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Moscow to Flores: Ende, Kelimutu and Bajawa

Moscow → Ende and Kelimutu → Bajawa

Ende and Kelimutu
"Kelimutu 2007-07-21.jpg" by Rosino, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Shortly after takeoff, H Aroeboesman Ende Flores (ENE-WATE), Trigana Air ATR42-300 (34336886686) (Ende)
Photo: Ontheway Advice, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tri-coloured crater lakes & megalithic villages Best season (general guide): May–Oct

Flores, an island east of Bali whose name comes from the Portuguese word for flowers, has volcanoes, highland villages and some of Indonesia's most unusual landscapes. This route spends three nights around Ende and Kelimutu and three in Bajawa. From Moscow you'll connect via Istanbul or a Gulf hub to Bali, then fly on to Ende.

How to pace it: arrive in Ende, the south-coast town where Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, lived in exile from 1934 to 1938; his house is now a museum. On day two, go up before dawn to Kelimutu, near the small town of Moni about 50 kilometres east, for sunrise over its three crater lakes. Each is a different colour, usually blue in the west and green and red in the others, and the colours change with volcanic activity; local belief holds that the souls of the dead go to the lakes. Spend day three around Moni and its hot springs.

On day four, drive west to Bajawa in the cooler highlands, surrounded by Ngada villages. Give day five to Bena, the best known, where thatched houses and megalithic stones stand on terraces below the volcano Inerie, and day six to the hot springs where a warm river meets a cool one. Coffee from the Bajawa highlands is grown in the surrounding hills.

Practical notes: May to October is the dry season. Flights to Ende are small and can be delayed by weather, so leave a buffer before your international connection, and expect long, winding drives across the island.

Safety: Canada advises a high degree of caution in Indonesia, with regional warnings for other provinces, not this one (updated 10 Sep 2026), and the US rates Indonesia Level 2 (7 Jul 2026).

Suggested outline

  1. Moscow

    Start

  2. Ende and Kelimutu

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    A harbour town below a volcano with three coloured crater lakes.

  3. Bajawa

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    A highland town near traditional Ngada villages.

    Bajawa
    "Bajawa.jpg" by Petter Lindgren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Ende and Kelimutu — Arrive; Ende· Moscow → Ende and Kelimutu (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Ende and Kelimutu — Sunrise at Kelimutu
  3. Day 3 · Ende and Kelimutu — Moni village and hot springs
  4. Day 4 · Bajawa — Drive west to Bajawa· Ende and Kelimutu → Bajawa (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Bajawa — Bena village
  6. Day 6 · Bajawa — Hot river and volcano views
  7. Day 7 · Bajawa — Travel home from Bajawa· Bajawa → Ende (overland), then Ende → Moscow (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Ende and Kelimutu

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Plan the trip: Ende

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Bajawa

Nearest airport: Ende Search fares · Ende ↗

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