Kelor and Menjerite: a small summit and a coral garden

The closest island escape from town: a scramble up a steep little peak for a view over the bay, then a swim over one of the prettiest shallow reefs near Labuan Bajo.

Area

Islands & reefs

Start from

Labuan Bajo

Distance

about 10 km by boat

Time needed

half a day

Best season

April – November

Difficulty

Easy to Moderate

Transport

Small wooden boat from Labuan Bajo

Tickets & rules

Small landing fee on Kelor; check locally

Why go

If you have only half a day, or want an easy start before longer trips, Kelor is the answer. It is a tiny island less than an hour from the harbour, with a white beach on one side and a steep, cone-shaped hill rising behind it. The climb takes only fifteen or twenty minutes, but it is genuinely steep, on dusty rock and loose soil, and the last stretch is almost a scramble.

From the top, the view is out of proportion to the effort. You look down on the curve of the beach and the turquoise shallows, across the bay to Labuan Bajo’s hills, and south towards Rinca and the jagged islands of the park. In the early morning, with boats still anchored below and mist on Flores, it is very beautiful.

Afterwards, the boat takes you around to Menjerite, a reef a short hop away, known for its shallow coral gardens. Here you float over hard and soft corals in bright, clear water, with anemonefish, butterflyfish, damselfish in their hundreds and sometimes a turtle feeding along the edge. It is gentle snorkelling, good for beginners and for children.

The story

The islands just west of Labuan Bajo are a maze of small, dry outcrops, many of them barely named on maps. Kelor takes its name from the moringa tree, kelor in Indonesian, whose small leaves are cooked into soups across the country and valued as a cheap, nourishing green. Whether the island once had many of them, nobody I asked could say for certain.

Fishermen from Labuan Bajo have long used these islands as shelter and as markers. Before GPS, captains steered by the shapes of the hills, and Kelor’s sharp cone is easy to recognise from far out to sea.

In recent years Kelor has become one of the stops on every island-hopping trip, and in the middle of the day several boats may arrive together. Go early, before the crowds, and it still feels like a small, private adventure: a tiny island, a short climb, and the whole bay below you.

Getting there

Kelor is about forty-five minutes to an hour from the harbour by small wooden boat, and it is often the first stop on day trips to Rinca or Kalong. You can also hire a boat for a private half day; ask around the harbour or through your guesthouse and agree on the stops and the price clearly before leaving.

There is no jetty to speak of; the boat pulls up close to the beach and you wade the last few metres, so wear shoes you can get wet.

A suggested plan

1. Early morningLeave the harbour around sunrise by small boat.
2. MorningClimb Kelor’s summit before the heat, then swim off its beach.
3. Late morningMove to Menjerite for an hour of snorkelling over the coral gardens.
4. MiddayLunch on board or back in town.
5. AfternoonOptionally continue to Rinca or end the day at Kalong for the bats.

Where to stay

Labuan Bajo is the base. Kelor and Menjerite make a perfect first morning to test your snorkel gear and sea legs before a longer liveaboard.

Good to know

• Shoes with good grip are essential for the climb; flip-flops are a bad idea.
• Bring water for the summit; there is no shade on the way up.
• Ask the boat to arrive at Menjerite at a higher tide for the best coral views.