FLORES, a long island located between Sumbawa and Timor, is strewn with volcanoes in a mountain chain dividing it into several regions with
distinctive languages and traditions, scenic beauty, good beaches, and natural wonders. The name is Portuguese for "flower", as the Portuguese were
the first Europeans to colonize East Nusa Tenggara.
Surrounded by 101 smaller islands, the Flores archipelago itself is endless in diversity. It is a dazzling kaleidoscope of prehistoric dragons
and wild horses, colored mountain lakes and active volcanoes, traditional villages and megalithic cultures, coral reefs and untouched beaches.
Flores is 360 kilometers long and varies from 12 to 70 kilometers wide. Although the rains here are often irregular, the high mountains insure
a fairly constant supply of water. Elsewhere the people depend on manioc and corn.
