Day 1. Ende: Traditional market – Exile house – Moni

Our professional driver and tour guide will pick you up at Hasan Aroeboesman Airport in Ende. Here you embark on a city sight tour where you’ll see the traditional market and a stunning view point. You will also visit the house where the first president of Indonesia, Bung Karno, was kept in exile. Bung Karno lived here between 1934 to 1938 and wrote the foundational ideology of the Republic of Indonesia, called ‘Pancasila’ from this house. The pancasila is composed of 5 foundational principles that shaped the culture of the country. The exile house is only open monday till friday. After this cultural activity, you will be driven to Moni where you will spend the night before visit Kelimutu the next morning.

Day 2. Moni – Kelimutu vulcano – Blue stone beach – So’a hotsprings – Bajawa

Early in the morning you will leave for the Kelimutu volcano around 4 am. After a walk of about 30 minutes you reach the highest volcano top with a panoramic view of the three crater lakes. Getting up early is totally worth it: In the east, the sun slowly climbs over the sacred
crater lakes of Kelimutu. With the light of the sunrise, the three different colors of the lakes become visible. You can walk back to the hotel via the local plantations or ride with your driver to your homestay for a well-deserved breakfast.

After checking out from the hotel, you will drive to Ngadha region, which takes about 4 hours! But no worries, there will be stops on the way that make you forget about the long drive. First stop is in blue stone beach. Have a nice lunch here and take a stroll on the coastline. The second stop is in So’a: here you will visit the natural hotsprings. Take a dip in the relaxing warm streams before you will be dropped off at your hotel Manulalu in Bajawa for tonight. Your hotel offers characteristic cottages overlooking the majestic vulcanic landscape.

Day 3. Bajawa – Ngada traditional villages: Bena – Tololela – Gurusina – Malanage hotsprings – Bajawa

After breakfast an unique walking tour awaits: you visit well preserved, isolated traditional villages of the ethnic Ngada people on walking distance from one another. In the mountainous environment of Bajawa, the Ngada settled in strategic locations for generations. From here they had a grand view and could see enemy tribes approaching from afar. Tribal wars regularly took place here, using black magic and traditional weapons to defeat the enemy. Your tour guide will have lunchboxes with indonesian food and fruit prepared for a picnic. The walking tour is not difficult but because of the mountain landscape and high altitude requires comfortable walking shoes and a normal condition. In Gurusina is the meeting point with your driver and ends the walking tour. You will proceed your adventure by car to Malanage river and hot springs. Refresh and take a dip in the cold river or relax in the warm hot springs. The soft river splashing and forest sounds blends into a melody that’ll soothe your mind and body. Malanage area is a calm, peaceful place located in the middle of local agriculture.

Back to your cottage for overnight stay in Bajawa.

Day 4. Bajawa – Local liquor distillery – Ranamese lake – Ruteng

After breakfast you will drive to Ruteng town, which takes about 4 hours. On the way you will stop several times, making you forget about the driving time. Firstly, to see the fermentation and distillation process of local villagers making ‘arak’, a local liquor. Possibility to do arak-tasting here, if preferred. Second stop will be at ‘Danau Ranamese’, a mystical lake of which locals tell different traditional stories, mostly about natural spirits. Your tour guide will be happy to share these stories with you. On the way you stop to have lunch in a restaurant. As well there will be spectacular, panoramic views of the ricefields on the way to stop by. Lunch in a restaurant on the way.

Arriving at the monastery in Ruteng in the midday. The monastery serves as a hotel, you can explore the town of Ruteng from here if you wish or choose to relax at the monastery. Ruteng is the largest city in central Manggarai but has a village-like atmosphere. There are some Catholic churches to visit here and there is a city center. Overnight at Ruteng Monastery.

Day 5. Ruteng – Manggarai traditional village – Lingo Cara – Labuan Bajo

After breakfast you will visit the traditional village of the Manggarai tribe where your tour guide will explain about their culture and daily life. After this, you visit ‘Lingko Cara’, here’s a panoramic view over the ricefields that form like a spiderweb.
Drive back to Labuan bajo and stop on the way for lunch and photo-stops.

Check in at your hotel in Labuan Bajo.