D a y 1
- After arriving in Ende mid-afternoon on our direct flight from Bali we will set off immediately to see some of the highlights of Ende city, including the Bung Karno house where Sukarno lived in exile before becoming Indonesia’s first President, the cathedral and the market.
- 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
- This morning we drive to 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 then continue up into the mountains to visit a fascinating village, where textiles are a feature of daily life, but where weaving is actually banned.
- After a welcome by the local schoolchildren we will enjoy our packed lunch. The clan leader (called a mosa laki) will then escort us around the village and explain about its history and culture. We will arrive at Kelimutu Ecolodge in the late afternoon. After our welcome cocktails 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 two of the crater lakes. From there we ascend to the second viewpoint, which gives us a spectacular view over all three of the multi-coloured lakes. If we are lucky we might also have close encounters with some of the local monkeys.
- Later that afternoon we will arrive in Maumere Harbour and board the Ombak Putih, which will be anchored in the bay.
