Lonely Planet Indonesia
Page 72
The summit’s moonscape gives Kelimutu an ethereal atmosphere, especially when clouds billow across the craters and sunlight shafts burn luminescent pinpoints to the water’s surface.
Kelimutu is sacred to local people, and legend has it that the souls of the dead migrate here: young people’s souls go to the warmth of Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Turquoise Lake), old people’s to the cold of Tiwu Ata Polo (Brown Lake) and those of the wicked to Tiwi Ata Mbupu (Black Lake).
Ever since locals led early Dutch settlers here, sightseers have made the sunrise trek. Most visitors glimpse the lakes at dawn, leaving nearby Moni at 4am for early morning views after the predawn mist rises, and before clouds drift in. Afternoons are usually empty and peaceful at the top of Mt Kelimutu, and when the sun is high the colours sparkle.
There’s a staircase up to the highest lookout, Inspiration Point, from where all three lakes are visible. It’s not advisable to scramble around the craters' loose scree. The footing’s so bad and the drop so steep, a few careless hikers have perished here.
2Activities
For a beautiful walk through the lush local landscape, hire transport one-way to the lakes and then walk back to Moni. The stroll down the mountain, through the village, past rice fields and along cascading streams takes about three hours and isn’t too taxing. A jalan potong (shortcut) leaves the road back to Moni 3km south of the ticket office and goes through Manukako village, then meanders back to the main road 750m uphill from Moni. A second shortcut diverges from the trail and goes through Tomo, Mboti, Topo Mboti, Kolorongo and Koposili villages, skirts a waterfall and returns to Moni without rejoining the highway.
8Getting There & Away
The ticket office is 8.5km up the paved access road from the Trans-Flores Hwy. The turn is 2km west of Moni. The parking area for the lake is another 4km. From the car park it’s a nice 20-minute walk up through the pines to Inspiration Point. To get here from Moni, hire an ojek (50,000Rp one way) or car (300,000Rp return, maximum five people).
Moni
Moni is a picturesque village sprinkled with upcountry rice fields, ringed by soaring volcanic peaks and blessed with distant sea views. It’s a slow-paced, easy-going, cool breeze of a town that serves as a gateway to Kelimutu. On clear, dark-moon nights, you'll walk the silent streets beneath a black-dome universe. The Monday market, held on the soccer pitch, is a major local draw and a good place to snare local ikat.
2Activities
Apart from the trek to/from Kelimutu, there are several other walks from Moni. About 750m along the Ende road from the centre of Moni, paths lead down to a 10m air terjun (waterfall), with a swimming hole and air panas (hot springs) near the falls. The trail branches to the left of Rainbow Cafe. There are more gorgeous hot springs in the middle of the rice fields at Kolorongo (3.5km from Moni) on the way to Kelimutu. Or walk south past the church to Potu and Woloara (about 2.5km from Moni).
4Sleeping & Eating
Most Moni accommodation is budget to low-midrange, and is sprinkled along the Trans-Flores Hwy (the town's only road). Guesthouses may book up in the June to August high season, so reserve ahead. Many are in shabby shape; prepare to compare.
Local specialities tend to be hearty, to ward off the chilly nights. Try a 'Moni cake', a starchy mashed-potato pie topped with cheese.
Watugana BungalowsBUNGALOW$
(%0813 3916 7408; Jl Trans Flores; r 150,000-350,000Rp)
Downstairs rooms are older and kept reasonably clean, though they are dark and the bathrooms are a bit moist. The newish rooms upstairs are bright and have hot water.
Daniel LodgeGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0812 4602 8875; wanggeyanto@yahoo.co.id; r from 250,000Rp)
A sprightly new guesthouse with three bungalow-style rooms, where you can bed down to the whoosh of a running stream. The yard is scented with myriad flowers. Relax on comfy bamboo chairs on the porches.
Bintang LodgeGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0852 3790 6259, 0812 3761 6940; Jl Trans Flores km 54; r 350,000-400,000Rp, mains from 25,000Rp; ai)
Easily the best of the old guesthouse standbys, the four rooms here are the cleanest and largest in the town centre. They also have hot water, which is nice on chilly mornings and evenings. The cafe (mains from 25,000Rp) has a great open terrace with views over the green surrounds. Real travellers order the garlic sandwich for breakfast.
HidayahGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0853 3901 1310; briandanros@gmail.com; Jl Trans Flores; r 350,000Rp)
Seven huge rooms with outstanding mountain and valley views from the common porch. The owner is a great source of trekking information, and organises car trips to west and east Flores. The relaxed indoor-outdoor cafe (mains from 25,000Rp) serves Indo basics, and a take on the Moni cake called the Hidayah cake.
oKelimutu EcolodgeLODGE$$$
(%0361-747 4205, 0813 5399 9311; www.ecolodgesindonesia.com; r from 800,000Rp; a)S
Easily the nicest spot in Moni. At the east end of town, nestled by the riverside, you'll find 16 lodge rooms, all with pebbled tiles, hot water, solar power and outdoor sitting areas. Let the sounds of babbling streams lull you to sleep. The restaurant (mains from 40,000Rp) serves local specialities and has a bar.
Chenty CaféINDONESIAN$
(dishes 15,000-40,000Rp; h8am-9pm; i)
Long-running, popular place with a nice porch overlooking the rice fields. The special here is the Moni cake. Another local dish is rumpu rampe, which combines cassava, beans, various leaves, rice, chilli, garlic and onions.
8Getting There & Away
It’s always best to travel in the morning, when buses are often half empty. Afternoon buses are usually overcrowded. Don’t book through your homestay – hail the bus as it passes through town.
Bintang Lodge rents motorbikes (per day 100,000Rp).
Local drivers charge 700,000Rp per day.
TRANSPORT FROM MONI
Destination Type Fare (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency
Ende bus 30,000 2 regularly, 7am-4pm
Ende car 40,000 1½ regularly, 7am-9pm
Maumere bus 50,000 3 regularly, 9am-6pm
Maumere car 80,000 2½ regularly, 8am-9pm
Detusoko
Wedged into the misty peaks above an emerald valley blanketed with rice fields is the friendly village of Detusoko. Located halfway between Ende and Moni, and just a 45-minute drive from Kelimutu, it’s a misty, cool hill town.
The roads here are lined with tarps where the area's agricultural treasures are laid out to dry. Cloves scent the air, while cocoa beans promise future pleasures. Look for stands selling all manner of fruits and vegetables.
Paga
Halfway between Moni and Maumere are a string of beaches that are the stuff of fantasy. As accommodation options grow, Paga may soon be another must-stop town on the trans-Flores shuffle. The Trans-Flores Hwy swoops down to the shore at this rice-farming and fishing hamlet, where the wide rushing river meets the placid bay.
1Sights & Activities
The lush land lures you inland from the beautiful beaches. You can hike to megalithic stone graves and amazing ocean views at the nearby village of Nuabari. Agustinus Naban of Restaurant Laryss will guide you for 500,000Rp per day.
oPantai KokaBEACH
(admission per car 20,000Rp)
One of the nicest beaches in Flores has a split personality – literally. About 5km west of Pantai Naga, look for a small partially paved road that runs for 2km through a cocoa plantation to a stunning double bay. Facing a promontory, on the right is a perfect crescent of sand with calm, protected water. On the left is another perfect crescent, but with lively surf and views out to sea.
Vendors offer cold drinks, beer, coconuts, snacks and grilled fish (15,000Rp) under shady trees.
Pantai NagaBEACH
The Trans-Flores Hwy parallels this beautiful long stretch of white sand. The water is perfect for swimming and you can easily lounge away an afternoon.
4Sleeping & Eating
As locals ponder th
e bonanza of tourism, some are converting what could be stables into rooms. Beware.
Fajar GunawanGUESTHOUSE$
(%0812 3752 1597; r 150,000Rp)
By far the best of the new crop of Naga flophouses, this purpose-built wooden gem is on the inland side of the road but still close to the beach. The four rooms share bathrooms.
oRestaurant LaryssSEAFOOD$$
(%0852 5334 2802; www.floresgids.com; Jl Raya Maumere-Ende; mains from 50,000Rp; hkitchen 8am-8pm)
Don't miss lunch at this fabulous restaurant, a tumbledown, beachfront fish joint, that is one of the best places to eat in Flores. Owner Agustinus Naban serves snapper or tuna, plucked fresh out of the sea that morning, rubbed generously with turmeric and ginger, squeezed with lime and roasted on an open flame flavoured with coconut shells.
