Coconut Garden Beach Resort Review

Review of Coconut Garden Beach Resort Maumere

If you visit Maumere in Flores for scuba diving, work or leisure, this Coconut Garden Beach Resort review is probably suitable. Especially if you are planning to look for a beautiful place to stay while you are here in Maumere. 

Flores is also one of the up-and-coming tourist destinations of Indonesia, namely because of Komodo Island, where you can see the real-life Komodo Dragons in person.

Review of Coconut Garden Beach Resort in Maumere

Maumere is one of the lesser-visited destinations in Flores, probably due to very few promotions. Still, for any adventure traveller or even scuba diver, Maumere is highly recommended as it is untouched, peaceful and beautiful. 

Maumere Coconut Garden Beach Resort
A view of the restaurant and some of the beach bungalows.

I had no knowledge of this place until I visited here. Arriving at the Maumere Airport, everything looked undeveloped, and my group was picked up and sent to the Coconut Garden Beach Resort. 

For a local run resort, I was impressed the minute I stepped out of the bus. Coconut trees dominated the resort landscape, and the strange mushroom-looking villa units were very eco-designer-styled. The main reception area is the only restaurant which serves as your common area.  

The staff is local from Maumere and very hospitable, which was a great start to staying here. There were about 8 of us, and each of us got our own private bungalow. Coconut Garden Resort also sits on private land with its own private beachfront. 

Everything here is picture-perfect, as you can see from the photos: lush island landscapes, bamboo bungalows, friendly staff and picturesque moments waiting to be captured.

It is also said that this eco-friendly resort caters to several honeymooners seeking the ultimate escape to nowhere. 

Maumere Coconut Garden Resort Review
One of the beach bungalows at the resort in Maumere.

Beach Bungalows at Coconut Garden Resort

Because there are only 8 bungalows, you get the best Indonesian hospitality here. The owners should have done better in creating some of the finest beach bungalows in the east of Indonesia.

Never have I seen such craftsmanship in a finished resort product. Every detail was carefully looked into, ensuring that guests get the ultimate experience while staying here.

As I walked into my Sunset Bungalow, my eyes immediately looked around to see the small fittings that made a difference.

Coconut Garden Beach Resort Bedroom
A complete view of the mosquito net covering the queen-sized bed.

The open-concept beach bungalow allows guests to feel free, with no walls in the interior of the unit except for a queen-sized bed with traditional mosquito nets and comfy pillows that invite guests to just jump in. 

The bathroom area is a separate outdoor part with an eight-foot wooden fence surrounding the place. Natural beach sand is used at the flooring with stepping stones as your walkway. 

The outdoor bathroom at the bungalow.

Coconut Garden Beach Resort Bath Room
The shower area is outdoors and cleverly constructed.

Coconut Garden Beach Resort Toilet
The toilet area is quite interesting.

The bathroom is connected by sliding glass doors to the main bungalow, making this a natural experience for anyone. Actually, I liked how the owners planned the bungalow layout. 

Each bungalow is air-conditioned, while the hexagon glass walls have rustic matching curtains for privacy.

At the bungalow entrance, you find a hammock to laze in all day and a seating area to drink while watching the Maumere sunset. 

Bungalow at Coconut Garden Beach Resort
A complete view of the sunset bungalow at the resort with coconut trees in the background.

Around Coconut Beach Garden Resort

The peaceful and natural surroundings here are stunning. In the mornings, I was awakened by the soothing bird chirping, which is expected at the resort. 

The private beach has a couple of gazebos where you can just laze with a cocktail and gaze at the scenery. Or you have had the local masseur give you a local and traditional massage. 

Resort at Maumere
The beach gazebo at the resort.

Traditional massage can also be done in your bungalow. Other activities include kayaking, snorkelling, paddle boarding, fishing, boat trips or anything that fancies you.

But, do not hope for jet skiing, skydiving or bungy jumping. You must remember, this is in the middle of nowhere. 

For a more cultural experience, the resort can arrange for you to learn 'Ikat Weaving', a traditional Maumere way of weaving leaves. You can rent a motorbike and self-explore Maumere if you need to. 

Restaurant Bar Coconut Garden Beach Resort
The one and only restaurant which serves as a reception area.

For fitness lovers, they have a fantastic outdoor beach gym, which is also in a similar bungalow design.

The gym comes complete with international standard equipment. There is no private pool or swimming pool here, as an entire sea awaits you. 

The restaurant here must be highlighted as they only serve farm-to-kitchen organic food. Yes, everything here is sourced locally from the various farmers.

Fish is bought directly from the local fishermen, and livestock from the farmers. The outcome is simply delicious and healthy. 

Organic Food in Maumere
Seafood and rice, done organic and Maumere style.

As for drinks, fear not, as alcohol is served here. You can get local Indonesian beer and imported beer, wine, and spirits.

Beer is sold by the bottles, too. For special occasions, a seafood barbecue can be arranged by the resort. 

Room service is not available, but can be arranged. As for the food choices, you can choose from local Indonesian to International fusion-styled food.

One of the recommendations to try is the fried banana fritters and the calamari as snacks or starters. 

Beach at Maumere
The beautiful Maumere beach at the resort.

Beyond Coconut Garden Beach Resort

For adventures, you can book a trip to Mount Kelimutu to see the fantastic tri-colour lakes and explore the Kelimutu National Park.

If you are religious, do ask the resort to plan a visit to the Bukit Nilo to see the colossal statue of Mother Mary perched on top of the hill here. 

There is also an old wooden church that is said to be over a hundred years old and still in its natural form. These places are all located in the Sikka Regency, where Maumere is the capital. 

Scuba diving in Maumere is also one of the growing activities, as there have been some promotions in recent years.

Maumere is known to be one of the most diverse spots on earth, just after Raja Ampat, in terms of diving. 

Maumere Resort Bungalow Villas
A couple of the Sunset Bungalows that face the Maumere sea.

There is a good balance of marine life here with opportunities to spot many types of rays, large and small, a healthy amount of reef fish and a wide variety of nudibranchs.

If you are lucky, you can even spot pilot whales, dolphins or whale sharks en route to your dive sites. 

I hope that in 2018, my good friend Pinneng from Kupang will arrange a diving experience in Maumere one day so I can complete my dive articles for this part of East Indonesia. Let us see if this happens. (Update: This never happened due to some complications.)

You can read my article on things to do in Flores, as it narrows down the main attractions here. 

Coconut Garden Beach Resort Wedding
The 'Wedding Gazebo' on the beach at the resort.

What I Think of This Place?

Let us be honest here - why go to Bali when you can visit somewhere exotic and yet have the luxuries of beachside resorts plus exploring a place that only a few people have seen. I recommend visiting Maumere to anyone who wants something different. 

The resort offers some pretty good wedding or romantic packages on its website for honeymooners or those wanting a romantic getaway minus the crowds. They even have a 'Retie the Knot' package. 

Picture of Coconut Garden Beach Resort
Just take a look at the peaceful and quiet beach here.

Or you can contact the resort directly. On a side note, they also have a dorm that caters to backpackers or those on a budget. 

The location of the resort is about 15-20 minutes from Maumere Airport, and transport is available when you book directly from the resort. The drive there is quite an eye-opener for first-timers, too, so keep an eye out the van window.

Conclusion

This trip was made possible with the team from Skyscanner as we explored various places from Bali to Flores in East Nusa Tenggara.

I never thought I would have the opportunity to explore the east side of Flores, as it has always been on my bucket list.  

This review of the Coconut Garden Beach Resort is handy for anyone planning to visit this part of Flores. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comment form below or contact them directly.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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