The new Ayana Komodo Resort Waecicu, in eastern Indonesia, will offer the intrepid access to the famed island of the dragons.
OK, so you’ve done the Bali thing a few times and you’re looking for something new, to forge your own way, to leave the tried-and-tested in your wake. We just might have the coordinates of your next adventure.
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Just an hour’s flight from the Island of the Gods, on picturesque Flores, lies the scenic oasis of Labuan Bajo. One of the most rugged and beautiful islands of the Indonesian archipelago, Flores instills all the untouched beauty of glamour Bali’s yesteryear, before the Bintang singlet became its unofficial uniform, before tramp stamps were required for club access, and before the destination became a poster boy for Jetstar.
Taking its name from the Portuguese for flowers, the island has it all, from towering waterfalls, and dramatic mountain peaks wreathed in mist, to deep, ancient jungles brimming with biodiversity. Sounds like a good place for a few days of R&R.
The Ayana Komodo Resort Waecicu (which is not actually on Komodo Island but near it) has opened as the only luxury retreat in Labuan Bajo. With 189 guest rooms and 12 spacious suites, the resort boasts a sky lobby, a rooftop cocktail bar, a beachfront grill, and a pair of swimming pools. The Resort Spa will pummel you into submission in one of its five treatment suites or you can burn off some of your Bali angst in the fitness centre, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and sea views.
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Of course, the key here is to use the resort as a jumping off point to parts even less known. Komodo National Park, home to the largest lizards on the planet, is a short boat ride away, as is world-class diving, deserted tropical islands, and even local communities of Sea Gypsies.
Alternatively, depart from the resort’s private pier on the 54-meter long nine-bedroom Ayana Lako di’a, a stunning example of Indonesia’s timeless tradition phinisi vessels, which were once used by regional pirates.
Come to think of it, we think it might be a pretty east transition from banker to buccaneer.
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