Beautifully prepared by his wife Cecilia, meals are served with red rice and a buttery sambal that is hot, but not scalding, and full flavoured. Or get the soul-stirring ikan kuah assam (tamarind fish soup) – an oily, savoury, spicy broth swimming with a chunk of steamed fish.
Two very basic rooms (200,000Rp) match the ad hoc architecture but open directly onto the sand.
8Getting There & Away
Flag down passing buses, which run regularly during daylight hours. East to Maumere costs 15,000Rp; west to Moni costs 30,000Rp.
Sikka & Lela
Just off the Trans-Flores Hwy, 20km south of Maumere, a paved road descends 2km through coconut and banana groves to the south-coast weaving and fishing village of Lela. Villagers live in bamboo huts sprinkled on a rocky black-sand beach.
Around 4km further is the charming seaside village of Sikka, one of Flores’ first Portuguese settlements. Its kings dominated the Maumere region until the 20th century. You’ll be swarmed by ikat-wallahs as soon as you enter town, but they’re a charming bunch. Buy even one piece and all of them will smile. For a 75,000Rp donation you can watch them work the looms. But the big draw is Sikka’s gorgeous, narrow Catholic cathedral, which dates from 1899. The open windows in the arched, beamed eaves allow the sound of crashing waves to echo through the sanctuary.
Maumere
%0382 / Pop 54,000
Blessed with a long, languid coastline backed by layered hills, Maumere is one of the main gateways to Flores and the logical start or stop to a trans-Flores tour. It's well connected with Bali and Timor, so you’ll probably wind up here for a night. Yet it's not exactly a charming urban destination. Thankfully, you don’t have to stay in the city, as there are options along the coast.
4Sleeping
There’s a couple of decent options in town and along the coast to the west. Also, given that the airport is east of Maumere, the many well-regarded oceanfront hotels in Waiara and to the east are both viable and appealing options before or after a flight.
Hotel Wini Rai IIHOTEL$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0382-21362; Jl Soetomo; s/d fan-only 100,000/150,000Rp, s/d with air-con 150,000/200,000Rp; a)
Maumere's best budget option (and the competition is not fierce) is bare-bones but very friendly. Small rooms face a covered courtyard. The cheapest are fan only and can get steamy. It's close to various eating options.
oWailiti HotelHOTEL$$
(%0382-23416; Jl Raya Don Silva; r 400,000-500,000Rp; aiWs)
Rooms at Maumere’s most pleasant accommodation are in one-storey blocks and bungalows. The flash-free vibe here extends to the spacious grounds, large pool and narrow black-sand beach with views of offshore islands. The simple cafe serves superb seafood and some amazingly good aubergine fritters. It’s 6.5km west of the centre; airport transport costs 100,000Rp and is reliable.
Hotel SylviaHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0382-21829; www.sylviahotelmaumere.com; Jl Gajah Mada 88; r from 400,000Rp; aWs)
Yes, it is a bit too shabby, as modern as this hotel is. But the service is sincere, the rooms are spacious with wood floors, breakfast is a good buffet, and you can get decent food if you can't face hitting town for something more interesting.
5Eating
Maumere is known for its seafood, although transiting travellers tend to eat at their hotels.
Pasar MalamSEAFOOD$
(Night Market; GOOGLE MAP ; off Jl Slamet Riyadi; mains from 12,000Rp; h5-11pm)
Maumere's large night market not surprisingly has plenty of stalls grilling fresh fish.
Restaurant GazeboSEAFOOD$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0382-22212; Jl Yos Sudarso 73; mains 30,000-80,000Rp; h9am-10pm)
A reasonably priced fish house. The spicy, kuah assam soup is delicious and the ikan bakar is nice too. It's just across the road from the rather shambolic waterfront.
