In Reply to: Boat trips to Flores posted by karenandallan on Saturday, 4. February 2006 at 10:29 Bali Time:
If you want to book a boat trip from Bali, there is little choice but the Perama boat - I searched for alternative options, but little is available.
Much more is available from Lombok and the Gilis - different boat trips are advertised in a lot of places. But to be honest, from what I saw and heard, these boats options were cheaper but more basic than the Perama one. Most did not even offer a cabin option.
If you pay for a cabin on the Perama boat, it is actually quite a nice trip. Also, from what I have heard from my Dad and also from others, the return trip is generally a lot more calm and comfortable than the Lombok to Flores direction. The food is excellent anyway, and the crew are very helpful. It certainly wasnt all backpackers when we went - there were a few, but also older europeans couples on holiday that really enjoyed the trip. If I were to do the trip again (which I definitely would), I would fly to Flores from Bali (Maumere if I could, and travel overland to the other side, as there is so much to see in Flores - but if short of time, you can fly to Llabuanbajo instead) and make my way back by sea. There are also plenty of boat options available in Flores (many advertised in restaurants etc wherever you go) but again, I suspect that a lot of these are the cheap bakcpacker boats that are the origin of all those horror stories.
Anyway, hope this helps. If you need any more specific advice about anything, feel free to email me. Really glad that you have decided to do this trip though - you will have a fantastic time.