Bajawa is the cultural centre of the Ngada highlands in central Flores. At about 1,200 metres above sea level, it is cooler than the coast and ringed by volcanic ridges, coffee gardens, and villages where megalithic courtyards and clan houses are still part of daily life.
The town itself is plain, but the country around it is not. A spare day here can be excellent: ride south to Bena and other traditional villages, look up at the clean cone of Mount Inerie, then finish in a hot spring where cold and hot streams mix in the forest. That combination gives Bajawa enough weight to be more than a road stop on the long Trans-Flores journey.
It is also a place where you should travel gently. The villages are lived-in communities, not stage sets. Ask before taking close photographs, buy weaving directly if you want it, and do not rush through the ritual spaces as if they were museum displays.