10D9N FLORES Overland Adventure: Discover Flores' People, Nature & Culture

Up on arrival at Frans Seda airport of Maumere East Flores, our local guide will meet and fetch you then drive you directly to Watublapi village to see traditional dance performance and manual weaving demonstration. The whole performance begins with customary greetings then followed by the performance of traditional music, dances and folksongs and opportunity to observe the whole process of hand weaving textiles. At late afternoon we drive down to hotel for checking in. Dinner and stay overnight at Sea World Club Cottages or Wailiti Beach Resort.

Day 2: MAUMERE – PISE – DETURIA ( B/ L/ D).

At 7:00am we drive to Pise village with stops at selected view points for taking picture of spectacular coastline and mountain panorama. Pay a visit to Pise Primary School, a chance to observe how the basic academic life in remote area looks like and interactive with teacher and students. Lunch provided by local cook of Pise village. Start trekking from here to Deturia village with more stops for seeing and feeding salt to half bred buffaloes, takin picture of horses and caws that spread all over the wide expanse savannah, rain forests then refreshing rinse in natural springs. Arrive at Deturia village late afternoon. In the evening get on together with Adat Leader and village community for having cultural talks--sharing experiences, eat local dinner and watch village musicians playing traditional music and folksongs. Stay overnight at Villager’s House.

Day 3: DETURIA – TIWUSORA – KAJUWULU – MAUMERE ( B/ L/ D).

Early morning trekking to Mbotusora hilltop to get a spectacular view over Flores sea, Tiwusora lake and Kelimutu with its mate mountain Kelibara at far distance at the magnificent golden sunrise. Trek down to Tiwusora lake and see the home of three different type and colored giant eels by closer distance--local people believed to this lake eels as their own ancestors. If you could walk below the rainforests to the lake without making any noise you may watch birds and listening them singing beautiful rhythms. Mind your step from blood sucker leaches. Return to Deturia village. After breakfast take a walk around the village and let yourself be treated by friendly local people. After all get ride on horseback to Pise through the villages of Lokaoja, Serosipi and Sokonaja--beautiful landscapes. Arrive at Pise, by car and drive down to Kajuwulu beach. Chance for swim or snorkeling in clear crystal water or just lay down on white sandy beach then having lunch with Special “Ikan Bakar” (Grilled Fish). Late afternoon drive back to Maumere. Dinner and stay overnight at Sea World Club Cottages or Wailiti Beach Resort.

Day 4: MAUMERE – MONI ( B/ L/ D).

Depart to Moni, a tourist village where almost every backpackers base their trip to Kelimutu. Distance to Moni is 96 kilometers and it takes 3.5 hours driving passing trough stunning coastal and mountain villages and beautiful landscapes. On the way stop at Ledalero--a major Catholic seminary--to visit the Blikon Blewut Museum with its various collections of local royal families’ old portraits, antique hand woven cloths, fossils of stegedont (giant elephant ). Continue to Paga for a short off road walking down to Pantai Koka with a beautiful little island in front and white sandy beach. On towards Jopu village to see traditional and tall thatched roofing house of Lio tribal ethnics with their beautiful hand-woven ikat textiles on display. Opportunity for snap - shop down the road will follow the local events. Late in the afternoon check in Moni Eco Lodge for dinner and stay overnight.

Day 5: MONI – KELIMUTU – ENDE – RIUNG ( B/ L/ D).

