INFORMATIONS
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9 days - 8 nights
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100% CUSTOMIZABLE TRIP
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From 1 180€ per person. See our price & conditions below.
YOU WILL LOVE:
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The vestiges of the Portuguese influence in Maumere
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The snorkeling excursion in Maumere
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Swimming with turtles, sharks and hundreds of fishes
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The art of weaving Ikat
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The Kelimutu volcano and its lakes of 3 colors
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The traditions of the Ngada clans
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An immersion among the villagers of Rendu Ola
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Sleeping at the inhabitants
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The spider-webbed rice fields of Cancar
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The Hobbit Cave of Ruteng
Day 1: Maumere airport - Maumere
Arrival in Flores
Arrive at Maumere airport and meet your private driver and your guide Ryan. You first drive to the hotel to rest a bit before leaving for a half day excursion. You visit the old church of Sikka, one of the oldest churches in Flores, remnants of the Portuguese colonization. Built entirely of wood, you can hear the ocean from inside. Then you go to the traditional Sikka village of Watublapi, where women still use traditional weaving machines to make ikats. These patterned textiles, made by hand, are true works of art, and it takes months to complete one. Back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
20 min drive. With English speaking local guide. Accommodation: Comfort hotel.
Day 2: Maumere
Snorkeling day tour
Today you leave for a full day snorkeling tour along the 3 main islands of the Northeast coast of Maumere: Panggabatan Island, Babi Island and Tanjung Padang Island. They are famous for their beautiful snorkeling sites in the clear blue water with colorful fish and corals. If you are lucky, you can also see turtles, small sharks, rays and bumphead parrotfish. In the late afternoon you return to the hotel.
Full day boat excursion. Accommodation: comfort hotel. Meals: breakfast & lunch.
Road along the coast in Maumere
Panorama over the Kelimutu volcano and its lakes
Day 3: Maumere - Kelimutu
Visit to the local market of Gelinting
Today you leave Maumere and drive to Moni, a small village at the foot of the Kelimutu volcano. On the way, you stop at the local market of Gelinting. Get ready to be overwhelmed by the smells, the people and the roosters. This huge market sells fruits and vegetables, clothes and also ikats. Then you continue on the amazing Transflores road before taking a short break at Koka beach. Once in Moni, you can rest at the hotel or you can take a short walk to the waterfall in the neighborhood, which is great for taking a dip.
3 to 4 hours drive. With English speaking local guide. Accommodation: standard hotel. Meals: breakfast.
Day 4: Kelimutu - Bajawa
Climbing Kelimutu volcano and visiting its hot springs
Around 7am you drive to Kelimutu volcano. Literally, Kelimutu means "boiling mountain" and is home to 3 stunning lakes of different colors. The hike is rather easy and in the early morning it is mostly cloudy around the volcano. When the sun rises the clouds disappear and from the viewpoint you have a good view of the lakes. During the year the lakes change their colors and go from green to red to blue to white. The locals strongly believe that during the color change, offerings must be made to honor the spirits of the deceased. In fact, the first lake is said to be for the spirits of the young, the second for the spirits of the old, while the last is for the spirits of the wicked. On the way back, you stop at the hot springs of the volcano and then drive to your next destination: the mountaineering village of Bajawa, in the region of Ngada.
1 h walk. 5 h drive. With English speaking local guide. Accommodation: standard hotel. Meals: breakfast.
The traditional Ngada village of Bena
Bena village
Day 5: Bajawa
Visit the traditional Ngada villages
After breakfast, you join Ryan for a cultural day tour of the Ngada villages around Bajawa. Ryan was born into a traditional Ngada clan. His knowledge of Ngada clan culture and rituals is passed down in his family from father to son. Be prepared to be invited to many coffees by the Ngada people in Ryan's presence. You first drive to Bela, the oldest megalithic village of the Ngada ethnic group, where only 23 families live. Life here is organized around the ancestor poles, where the souls of the elders are worshipped. Castes, ceremonies, sacrifices, weddings, funerals, births, matriarchal system; these Ngada villages are of immense cultural richness. You continue to the village of Bena, which is more interesting for tourists because it is of impressive size. The women there weave ikats, and you are of course again invited to have a local coffee in one of the traditional houses. From Bena, you finally leave for an easy hike through the jungle to reach the last Ngada village: Tololeda. Your driver meets you there and you are back in Bajawa in the afternoon.
