Looking for an Alternative to Bali? Head to This New Luxury Resort on a Less-Visited Indonesian Island

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The Afar take

I’ve been to Bali before, but on my most recent trip to Indonesia, I skipped it entirely. Instead, I visited the fishing village of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores, less than an hour by plane from Denpasar, and one of the less-visited of the 17,000 islands that make up the country’s sprawling archipelago. The reason I was here: Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort, a Marriott hotel that put Flores, home to the famous Komodo dragon, on the radar for me when it opened in May 2024.

The hotel is Labuan Bajo’s first property from a major hospitality company. Ta’aktana is also a bellwether of sorts. With increased air access to Komodo International Airport and better accommodation options, Flores will soon be on more travelers’ maps. The airport received its inaugural international flight in September 2024, and there are several new hotel developments nearby. (A St. Regis is supposedly in the works.)

Yes, I could wax poetic about the melt-in-my-mouth grilled local fish served with fragrant sambal at Leros. Or talk about the extravagance of swimming in both an Olympic-size lap pool and a separate resort-style pool with a swim-up bar. Or describe in vivid detail the vibrant, pumpkin-tinged sunsets right outside my overwater villa night after night.

However, impressive as all that was, what made me fall in love with Ta’aktana was how it successfully integrated the destination’s history, culture, and Indigenous traditions. This isn’t a luxury property for the sake of luxury. It’s a resort with a true sense of place. Together, these elements elevated the hotel from a very good one to something truly outstanding.

In the local language of the Manggarai Indigenous people, Ta’aktana means “green land,” referring to the verdant farms in the hills of Flores. Staying on property is, by extension, an immersion in Manggarai traditions. Those experiences started at check-in when the staff greeted me with a welcome ritual and placed a hand-crafted bracelet around my wrist. Later, during my stay, I watched a Caci performance, a ritual whip fight and war dance between two Manggarai men. Both are major elements of Manggarai identity. These are two examples of the cultural storytelling that felt naturally woven into all the resort programming, from the activities and the design to the food and drink.

Courtesy of Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort

Who’s it for?

Travelers seeking understated luxury—through a lens of rich culture, local customs, and outdoor exploration—will find themselves right at home at Ta’aktana.

That includes intrepid solo travelers, romance-seeking couples, and globe-trotting families. A kids club on the property ensures that the smallest adventurers are entertained should they want to skip island hopping or more adult-oriented activities.

The area surrounding Ta’aktana is far from developed; we’re talking about an area that started catering to tourists just a handful of years ago. (Labuan Bajo’s only major chain establishment is a single Starbucks.) Therefore, Ta’aktana might not be for those who need thriving nightlife or amenities on every street corner.

However, the relative quaintness of Labuan Bajo is also part of the appeal. This isn’t a bustling tourist haven, like Bali’s Seminyak or Kuta—at least not yet. While the main pier in Labuan Bajo is busy with island-hopping day-trippers, the town retains an idyllic charm. Marine lovers will appreciate the many opportunities to snorkel and scuba dive close to the property.

The location

For centuries, the area that later became known as Labuan Bajo was a sleepy village, home to the nomadic seafaring Bajo people and land-dwelling Manggarai. These two groups co-existed, trading goods with each other. However, in recent years, the town of 7,000 people has become the launching pad for day excursions to Komodo National Park and the surrounding islands. The Indonesian government is also investing heavily in the town’s infrastructure, having installed a new airport, pier, and roads.

Ta’aktana isn’t totally off the beaten path, but it’s not the easiest place to get to, either. Komodo International Airport is only a 10-minute ride from the hotel’s front gates. Travelers typically arrive by air, from either Jakarta or Denpasar. Neither of these destinations has nonstop flights from the USA. Flying to Ta’aktana from North America requires two connections, at minimum.

However, for those coming by boat on a charter from a neighboring island as I did, it’s only a short drive from the main Labuan Bajo harbor—or you can even dock on property at Ta’aktana’s jetty.

The rooms

Among Ta’aktana’s 70 junior suites and villas, the 7 overwater sea villas stand out. They are by far the most luxurious digs at the resort and even make some bungalows in the Maldives or French Polynesia look tiny in comparison.

