Flores in Indonesia - Hiking & Trekking Tour - 9 Days/8 Night Tour Itinerary

Flores island is part of the volcanic belt which stretches from Sumatra through Java and Bali to the Banda Sea and more than 17 volcanoes are situated on the island. The mountainous regions in central Flores around Ruteng, Bajawa and Moni have moderate to cool climate. Florests and jungle with rich tropical flora and fauna, small, charming remote villages, waterfalls and hot springs make Flores to a paradise for active holidays with hiking and trekking. The following 9 Days/8 Night Tour Itinerary includes many of the natural and cultural treasures which can be found all over Flores. All our tours can be tailored to your whishes.

ITINERARY: ✈ Maumere ➝ Trekking Egon Volcano ➝ Kelimutu Volcano ➝ Hiking Ngada Villages ➝ Trekking Inerie Volcano ➝ Trekking Wae Rebo - Labuan Bajo ✈

Travel to Flores Island ✈ Maumere

Pick up from airport in Maumere and transfer to an resort or guest house east from Maumere. After your arrival on Flores use the rest of the afternoon to relax on quiet and beautiful volcanic beach with good swimming and snorkelling conditions.

Trekking Egon Volcano

Today, we climb the 1671m hight volcano Egon with a 350 metre wide and 200-meter-deep crater. Depending on the season there is a lake located in the crater. The tour starts at 4:30 a.m. with pickup from your resort in Maumere. First we drive to Waigete village at the foot of the volcano Egon and from there about 5 km to the Blidit village to the starting point of the hike to mount Egon.

The hike to the Summit takes 3-4 hours and especially the last section up to the crater rim is demanding with a path with many small and large stones blocking the way. On the beginning the way is surrounded by trees but quickly becomes a savanna with just a few eucalyptus trees therefore there is no shade. After 2 hours hiking you can see the glimpse of the surrounding landscape. Another hour of hiking brings you to the summit from where you have a breathtaking view of the volcano and Maumere Bay. You can go walking around the edge or even down to the crater. There is a small of sulfate and smoke rises occasionally from the crater floor.

The descent takes about 1.5 hours to the point where our vehicle will be waiting, from there we drive 15 minutes to starting point of a approximately 35 minutes hike looking for the Blidit Hotsprings located hidden in a Florest. On the way we make picnic break with the take away lunch box.

from Maumere to Moni village at the foot of Kelimutu

After breakfast at 9.00 am you will be picked up at the hotel for your Flores countryside tour. Flores has a long history of weaving ikat. This art is still very much alive and an important part of the traditions (Adat) on Flores. We support women in our neighborhood in the village of Waiara, who will briefly and vividly show you the individual steps - starting with spinning and dyeing the cotton to the finished ikat. We are happy to organize a larger ikat performance in the village of Watublapi or Doka including traditional dances instead. If you are not interested in it, this program item can also be omitted.

Afterwards, depending on the day of the week, we visit either the market in the coastal village of Geliting or the traditional market in the mountain village of Nita or the daily market in Maumere (Pasar Alok) and the Bajo village fisher village Wuring.

After that we will leave Maumere and drive about 4 hours to Moni. On the way from Maumere to Moni is the beautiful Koka Beach where you can spend some time before continuing to Sikka village on the south coast of Flores. Enjoy wonderful views of the landscape with plantations and small mountain villages. Accommodaation in a bungalow at Kelimutu Eco Lodge in Moni, idyllically situated just outside the village of Moni.

The 3-colored Lakes of the Volcano Kelimutu ➝ Bajawa

Kelimutu is a volcano near the Moni village in Central Flores in Indonesia. The Volcano Kelimutu consists of three crater Lakes, which have different colors because of minerals. The colors of the Lakes have changed several times dramatically over the last years. The Lunar of crater is a hideout of the spirits according to the beliefs of the locals. Then the souls of boys and girls live in the Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai , which change the color between turquoise, blue and white greenish In Tiwu Ata Polo the sinner wait till night, to fly up with the wind and destroy every living Intruder. This lake change the colors between red, dark green, dark red and green color. The souls of the ancients rest in the Tiwu Ata Bupu. The now almost black Lake was once dark blue then light blue to white. The name of Kelimutu itself in the local language means 'keli' = 'mountain' and 'mutu' = 'boiling'.

On this day, we have to get up early in the morning and after a cup of coffee or tea, we drive to the volcano Kelimutu. After 30 minutes we reach the parking lot, and here a pleasant walk about 1.5 km and 127 stairs leads to the terrace of Mount Kelimutu at 1690 m altitude. From here, you have wonderful views of all three colored crater Lakes of Kelimutu and the surrounding countryside. Approximately at 10am fog or clouds can come up and prevent the view so it is important to be up at least between 8 and 9. In the midst of this lunar landscape, the colors of the Lakes look spectacular.

