Labuan Bajo to Ruteng by Bus: Our Gunung Mas Travel Experience

Travelling from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng is a beautiful overland journey when exploring Flores Island, Indonesia.

For our journey, we chose Gunung Mas Travel, a local travel company offering bus services between Labuan Bajo and Ruteng.

We bought our tickets at the Gunung Mas Travel office in Labuan Bajo. The whole process was straightforward, and also being able to communicate with the staff through WhatsApp made things particularly easy.

In this guide, I’ll share our actual experience, including how we booked the tickets, the seat selection, the cost, the pick-up service, the journey time and what the bus was like.

🇯🇵 この記事を日本語で読む：ラブアンバジョからルテンへ｜Gunung Mas Travelバスに乗ってみた

Booking Gunung Mas Travel in Labuan Bajo

We booked our tickets at the Gunung Mas Travel office in Labuan Bajo.

One of the most useful things about the office was that the staff could communicate with us through WhatsApp. This made it easy to ask questions and confirm the details of our journey.

After making the booking, we actually needed to change our travel date.

Rather than having to return to the office, we contacted the staff through WhatsApp. They were able to change our travel date without any difficulty.

For travellers moving around Flores with a flexible itinerary, this was particularly convenient.

Choosing Our Bus Seats

Another useful feature was being able to choose our seats when booking.

At the Gunung Mas Travel office, the staff showed us the seat plan, so we could see which seats were available and choose where we wanted to sit.

This was especially useful because the bus had individual seats rather than a conventional bench-style or tightly packed arrangement.

How Much Does Gunung Mas Travel Cost?

Our ticket from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng cost IDR 180,000 per person.

Although we booked our seats in advance, we did not pay at the time of booking.

Instead, we paid the driver in cash on the day of travel.

Prices and payment arrangements can change, so it is worth confirming the current details with Gunung Mas Travel when booking.

Pick-up from Our Guesthouse

On the day of our journey, Gunung Mas Travel arranged to pick us up directly from our guesthouse in Labuan Bajo.

The scheduled pick-up time was 8:40 am, but the bus did not arrive until around 9:20 am.

So, we were waiting for about 40 minutes longer than expected.

The important thing to remember when travelling overland in Flores is that schedules are not always precise. If you have another connection booked after arriving in Ruteng, it would be sensible to allow plenty of extra time.

The advantage was that we did not have to make our own way to a bus terminal. The bus came directly to our accommodation.

Leaving Labuan Bajo

The scheduled departure from Labuan Bajo was 9:00 am.

Because of the delayed pick-up, we actually left Labuan Bajo at around 9:30 am.

Once we were on the road, however, the journey was very straightforward.

There was no sightseeing stop or scheduled break along the way.

What Is the Gunung Mas Travel Bus Like?

The bus we travelled on was much more comfortable than I had expected.

The seats were individual seats with a VIP-style configuration, rather than the basic seating you might associate with a local bus.

The seat was comfortable and gave us plenty of space for the journey.

This was particularly welcome because the road between Labuan Bajo and Ruteng includes plenty of bends as it climbs into the highlands of Flores.

For a journey of several hours, having a comfortable seat with lots of space around makes for a luxurious ride!

The Journey from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng

After leaving Labuan Bajo, the road gradually climbs away from the coast and towards the highlands around Ruteng.

The landscape changes considerably during the journey. Labuan Bajo is a warm coastal town, while Ruteng is much cooler and sits at a considerably higher elevation.

Our bus travelled directly to Ruteng without stopping along the way.

We left Labuan Bajo at around 9:30 am and arrived in Ruteng at approximately 1:00 pm.

So, our actual journey time was around three and a half hours.

Of course, journey times can vary depending on road conditions, traffic and the day’s schedule.

We Were Dropped Off at Our Guesthouse in Ruteng

Another particularly convenient part of the service was that we were not simply dropped somewhere in central Ruteng.

The bus took us directly to our guesthouse.

This meant we did not have to find a taxi or motor taxi after arriving in Ruteng, which was especially helpful.

For independent travellers moving around Flores, this door-to-door element can make a big difference.

Our Experience with Gunung Mas Travel

Overall, our experience travelling from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng with Gunung Mas Travel was straightforward and comfortable.

The main delay was the pick-up. We were expecting the bus at 8:40 am, but it arrived at 9:20 am and we eventually left Labuan Bajo at around 9:30 am.

Apart from that, the journey went smoothly.

The things we particularly appreciated were:

• WhatsApp communication with the staff
• Easy changes to our travel date
• Seat selection using the office seat plan
• Comfortable individual VIP-style seats
• Pick-up from our guesthouse in Labuan Bajo
• No scheduled stop during the journey
• Drop-off directly at our guesthouse in Ruteng
• IDR 180,000 per person
• Payment in cash to the driver on the day

Labuan Bajo to Ruteng: Our Journey Details

Here are the key details from our journey:

• Route: Labuan Bajo → Ruteng
• Operator: Gunung Mas Travel
• Price: IDR 180,000 per person
• Booking: Gunung Mas Travel office in Labuan Bajo
• Communication: WhatsApp
• Seat: Individual VIP-style seat
• Payment: Cash to the driver on the day
• Scheduled pick-up: 8:40 am
• Actual pick-up: Around 9:20 am
• Scheduled departure: 9:00 am
• Actual departure: Around 9:30 am
• Arrival in Ruteng: Around 1:00 pm
• Stops: None
• Accommodation transfer: Guesthouse to guesthouse

Is Gunung Mas Travel a Good Option for Travelling from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng?

For our journey, Gunung Mas Travel provided a comfortable and convenient way to travel overland from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng.

Being able to communicate through WhatsApp was particularly useful, especially when we needed to change our travel date. The ability to choose our seats in advance was another advantage, and the individual VIP-style seats made the journey comfortable.

The main thing to bear in mind is that the pick-up and departure times may not be exact. Our bus arrived 40 minutes later than the scheduled pick-up time.

If you are travelling around Flores without a tightly fixed itinerary, however, this is relatively easy to accommodate.

For us, the biggest advantages were the combination of comfortable seating, direct accommodation pick-up and drop-off, and easy communication through WhatsApp.

It made the journey from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng considerably simpler than having to arrange several separate transfers ourselves.

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