1 h drive. 2 h walk. With English speaking local guide. Accommodation: standard hotel. Meals: breakfast & lunch.
Day 6: Bajawa - Rendu Ola
Visit the old royal village of Boa Wae and spend the night with the locals in Rendu Ola
Today you leave Bajawa and drive to the very remote village of Rendu Ola. On the way you will make a first stop at Boa Wae Market, the largest market in Flores, selling fruits, vegetables, livestock and ikats, among other things. Then you set off again to discover the village of Boa Wae, home to the last king of Flores. You visit the house of Nage Keo, the head of the kingdom, as well as the men's house, where the big decisions for the village are made. Finally, you continue to the village of Rendu Ola, which has only about twenty inhabitants. You enter a village that seems to have fallen out of time. The traditional houses surround the imposing ancestor statue in the center of the village. As is tradition, you are welcomed into the village with a ceremony. Afterwards, you have dinner with the host family before sleeping on a light bamboo mattress in their traditional house.
2 h drive. With English speaking local guide. Accommodation: night in a traditional homestay. Meals: full board.
The lost village of Rendu Ola
The traditional ancestor pole of Rendu Ola
Day 7: Rendu Ola - Bajawa
Trekking to Rendu Ola waterfall and back to Bajawa
After an early local breakfast, you thank your hosts and head through the jungle to the hidden waterfall of Rendu Ola, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Flores. It takes about 2 hours to reach this untouched and hardly visited place. Then you hike on to the next village, Jawatiwa, where your driver is waiting for you. On the way back to Bajawa, you stop at the hot springs of Mengeruda for a nice bath and then visit an unknown waterfall fed by a hot spring and picture-perfectly surrounded by rice fields. You are back at your hotel in Bajawa for one night.
2 to 3 h hike. 2 h drive. With English speaking local guide. Accommodation: standard hotel. Meals: breakfast.
Day 8: Bajawa - Ruteng
Transfer to Ruteng and Tengkulese waterfalls
This morning you leave Bajawa and reach the town of Ruteng. Located in the mountains, the road is as beautiful as ever. The road is hilly and lush with small houses and shops along the roadside. It offers superb views of the surrounding tropical mountains that you cross. After arriving at the hotel in Ruteng, you leave with Ryan for a walk in the rice fields that leads you to the Tengkulese waterfalls. The path is peaceful, you walk between rice fields, houses and irrigation canals before reaching the waterfalls. Return to the hotel in the afternoon.
4 h drive. With English speaking local guide. Accommodation: standard hotel. Meals: breakfast.
Spider rice fields of Cancar
The Hobbit cave of Ruteng
Day 9: Ruteng – Labuan Bajo airport
Ruteng, its spider web rice fields and its Hobbit Cave
You visit the Liang Bua cave, also known as the "Hobbit cave", where in 2003 archaeologists discovered traces of Homo floresiensis. This historical discovery led to the need to rethink the origin of man. Enter the cave and imagine how thousands of years ago little hobbit people went hunting for dwarf elephants from here. Unbelievable! Here it's time to say goodbye to Ryan, who returns to Bajawa, while you drive to Labuan Bajo airport for your return flight.
3 to 4 h drive. With English speaking local guide. Meals: breakfast.
PRICE INCLUDES
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7 nights in standard and confortable hotels
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1 night at the inhabitants
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Tours as per itinerary
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Private driver
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Private english speaking local guide
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All transfers
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All entrance fees
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Meals: breakfast, lunch is included on day 2 & day 5, lunch and dinner are included on day 6.
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Snorkeling equipment (but it is highly recommended to bring your own snorkeling equipment)
PRICE EXCLUDES
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Any flight
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Additional drinks and personal expenses
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Costs for excess luggage
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Tips
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Sleeping bags
