French
DeutschMoni is a village on the island of Flores in Indonesia that serves as the base for visiting the famous Kelimutu Volcano and its coloured crater lakes.
Understand
[edit | edit source]The village itself is rather charmless, but is by far the most convenient place to stay for a Kelimutu trip, particularly if you are planning a sunrise visit.
Get in
[edit | edit source]A common route is to make your way to Ende, where you can rent a scooter and then make the 1.5-2hr up to your accommodation in Moni.
There are flights from Denpasar and Labuan Bajo to Maumere and Ende. The ticket price is more than Rp 1 million to more than Rp 2 million for one way trip.
Buses from Bajawa (3-4 hr, Rp 80,000) start at 06:00. Gunung Mas runs 12-seater "Travel Bus" from Ruteng to Moni (continuing to Maumere) at 07:00 and 13:30-14:00. Your accommodation may be able to arrange a "Travel" shared car for Rp 100,000 per person (as of Nov 2018).
From Ende there are more options. Public cars (2 hr, Rp 40,000), Toyota Kijang are the normally the most comfortable option. Bemos (Rp 20,000) and buses (Rp 30,000) also ply the route in 2½ hr. If you're feeling adventurous ojeks will take you there for Rp 100,000 letting you make your way in your own pace and stop for photos along the very scenic route.
From Maumere (3-4 hr) there is the same plethora of buses (Rp 30,000) and public cars (Rp 50,000), just ask at your hotel.
From Riung, the public bus to Ende (Rp 50,000) leaves at 06:00 and you can catch a bus to Moni from there.
Your hotel can arrange transport for you in the public cars, but the downside is that the car will save a seat for you from their start in Maumere/Ende, so you have to pay the price of the full route even though you only get on in Moni. Given that enough people get off in Moni, it is better to just flag a car/bus in Moni when you are ready to leave. It might take you an hour to do so, but there is also no guarantee that the car your hotel arranges for you will arrive at a specific time. This is Indonesia.
Get around
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The ubiquitous ojek is never far away. Depending on your guesthouse's proximity to the national park, ojeks are between Rp 25,000-35,000 (1 way) for a ride up to see the sunrise at 04:30. It's best to walk back since it's a nice walk, and there's nothing worse than having an eager ojek driver pulling at you to leave the beautiful lakes just as the light is getting perfect for that moment.
You can rent a motorbike at many places around town for Rp 100,000 for the day.
The cars licensed to carry public transport passengers are the ones with yellow license plates. (However, it seems everyone is willing to stop and let you on for a price).
Some hikers sometimes hike down from Kelimutu to Ende on foot. This is not so difficult, because the hike goes down and the forest is light.
See
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- Mount Kelimutu. The main attraction, Kelimutu is Keli=Mount and Mutu=Boiling means mount is always active. Beautiful at sunrise, the 3 mineral lakes at the top (in the craters) change colour with the changing of the volcanoes activities. The lakes change color completely from time to time. In the national park you can see a table of what color the lakes were for each year going back 20 years. It is impossible to take the three lakes altogether in one frame as displayed on postcard from the ground. Should use drone or sometimes there are chartered air planes fly over the three lakes. Rp155,000 entrance fee.
- Monkeys. On your way down the volcano you will find the monkeys have awoken. There is an official feeding ground where you can go and feed the monkeys. Be careful, they are sneaky buggers, and there's always a risk of being bitten or scratched when interacting with wild animals.
- Nearby villages. Moni is surrounded by spectacular scenery, landscapes dotted with palms and banana trees. There are also a number of visible burial sites in front gardens, a local cultural tradition.
- Hot springs. Near the entrance to the Kelimutu National Park you find the hot springs. A perfect end to an early morning.
- Waterfalls. Opposite Rainbow Cafe, a small path leads down to a roaring waterfall. Popular with the young locals, this is considered the perfect site for a picnic.
Buy
[edit | edit source]The big fruit and vegetable market is where the villagers sell the produce from their gardens. Everything is fresh, tasty and picked daily.
Ikat sarongs and scarfs woven by the local women in the surrounding villages are easy to find. They come in 2 qualities, natural dye and chemical dye. If you don't know the difference, opt for the cheaper chemical dye.
Eat
[edit | edit source]Besides the guesthouses, there are several good restaurants in Moni offering western and local menus. And of course a couple of warungs peddling the cheap and tasty Bakso and Soto Ayam.
- 1 Bintang Cafe and Restaurant.
- 2 Chenty Restaurant. Beside Bintang Restaurant. Their specialty is delicious Moni cakes - mashed potatoe with herbs deep fried til crispy and well worth the wait.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]Accommodation is fairly spread out over 2 km along the main road. Take your own covers or wear a sweater to bed, as the blankets these lodges provide for you are usually too thin to warm you up.
- 1 Bintang Lodge by Tobias. Clean and big rooms with tiled floor.
- 2 Kelimutu Crater Lakes Eco Lodge, ☏ +62 821 42747527. 10 cute concrete bungalows with balconies and thatched roof. The hotel recycles water and uses solar power. It is the only up-market (although hardly luxury) option in Kelimutu.
- 3 Legend Guest House. Simple but clean guesthouse in the centre of Moni
- 4 Palm Bungalows. Very basic but very beautiful, set amongst a family garden. Rp125,000 doubles.
- 5 Rago's Homestay. Big rooms with a delicious breakfast.
Go next
[edit | edit source]- Maumere, 3 hours
- Ende, 2 hours, Rp 30,000 to take bemo/minibus or "Travel" car may pick you up for Rp 50,000. Wait on the side of main street (as of Nov 2018). Some travelers sometimes hike down from Kelimutu to Ende on foot and is not so difficult.