales playing on the due west of the isle every bit well.

Tanjung Toro Padang is really business office of the mainland of  Flores isle which juts out to  shape a modest cape.This is the western confine of the 17 Island Riung Marine Park, where acropora coral together with soft coral predominate. The side past times side hills are inhabited past times a species of monitor lizards, the Varanus riungensis or known locally every bit Mbou, which is closely related to the Komodo, The Mbou receive got a flatter belly, a brighter color together with a to a greater extent than ferocious appearance. They often see villages to prey on chickens or goats. Those who are fortunate may meet whales cruising the waters to the due west of Tangil together with the due north of Pulau Pata. These whales often see the seas surrounding Flores. During the monsoon flavor the warmer H2O attracts them to the Gulf of Riung.

Pulau Wire is a modest isle situated straight inward front end of Kampung Oting Bajo, a hamlet to the E of Nangamese. All along the beach in that location are groups of mangroves together with some sedimentation clouding the water, but at the dive location in that location are enough of acropora coral together with fish, with really few body of body of water currents. Beyond x meters depth in that location is no to a greater extent than coral, together with entirely a large variety of fish tin give the axe live on seen.  At sunrise the sentiment of this hamlet gear upward amid the backdrop of the mangrove forests is often the object of photography.

Pulau Ontoloe is the largest of the islands with a fresh, greenish band of mangrove forest. The middle of the mangrove wood band is abode to giant bats which alive inward large colonies. Quiet past times day, at dusk they choke to a greater extent than active. Many monkeys hang from the mangrove branches together with consume the mangrove fruit, soaring eagles construct their nests at the top of the tallest trees.  The H2O is warm together with unremarkably tranquil. The sandy sea-bed is carpeted past times seaweed. All of this tin give the axe entirely live on seen at high tide every bit the coral reef at the border of the mangrove wood is really shallow, which  makes the wood inaccessible at depression tide.  High Tide occurrs some at eleven am daily.

Pulau Lainjawa has waters rich with a variety of sea-life. The Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus Undulayus) is nigh a metre inward length. Even larger are the giant sea-eels (Kerondong) which tin give the axe grow to 2 meters inward length with heads touchstone upward to x centimeters inward width. Although most of the coral is dead, at a depth of iii meters in that location are enough of surgeon fish (Ikan Butana) together with angel fish (Kambing Kambing).

Pulau Wongkoroe, which is located betwixt Ontoloe together with Toro Padang serves every bit a  barrier reef nether the sea because of a mistake in that location which extends every bit far every bit 10 meters. Above a depth of iii meters, corals grow profusely inward a colourful sea-garden. Multi-branched acropora corals extend deeper to about x meters. There is every bit good a sand pit some x meters inward width.

To the due north together with E of Riung Bay, a barrier reef offers a dive drib with coral tables correct downwardly the wall. Barracuda are often seen here, together with in that location is every bit good a sunken ship to live on explored.

Other smaller islands such as Pulau Borong and Pulau Taor also receive got beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters, which is almost the trademark for these islands of the 17 Islands Riung Marine Park.

The underwater scenery is fascinating from most all of these islands. Plunge fifty-fifty deeper downwardly into the sea to witness the beauty of the smaller sea creatures together with taste the sentiment of the widely scattered, modest islands, a genuinely amazing sight from below!

To Stay

As Riung is a modest remote town, currently populace facilities are nevertheless minimal. Electricity, every bit 1 of the most of import populace facilities, is nevertheless supplied past times a generator which industrial plant every solar daytime from entirely vi pm till vi am. This makes Riung a suitable identify for the adventurous.

Riung has several lodging places, such every bit follows:

Pondok SVD
Riung 86471
Phone: 0062 81 339 341 572

Bintang Wisata Riung
Jalan Pasar Riung,
Riung, Flores,
Indonesia

Available about the pier are every bit good mortal homestays. You tin give the axe bespeak in that location directly.

Indonesia Travel

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