Golden Fish RestaurantSEAFOOD$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0382-21667; Jl Hasanuddin; mains 30,000-120,000Rp; h9am-9pm)
Walk through the open kitchen and peruse the day’s live catch – including crab and lobster – on your way to the breezy second-storey dining room with a classic harbour view.
8Information
Banks and ATMs dot the centre.
8Getting There & Away
AAir Maumere is connected to Bali and Kupang. Airline offices and travel agents are clustered in the centre on Jl Pasar Baru Timur.
ABus & Kijang There are two bus terminals. Buses and Kijang heading east to Larantuka leave from the Lokaria (or Timur) terminal, 3km east of town. The Ende Terminal ( GOOGLE MAP ; off Jl Gajah Mada), 1km southwest of town, is the place for westbound departures. Schedules are rarely precise – be prepared to wait around until there are sufficient passengers.
TRANSPORT FROM MAUMERE
AIR
Destination Company Duration (hr) Frequency
Bali Kalstar, Wings Air 2 daily
Kupang Kalstar, Wings Air 1 daily
BUS & CAR
Destination Type Price (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency
Ende bus 80,000 5 several daily
Ende car 100,000 4½ several daily
Larantuka bus 60,000 4 several daily
Larantuka car 80,000 3 several daily
Moni bus 50,000 3 several daily
Moni car 80,000 3 several daily
8Getting Around
To/From the Airport
Maumere’s Wai Oti Airport (MOF; GOOGLE MAP ) is 3km east of town, 800m off the Maumere–Larantuka road.
A taxi to/from town is a non-negotiable, flat fee of 70,000Rp.
Car & Motorcycle
Renting a car costs 600,000Rp to 800,000Rp per day, including driver and fuel. You can organise vehicle and motorbike (80,000Rp) rental at hotels.
Around Maumere
Heading east from Maumere, you rapidly leave the Flores tourism boom behind. But perhaps not for long, as there are lovely beaches and good diving all along the coast.
Waiara & Around
Waiara is the departure point for the Maumere ‘sea gardens’, once regarded as one of Asia’s finest dive destinations. The 1992 earthquake and tidal wave destroyed the reefs around Pulau Penman and Pulau Besar, but they’ve now recovered.
4Sleeping
oBudi Sun Flores Diving ResortDIVE RESORT$$
(%0813 5323 7327; www.budi-sun-resort.com; Wairita; r €45-70; as)
This Indonesian-German venture is one of the best-run resorts along the coast east of Maumere. It sits on a nice strip of grey sand with good views. The pool is large and partially shaded, while the restaurant has excellent local and European food. The bungalow-style rooms are bright and pristine; some have sea views.
The in-house dive operation is excellent (two-tank dives €60), although many people stay here before early-morning flights. The airport is a 15-minute drive.
Sea World ClubRESORT$$
(Pondok Dunia Laut; %0382-242 5089; www.sea-world-club.com; Waiara; s/d cottages from US$40/45, beachfront bungalows from US$75/80; a)
Just off the Larantuka road you'll find this modest 26-room beach resort. It's an Indo-German Christian collaboration started to provide local jobs and build tourism. There are simple, thatche
d cottages, and more modern and comfortable, air-conditioned bungalows, on a quiet black-sand beach. The restaurant is decent, and it has a dive shop (US$75 for two dives including gear).
8Getting There & Away
To get to Waiara, catch any Talibura- or Larantuka-bound bus from Maumere to Waiara (3000Rp). Resorts are signposted from the highway.
Wodong & Around
The pod of beaches and resorts just east of Waiara centres on Wodong, 26km east of Maumere. The narrow, palm-dappled beaches here, which include Ahuwair, Wodong and Waiterang, are tranquil and beautiful.
There’s an impressive variety of dive and snorkelling sites with plenty of marine life offshore around Pulau Babi and Pulau Pangabaton, a sunken Japanese WWII ship, and colourful microlife in the ‘muck’ (shallow mudflats). Happy Dive at Ankermi bungalows is an excellent operator. In November whale-watching trips are also offered, although you’ll probably see migrating sperm whales spout from the beach.