We pick you up at your hotel in Labuan bajo around 8 am and start our journey to Ruteng. The landscape between Labuan Bajo and Ruteng is famous for its rice fields.
We visit the mountain village Todo, where we find traditional reed-hatched houses in a beautiful green landscape and meet the friendly villagers.
Then we visit Cancar where we have a beautiful view of the Spider Web rice field, and we continue to the Golo Curu viewpoint to see among the most beautiful rice field terraces in Flores. We check in to our accommodation in Ruteng and have dinner at a restaurant of choice.
We get up around 4:30 am and embark on a sunrise trek in the rice fields in Ruteng. This is a shared trek through a mesmerising landscape of terraced rice fields. We find a spot to sit and enjoy the serenity of the area as we wait for sunrise. We return to our hotel and have breakfast.
Our next destination is the breathtaking Ranamese Lake. Located in the Flores jungle, we need to walk down a small jungle path to see the “sacred lake” and then we continue the hike via the waterfall through the dense jungle.
We continue our drive and make a short stop in Aimere at a traditional palm wine distillery. Then we visit the traditional village Bena, famous for its architecture and cultural heritage. Bena is nestled in a picturesque valley surrounded by a lush green forest, giving it a serene and peaceful ambiance.
After our lunch in Bena, we embark on a scenic trek to another traditional village Tololela through lush green forests and cocoa- and pineapple plantations. As we step foot in Tololela, we’re greeted by warm smiles and the genuine hospitality of the locals. We have diner here and stay overnight in one of the traditional houses for a unique local experience.
After breakfast, we trek from Tololela through the green highlands and lush valley to the next traditional village Gurusina. We wander around the village and then relax in the natural Malanage hot spring, located at the confluence of a hot and cold river.
We continue the journey to Blue stone beach – named after the different shades of blue that the pebbles have – where we have lunch. At Detusoko we enjoy the panorama of ricefield terraces.
Then we arrive at the traditional village Wologai, famous for its cone-shaped architecture. Because the village is considered sacred, with the ghosts of their ancestors still present, visitors get a sarong from the locals which they must wear. The majority of the people living here are farmers, cultivating rice, corn, sweet potatoes, taro, cassava and coffee.
After only a short drive from Wologai, we arrive at the small mountain village Moni, which is the getaway to Kelimutu National Park. We check in at our hotel and sleep early as a vibrant journey awaits us tomorrow.
At around 4-5 am we leave for Kelimutu with its three turquoise coloured crater lakes. After a trek of ca 25 minutes we arrive at the top to witness the mesmerising sunrise, and the most amazing natural phenomenon in East Nusa Tenggara. Enjoy the view, immerse with nature and find your inner peace.
It is important to realise that it could be foggy at mount Kelimutu, and the extent to which we can see the crater is beyond our control. The fog is very local and can change any minute, so there is no way to anticipate from Moni how good the sight will be when we arrive in mount Kelimutu.
Then we return at our hotel for breakfast. Depending on where your flight leaves, we either drop you off at Ende or at Maumere. In case it is the latter, we will also visit the Koka beach, which is known for its bright turquoise water. We have lunch at this tropical white sandy beach, before we continue to a place of choice in Maumere.
Notice: Alternatively – in case your flight leaves in the evening or even the next day – we visit Kelimutu after breakfast.Accommodations
Sky Flores is a good value hotel with clean ensuite double and twin bedroom. Strategically located in Ruteng, it is on a walking distance to many restaurants. There are several comparable hotels in the area that shall be booked in case Sky Flores is not available.