While they’re certainly a splurge—and not eligible for Marriott points redemptions or upgrades—each 2,000-square-foot overwater compound features an expansive indoor-outdoor setup with sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors. The villa’s distinctive design pays homage to the original land dwellers—from the in-room lanterns that mimic those used by villagers to an ornate, handwoven tapestry draped above the bed showcasing the vibrant underwater world of Labuan Bajo.

Sunsets here are phenomenal. I spent each evening lounging on my private deck, before scooting off to Maiga, a vibrant lively overwater cocktail bar, for a refreshing sundowner.

The 45 junior suites are located in Ta’aktana’s main building, and they’re all fairly large at 700 square feet. There are also 18 other villas spread throughout the 40-acre property. And what they lack in views of the sea, they gain in individual plunge pools—as well as lots of privacy.

Courtesy of Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort

The food and drink

There are three distinct restaurants (Leros, Umasa, and Taba), a poolside dining option, an overwater destination bar (Maiga!), a lobby lounge, and a coffee shop with an on-site roastery. That’s impressive when you consider the hotel has only 70 rooms (although non guests can also dine and imbibe here).

Leros, an all-day casual dining restaurant, offers both Indonesian fare and international classics, like nasi goreng and katsu sandos. Umasa is a slightly more elevated venue, serving more traditional Indonesian dishes family style. That includes decadent poached Flores Strait lobster with sambal luat and sautéed cassava. Finally, the only non-Indonesian-inspired dining venue, Taba, is a Japanese robata-style restaurant that uses all local ingredients, save for a few imported fancy cuts of meat.

There’s also a wide variety of nonalcoholic drink options—way more than what I anticipated—from naturally fermented kombucha to mocktails and zero-proof wine. My favorite drink was jamu, a traditional Indonesian beverage that contains turmeric, ginger, and pandan leaf and acts as a natural immunity booster. Ta’aktana serves three refreshing varieties of jamu from a local producer in Bali.

Courtesy of Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort

Staff and service

Much of the staff was poached from luxury hotels in Bali or Jakarta, so the high level of hospitality and care shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Every villa gets its own on-demand private butler, while junior suite guests share one among several rooms. Service was anticipatory instead of reactionary. For instance, excessive time in the sun left me with a very visible sunburn, and my butler dropped off fresh aloe from the spa, unprompted. In addition, while many of the Indonesian staff aren’t Flores locals, they know their way around the islands (or at least know who to talk to).

Tatawa Besar, a popular sandbank where tourist-filled boats visit during low tide, is typically crowded on a weekend afternoon. However, during my island-hopping tour, my guide knew the secret to avoid other boats: Do the tour in reverse order and arrive at the sandbank well before noon.

Accessibility

While the entire resort sits on a hill, the main building—which houses two restaurants, the gym, the Olympic-size lap pool, and 35 junior suites—meets basic accessibility standards with wide walkways and elevators.

Other venues, such as the spa, Umasa, and the resort-style pool, can be accessed by electric buggy. Only one room meets U.S. ADA standards, a junior suite on the first floor (room 110).

Courtesy of Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort

Spa and swim

Besides snorkeling and scuba diving at sea, Ta’aktana has three separate pool areas. There is the Olympic-size lap pool, a main resort pool with a view of the sea, and a small pool for kids.

While it’s meticulously cleaned each morning, the small rocky beach area at the resort’s base is a bit of a letdown. However, this area of Flores isn’t known for having exquisite beaches so that’s not a knock on Ta’aktana specifically.

What the hotel lacks in its beach, it makes up for in the ability to explore the neighboring islands by boat from a private jetty. These experiences can be booked privately and customized for snorkeling, scuba, or trekking (or all three). More popular spots like Pink Beach, Manta Point, or Kanawa Island are part of set itineraries, but stopping at smaller islands with few other tourists is also possible.

I enjoyed a decadent three-hour signature treatment at Di’a Spa, which has six treatment rooms, all inspired by the mystical caves of the area. My experience included a welcome foot ritual followed by skin brushing and an exfoliating coffee scrub made from local beans. Then, a full-body wrap with cooling marine algae and fresh mint soothed my (very sunburned) skin. Finally, an intensive massage completed the service.