Tiwu Nuamuri Koofai, one of Kelimutu crater lakes…
The Xian MA60 turbo-prop aircraft that we are in descends and makes a slightly awkward approach toward landing at Frans Seda airport, touches the runway, bumps twice, and finally rolling smoothly on the runway as it slows down and heads to the apron. All passengers breathe with relief and applaud, loosen the tension off after such landing sequence. Quite a thrilling experience 😀 But anyway, here we are, at Maumere. Ready for another trip to explore the place where we haven’t been there before. It’s still a half of the journey, as we prepare for the next 3-hours land ride to Moni where we are going to stay. Kelimutu, here we come..!
It didn’t take long to get out from Maumere and started hitting the hillside road that has already become Flores’ trademark. It’s such a winding road, it seems like you haven’t been given a chance to catch your breath before the next turn, one after another. No wonder, people call it ‘Kelok Seribu’ (A Thousand Curves). But Pak Paulus, our driver, is such a calm driver. And as a local people he knows very well the twist and turn of every corner of the road. So, we were in a good hand J Cacao, coconut and hazelnut trees were everywhere along the way from Maumere to Moni. Traces of landslides were seen here and there at roadside. We were lucky, as Pak Paulus told us earlier, because if there was a slide blocking the road – which is the only road toward Moni through the Flores south coast – then it would have to be a few days before the road got cleared again, which of course would have hampered our plan in such a short vacation. We can take a detour through the north coast, but it also will take at least one full day – or even more – to reach Moni. Luckily, we didn’t have to do that. And at around 7pm, we have reached Kelimutu Eco Lodge where we would stay for the next few days…
Moni itself is a small settlement on the route between Mauemere and Ende, located at the foot of Mount Kelimutu, makes it the ideal place for tourist/traveler who plans to visit Kelimutu National Park and hike to the peak of Kelimutu. There are few other interesting places to visit such as the Morondau waterfall, Wologai traditional village, and Moni traditional market. Trekking around the paddy fields and the surrounding woods is also an interesting activity to do. But, no doubt, still the Kelimutu peak with its three-colored crater lakes is the main attraction here.
Sunrise at Kelimutu, with the layers of East Flores Mountain in the distance…
It was four o’clock in the morning. But we were well awake and ready to jump in to the car that would take us to the gate of Kelimutu National Park. Started early, so we would reach the peak before sunrise. By 5 am we have already reached the gate and continued with an approx. 45 minutes trekking to the peak of Kelimutu. And there we were, right in between the three infamous crater lakes. Even though it was still dark we could already the shadow of those big three craters, as the slight smell of sulfur was in the air. It’s normal, since Kelimutu is an active volcano and the level of sulfur itself that gives the different colors of those three lakes. As the sun slowly emerged, the three crater lakes revealed their unique colors. The layer of East Flores Mountains was visible in the distance, complementing the beauty of Kelimutu National Park and its great crater lakes…
Mount Kelimutu – Kelimutu means “The Boiling Lake” – is located in Ende regency, East Nusa Tenggara province. Part of the Kelimutu National Park, the peak of Mount Kelimutu lies at the elevation of 1,639m above sea level. It has three crater lakes that continuously change their colors: Tiwu Nuamuri Koofai, Tiwu Atapolo & Tiwu Ata Mbupu. Local indigenous community has its own believes in related with these craters. They believe that the spirits of those who died will gather in Flores. The souls of the young men & women will gather at Tiwu Nuamuri Koofai which is the biggest of those three crater lakes, while the spirits of the old people will gather at Tiwu Mbupu Ata. The third lake, Tiwu Ata Polo, is intended for the spirits of the witches / soothsayers. When the colors of the lakes change, the locals believe that something immense is going to happen soon.
Wologai Traditional Village…
It was just before lunch time when we trekked down the mountain slope, back to Moni. There was still a half of the day to spend. So, after lunch we immediately headed to Wologai, one of the few villages in the Ende regency that preserved their traditional architectural style houses. Throughout the year, there are several ceremonies held in these unique & beautiful buildings. One of the ceremonies is usually held during a big harvest in August, and in such event the Wologai people from abroad will reunite in their home village and turn it into a very lively spot. Well, not so lucky for us, we were not visiting this unique village in the right time where such event takes place…
The land trip continued to Ende, 63km from Moni, another two-hours drive. The Kelok Seribu continued as well along the way. The panorama along the road was stunning. But not much to see in Ende itself, although it’s the largest town in Flores. If you’re interested in historical places, you can visit the well-preserved Rumah Soekarno. It’s the house where Soekarno – then one of Indonesia independence movement leaders, before becoming the first president of the nation – lived when he was exiled by the Dutch colonial government in 1930s…
Rumah Soekarno…
Well, enough for the day. We headed back to Moni to get rest. It was a trip worth to make. New place explored, new experience, new people we met, lots of photos to share 🙂 The trip to explore Flores would continue the next day, with different places, different people, and surely new experience too…
Additional notes:
- Photos from Kelimutu trip are stored at http://www.ismawanismail.com/gallery/index.php?/category/kelimutu
- Several airlines provide flights to Ende & Maumere. The easiest way would be flying from Denpasar, Bali. There is no direct flight from Jakarta to both cities. Check Merpati Airlines at http://www.merpati.co.id/, Lion Air at https://lionair.co.id/, TransNusa Aviation at http://www.transnusa.co.id/
- Public transport is available from Maumere to Ende vv via Moni. Bus Kayu is the most popular here. But if you prefer more comfortable trip, rent-car would be the option with the cost between IDR 600-800 thousands per day.
- There are various options of lodging in Moni, starting from the rent-room at the villagers houses which is the cheapest, the mid-class lodging such as Bintang Lodge, or the cozy one such as Kelimutu Eco Lodge.
