IIChoose Your Own Adventure · Eastern Flores
An Island Forged by Fire
Eastern Flores is a story of passage.
- Ruteng
- Bajawa
- Inerie
- Moni
- Kelimutu
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Scene 06
The First Stain
EXT. CUNCA RAMI — INDONESIA — DAY
An impossibly tall waterfall pours into a turquoise pool.
Irregular rock formations and greenery surround it.
The family gathers on a ledge.
One. Two. Three.
They all jump.
They surface, swim back to the rocks, climb again.
Up. Up. Up.
SPLASH!
Mirabelle surfaces and swims toward the rocks where her backpack sits.
Her scarf has come loose. It lies in the mud.
MIRABELLE
Seriously?!
She grabs it and takes it to the waterfall, rinsing it in the falling water.
The naked section — still white where the indigo dye never took — now carries a tan stain.
Mirabelle looks at it.
FADE OUT.
The Spider-Web Rice FieldsPhoto: Sidiq Pambudi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons 11
Day 11
Across the Green Heart
Follow the road across Flores, where waterfalls and the vast Lembor rice fields give way to the extraordinary geometry of the Spider Rice Fields. Here, the land itself tells a story of how communities have shaped the landscape over generations.
Overnight in Ruteng.
The Village of TololelaPhoto: paularps · CC BY 2.0 · via Flickr 12
Day 12
Life in the Highlands
Meet another side of Flores through local arak-making and a visit to Tololela, where traditional houses rise beneath the highland sky. Pause at Malanage Hot Springs before ending the day above the landscape at Wolobobo, as the light fades across the hills.
Overnight in Bajawa.
Mount IneriePhoto: Bryn Pinzgauer · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons 13
Day 13
The Volcano
Mount Inerie rises above the surrounding landscape in an almost perfect volcanic cone. Today’s summit trek brings you into that dramatic terrain, followed by a visit to Avatar Hill for another perspective on the highlands.
Overnight in Bajawa.
14
Day 14
Crossing East
Continue east through Flores, pausing at Menggeruda’s hot springs before reaching the island’s striking volcanic coastline. At Blue Stone Beach, smooth blue stones meet the sea in a landscape unlike the highlands you’ve just crossed.
Overnight in Moni.
The Crater Lakes of KelimutuPhoto: Michael Day · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons 15
Day 15
The Three-Colored Lakes
Climb to Kelimutu, where three crater lakes occupy neighboring volcanic basins, each with its own shifting color. After taking in this extraordinary landscape, visit a local coffee plantation and Gologai Traditional Village before continuing to Ende.
Overnight in Ende, with onward travel arranged around your departure.