D a y 1
- After our direct flight to Kupang we will check into our hotel before driving to Baun for an audience with the King of the Amarasi, before making a visit to a small local weaving cooperative to see a demonstration of how they make naturally dyed Amarasi textiles.
- There will be an evening presentation about the history and textiles of the Lio people of Ende and we will enjoy an excellent dinner at a restaurant near the hotel.
D a y 2
- After breakfast, you will be taken straight to the airport for an early flight to Ende on Flores Island, where we will visit the nearby district of Ndona to visit a cooperative run by a small group of Lio weavers who make beautiful traditional textiles incorporating natural dyes.
- We continue up into the mountains to visit a fascinating village, where textiles are a feature of daily life, but where weaving is banned.
- The clan leader (called a mosa laki) will escort us around the village and explain to us about its history and culture. Once we arrive at Kelimutu Ecolodge, there will be a pre-dinner lecture about the textiles we will see tomorrow.
D a y 3
- In the morning we will head to the remote weaving village of Nggela, stopping along the way for photographs over the spectacular Mbuli Valley. The local weavers will show us how they still produce some of the best quality ikat in the Ende Regency.
- After lunch at the Ecolodge we will venture to the other side of the valley to visit an interesting mixed Christian/Muslim village that also produces textiles, but with different designs and motifs.
- Back at the Ecolodge we will enjoy a traditional Lio feast and cultural performance.
D a y 4
- An early start today as we drive up the side of the volcano to the entrance to Kelimutu National Park. From here it is a pleasant 30-minute-walk through woodland to the first viewpoint over the spectacular three-coloured crater lakes.
- Later that afternoon we will arrive in Maumere Harbour and board the Ombak Putih, which will be anchored in the bay.
