General information about the Kelimutu
Kelimutu is a volcano near the town of Ende in the eastern part of Flores. It is less known for its summit than for its 3 beautiful crater lakes, which even change color depending on the season. The two adjacent lakes change their colors periodically between turquoise and red. The third lake often appears blue or black. We were allowed to marvel at 2 turquoise crater lakes, as well as one black one. The climb to the lakes is not worth mentioning and takes about 20 minutes from the parking lot. Depending on the season, the weather should also be kept in mind, it has caught us on the return trip so that we had to drive in the pouring monsoon rain. In addition, the weather was very overcast when we are high without any visibility of the lakes.
Kelimutu on your own or with a tour?
You probably already know our standard answer to this question, if possible we recommend doing everything on your own. Kelimutu is one of the things that can be done well on your own. Only the anfarht takes a little longer.
Ascent to the sunrise
The question is difficult to answer and we would probably try it again at sunrise next time. BUT: We arrived in the dark and it took about 3-4 hours until we had the first time clear view. Some of the people already left at that time and missed everything. So up to the sunrise and do not get discouraged sometime comes the visibility! On the other hand, it must be said that we found it mega beautiful even without sunrise.
Beim Warten auf bessere Sicht Wie Sie sehen sehen Sie nichts
Arrival to Kelimutu
There are a few ways how to get to Moni or end. Personally, we recommend the arrival with a rented scooter or motorcycle. We would again prefer an overnight stay in Moni, because you are simply much closer to the volcano. Otherwise, in the morning you still have to drive 60 km. You can’t get directly to Kelimutu by public transport. However, you can hike from Moni theoretically also to Kelimutu, must then just accordingly earlier (around 01:00 clock) to be there in time for sunrise.
Arrival to Ende or Moni:
To Ende you come relatively easy by bus, plane or scooter. As always, we prefer of course the arrival by bus or scooter, because the way is also just really nice and you do less damage to the environment. We rented a scooter in Bajawa and did it as a 2-day tour. On the one day we drove to Moni, watched the sunrise and in the morning we went back to Bajawa. Admittedly, our butts hurt quite a bit after the 360 km but it was also fun.
Arrival by public transport:
Those who want to arrive by bus, first go to the end, if the bus does not continue to Maumere. The bus to Maumere goes via Moni. From Moni you then need a driver/Ojek for the 15 km to Kelimutu or you hike on your own accordingly early (around 1:00 am).
How much is the entrance fee to Kelimutu?
Admission during the week costs IDR 150,000 and IDR 225,000 on weekends.
Overnight stay in Moni
The small town of Moni offers a few different accommodations. We had chosen Mahakali, which was a good choice. But since we spent almost no time there, the choice of accommodation was rather less of a priority. The accommodations are very spacious and clean and offer a great view over the valley. The small terrace invites you to linger comfortably.