Early breakfast at hotel. At 4.45am we will drive up to Mount Kelimutu for 30 minutes until at car parking area. From here we will begin our trek to the 1,600 meters Kelimutu volcano’s summit to see the “three different color craters lakes of Kelimutu” as one of wonderful places and dramatic sights around the globe. To the local people, Kelimutu volcano is very sacred and holy. This Kelimutu three different crater lake was discovered by the Dutch Geologist in 1914, and at that time the colors were “Red, Blue, and White.“ The scientist believe and said that these three lakes get their colors because of dissolved of the minerals each of these lakes. After exploring this volcanic lake we will continue our trip to Riung via the capital city of Ende regency. Stops on the way will be at Nduaria, a beautifully setting road side fruit and vegetables market, at Ngalupolo village where traditional houses are set on terraces and ancestral shrine is kept on the highest point of it—beautiful surroundings completed by the open Indian ocean view, then at Museum Bung Karno to see the house and various collections of Indonesia’s late President Ir. Soekarno when he was exiled in Ende in 1934–1938. Lunch serves at Istana Bamboo restaurant in Ende. On towards Riung on the north of Bajawa with more stops to visit Penggajawa, a beautiful beach filled with blue rocks. Short walking and photo stop will be made according to local happenings. Dinner and stay overnight at Pondok SVD Missionary Guest House in Riung or Similar.

Day 6: RIUNG – BAJAWA – MANULALU ( B/ L/ D).

Half day marine excursion to the "Riung 17 Islands National Marine Park." Swim or snorkeling in the clear crystal water, sunbathing on the beautiful white sandy beach and watching bats hanging on the mangrove trees, sometimes they fly around when hearing the noise of motor engine. Picnic lunch box served on the island beach. At midday sail back to Pondok SVD, get prepare everything and hop on to Bajawa. Before Bajawa town we stop at natural hot spring in Soa--the temperature range from 30 to 40 degrees centigrade. Take some time to soak up our body in the pool and get relaxed in the water running down cascades, it’s good to relief your body from exhausted long journey. From Soa we will continue to Bajawa town and on towards Manulalu. Manulalu is a brand new mountain hotel located out of Bajawa town and between Wogo and Bena traditional villages. From this place especially when the sky is clear it offers spectacular views over Bena village and up right to Inerie volcano. Check in at Hotel Manulalu. Dinner and stay overnight at Hotel Manu Lalu.

Day 7: BAJAWA Full day Explore Luba - Bena – Wogo - Nage Hotspring ( B/ L/ D).

In the morning at 5 am we drive up to Wolo Bobo hilltop, a great scenery to take photo of the sunrise and the landscape includes Inerie volcano and Bajawa town. Drive back to hotel for breakfast. After having breakfast we will visit the “living museum” traditional village of Bena, Luba and Wogo with its spectacular traditional house architecture of Bajawa tribe sit right on the foot of Inerie volcano, and the Ngada tribes. Lunch at Hotel Manu Lalu or in Bajawa town or boxed lunch. In the afternoon we trek down to Jere Bu’u, and continue to Nage hot spring for taking a relaxing bath. Dinner and stay overnight at Hotel Manu Lalu.

Day 8: BAJAWA - AIMERE - RANAMESE LAKE - RUTENG ( B/ L/ D).

In the morning we drive to Ruteng with stops at some selected view points for taking picture and at Aimere to witness the distillation process of making “arak”--a local liquor that has 45% of alcohol--made of lontar palm tree. Continue to Ruteng via Ranamese--a 5 hectare mountain lake that surrounded by thick cloudy rainforest. Lunch in Ruteng town. After lunch we visit Liang Bua Cave where paleoanthropologists discovered small skeletons that they described as a previously unknown hominin species, Homo Floresiensis. These are informally named HOBBIT. Return to Ruteng and check in at hotel. Dinner and stay overnight at MBC Missionary Guest House (very clean and peaceful).

Day 9: RUTENG – LABUAN BAJO (B/ L/ D).

Depart to Labuan Bajo with stops at Cara village to see “lingko”, a spider-web-like rice field and off road to Todho village to see the most traditional house of Ruteng tribal ethnics with its traditional drums and whip fighting instruments. Back to Trans Flores Highway and on towards Labuan Bajo. Lunch in Labuan Bajo town. In the afternoon free program. Dinner at one of a good restaurants in Labuan Bajo. Stay overnight at Hotel Golo Hilltop or Puri Sari Resort.

Day 10: LABUAN BAJO - DENPASAR ( B/ -/ -).

Transfer to Komodo airport for your flight back to Denpasar.

Our service ends!