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The cone-shaped thatched houses of Wae Rebo on a green mountain meadow ringed by forest

Sample journey · 11–13 days

Flores from west to east: mountain villages and lakes of three colours

Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Wae Rebo, Bajawa, Riung, Kelimutu & Maumere

Photo: Ash Hayes / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Flores is a long, mountainous island joined from west to east by a single winding road. Labuan Bajo, the harbour for Komodo National Park, is only the beginning: after one day by boat among the islands, the journey turns into the cool Manggarai highlands, where rice fields are divided like a giant spider's web, and the village of Wae Rebo, in a mountain valley, still lives in cone-shaped houses reached only on foot. Then comes Ngada country beneath the Inerie volcano, where stone ancestral shrines stand in the village squares, and the quiet north coast with its mangroves and islets.

To finish, Kelimutu: three crater lakes side by side, each its own colour, and the colours change over time. For the local Lio people, this is where souls come to rest. The journey is for experienced travellers drawn to people and their traditions, who don't mind long drives: most days bring four or five hours on a winding road, with stops at villages, markets and viewpoints. The stays are simple, in places very simple, but always chosen for the setting and the hosts.

The route

The journey

  1. Labuan Bajo
  2. The Komodo islands by boat
  3. Ruteng
  4. Wae Rebo
  5. Bajawa & Bena
  6. Riung
  7. Moni & Kelimutu
  8. Maumere
  1. Labuan Bajo harbour from the air: boats in the bay, the waterfront town and green hills

    01Days 1–3 · Labuan Bajo

    One day among the Komodo islands

    A short flight from Bali and two nights in Labuan Bajo, where the masts of wooden boats gather in the harbour each evening. On the second day, a full day by boat in Komodo National Park. On Komodo or Rinca, a walk with a park ranger among the dry hills, where Komodo dragons usually appear near the trails; later, snorkelling over reefs where the currents bring shoals of fish and, if the sea allows, a stop at a pink-sand beach. This is the only boat day: longer voyages through the islands appear in other journeys, while this one heads into the island's interior. In the evening, fish at the night market or on a terrace facing the sunset between the islands. If you arrive late, the boat day can move to day three, before you leave for the mountains.

  2. Green rice terraces and forested mountains in the Flores highlands

    02Days 3–4 · Ruteng

    Fields divided like a spider's web

    About four hours east, climbing all the way over mountain passes and through coffee gardens, to Ruteng, the cool market town of Manggarai. On the way, a stop on a hill above the Cancar valley, where the rice fields seen from above look like a giant spider's web. This way of dividing the land, lingko, comes from an old community tradition: fields are shared out from a central point, where a ritual post stands, a wedge for each family. A local guide explains how the system works today. Near Ruteng lies the cave of Liang Bua, where in 2003 archaeologists found the remains of a small ancient human, later named Homo floresiensis. One night in a simple guesthouse; evenings here are cool, so a jumper is useful.

  3. The thatched houses of Wae Rebo in mist on a green meadow

    03Days 4–6 · Wae Rebo

    A village reached only by a path

    An early start: about three hours south by road to the village of Denge, then two to four hours on foot up a forest trail into the mountains. Wae Rebo is seven tall cone-shaped houses, mbaru niang, on a green meadow among the peaks, each home to several families. Guests are first taken to the main house, where the elders hold a short welcome ceremony asking the ancestors to accept the newcomers; only after it do people take photographs or wander the village. The night is spent in a shared house on mats, with village cooking and coffee grown on the slopes around. Everything here happens with a local guide and on the hosts' terms. The next morning, the walk down and the road back to Ruteng for another night.

  4. The cone of the Inerie volcano above forested hills, seen from Bajawa

    04Days 6–8 · Bajawa & Bena

    Ancestral stones beneath a volcano

    About four to five hours east, past the coast at Aimere, where a local spirit is distilled from palm sap, to Bajawa, the highland town of Ngada country. Two nights here. The key day is Bena, a village at the foot of the Inerie volcano: two rows of houses step down the slope in terraces, and in the square between them stand megaliths and small shrines, the umbrella-like, thatched ngadhu and the little house-shaped bhaga, which represent a clan's male and female ancestors. With a local guide we also visit quieter villages nearby. In the afternoon, a hot-spring river where warm and cold water meet; for strong walkers, an early climb of Inerie for sunrise over the Savu Sea.

  5. 05Days 8–10 · Riung

    Seventeen islets and a cloud of fruit bats

    About two and a half to three hours down to the north coast and the fishing village of Riung, for two nights: a breathing space between mountain days. Offshore lies the Seventeen Islands marine park: sandy islets, mangroves and calm reefs, snorkelled without the currents typical of Komodo's waters. On a day out by boat, several islets, lunch on the sand and a stop by a mangrove island above which thousands of large fruit bats, flying foxes, often circle. The next day, nothing planned: a walk through the village, home to both Muslim and Catholic families, fish over coals and an evening by the water. The stays here are very simple, a deliberate choice for the calm of the place.

  6. The Kelimutu crater lakes from the air: green water between volcanic slopes and mist

    06Days 10–13 · Moni, Kelimutu & Maumere

    Three lakes at sunrise

    The longest day of the journey: about five or six hours via Ende to the mountain village of Moni and two nights. The next morning you leave in the dark: about half an hour by road and a short path to the viewpoint above the Kelimutu craters. As the sun rises, three lakes appear out of the mist, often turquoise, green and almost black or brown; the colours change with the minerals and volcanic activity. For the Lio people the lakes are where souls rest, so voices stay low here. In the afternoon, a weaving village near Moni, where ikat is dyed with plant colours. On the last day, about three hours to the coast at Maumere, a night by the sea and a morning flight to Bali.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A night in Wae Rebo

    A welcome ceremony, cone-shaped houses and an evening with the hosts in a mountain valley.

  2. 02

    The lingko fields

    The rice fields near Cancar, divided like a spider's web according to an old community system.

  3. 03

    Bena

    A Ngada village of megaliths and ancestral shrines at the foot of the Inerie volcano.

  4. 04

    Sunrise at Kelimutu

    Three crater lakes whose colours change, and a quiet morning above the clouds.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • At a gentler pace

    The longest days can be broken: a night in Ende before Moni, or an extra night in Ruteng. The journey then grows to two weeks, with less time on the road each day.

  • With teenagers

    The Wae Rebo trail, the dragons, the clouds of bats and snorkelling at Riung: a book of adventures for older children who enjoy walking and don't mind simple stays.

  • With the seasons

    The dry season, roughly April to October, is best for the roads and the mountains. In the wet months the fields are greenest, but the roads are slower and Kelimutu is more often in cloud.

  • With a boat or Sumba

    A few nights aboard among the Komodo islands can be added at the start, and Sumba, a short flight from Flores, at the end.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is the dry season, roughly April to October. In the highlands (Ruteng, Bajawa, Moni) mornings and evenings are cool, so warm layers are useful.
  • The road across Flores is winding and often slow: journey times depend a great deal on the weather and roadworks. We travel with an experienced local driver and guide and allow time generously.
  • Stays in the mountains and at Riung are simple, and in Wae Rebo it's a shared house on mats. In the villages we follow the hosts' customs and always ask before photographing people.
  • Domestic flight schedules into Labuan Bajo and out of Maumere change; we check them, and other current requirements, before you travel.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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