It's always a surprise what colors the Kelimutu Lakes will have when we visit.

On the drive back from mount Kelimutu to Moni we are pasing beautiful rice fields and tropical Florests. Arrived in Moni, your can have breakfast at the hotel before we drive to Ende with stops at the street market in Nduaria , rice paddies in Detusoko and visit the well-preserved traditional houses in Wologai village with the for Ende region formerly typical Lioneser architecture. Than we continue to Bajawa and stop at Penggajawa Beach, which is littered with many colored stones. The stones are predominantly blue to turquoise, but also green and red stones are in between. The stones are collected by the local population and sold as building material. On the way we make stops to enjoy the scenic beauty of the landscape.

In late afternoon we arrive in Bajawa, the largest city in the Ngada district At the end of a long eventful day, you will spend the night in Bajawa at the foot of the Ineri volcano..

Traditional Ngadha villages in the surroundings of Bajawa

After an early breakfast we will first visit the small traditional village of Luba and drive then to Bena, on of the best preserved and best known of the traditional villages in Ngadha. The village consists of two rows of centuries old houses covered with grass. In the middle of the village, there's a sacrificial stones and cult houses, which were used for ritual ceremonies and sacrificial offerings. Christians are the people, who today lives and works in this heritage village but nevertheless, some of the old traditions and ancestor worship are still alive. After the visit of Bena we start a hike to one of the secluded Ngadha villages to Tololela. This easy hike takes about 2 hours. In Tololela, a local lunch will be served to us, accompanied with a demonstration of traditional music. After lunch we continue 1 hour to the next remote Ngadha village named Gerusina. Here our car is already waiting and we drive with a stop at another wild Hot springs for swimming back to your accommodation in Bajawa

Trekking the Volcano Inerie

The volcano Inerie is at 2245 meter height and its perfect pyramid shape the most imposing mountain (Gunung) on Flores. If you are approaching Bajawa the Inerie volcano is from far away to see. The volcano looks not only incredibly steep but actually it is really an demanding hike only recommended for sporty its and experienced hikers. The 2.5 to 4 hours hike to the Summit starts in Watumeze village on 1100 metres above sea level. If you like to be at sunrise at the Summit we should start the hike with departure from the hotel at 2 o'clock in the night. Earlier in the morning the better, because there is no shade on the hike and in sunny weather it will be very hot. At first the slope is grassy but small rocks make the climb. The lawn is further over 1800 meters more. Arrived at the top of the edge of the crater you will be rewarded by good weather condition with a fantastic view.

You can go back at any time and already halfway, you have great views. It is to take into account that the descent is not easier but almost as exhausting as the ascent. Accommodation in Bajawa

Bajawa ➝ Rana Mesee Lake ➝ Ruteng ➝ Spider riece fields in Cancar ➝ Denge/Dintor

After the breakfast we drive to Cancar, where we will see the "spider web rice field". (Rice fields, which are arranged like a spider's Web) and are called also called Lingko. hen we go with some photo stops to Dintor on the southern coast of Flores. Here, we stay in a simple lodge with beautiful views before early in the morning the next day we will start trekking to Wae Rebo.

Trekking Wae Rebo

Wae Rebo is an old village with unique architecture, which is isolated located in a beautiful mountain landscape in the Manggarai in West Flores. It comprises of 7 traditional circular and cone-shaped buildings called Mbaru Niang what means in the Manggarai language " Drum houses " . The village is only reachable on foot in about 3-4 hour hike (depending on your physical condition). The village offers visitors not only the opportunity to see authentic Manggarei architecture but also to participate in the life of the local community. The hike leads along a narrow path through dense rain Florest with various ferns, orchids and palm trees and accompanied by the singing of many different birds.

On this day, you make a beautiful but demanding hike through lush green mountain countryside to the village Wae Rebo. Earlier, the people lived in huge round houses with space for up to 200 people. When the Dutch came, these homes were demolished because they were not hygienic in there opinion. So, this ancient treasure was lost. But hidden in the mountains a couple of this mythical cottages have been preserved and renovated by the local community together with a team of architects based in Jakarta and the Indonesian Government.

Wae Rebo is tucked away in a spectacular setting and is only accessible on foot. We are welcomed as guests of honor with a special ceremony.

After lunch in the village we walk down to Denge and overnight again in Dintor.

Dintor ➝ Labuan Bajo ✈ Departure from Flores

After early breakfast we drive today to Labuan Bajo. You can reach the late afternoon flight from Labuan Bajo to your next destination.

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