Ende
Ende is the largest town on Flores, situated on the south coast. After Maumere, it is the major transportation hub, and there is a port on either side of the small peninsula on which it is situated. The airport is near the town, and it is a 50 m walk from the terminal to the main road, from where you can get a bus or bemo into town.
Transport
By bus Buses to Bajawa, Moni and Maumere are frequent, reliable, cheap and crowded. Going west (Labuhanbajo, Ruteng) the buses leave from Terminal Ndao, 2 km out of town on the road to Bajawa. For eastern destinations (maumere) buses leave from Wolowono, 5 km from downtown. Regular bemos run between the town and terminals.
By sea the ferry leaves from Kupang every Saturday afternoon (16 hrs, overnight, $6-8). Departures and the thicket office are at Pelabuhan Ipi. Tickets can be purchased one day ahead of departure.
Pelni’s Binaiya stops in at Ende twice a month on its route between Waingapu (Sumba) and Kupang, and twice monthly between Kupang to Waingapu. The Pelni office is near the old port, Pelabuhan Ende, but the ships leave from the new port, Pelabuhan Ipi.
Moni and Keli Mutu
Most people go to Keli Mutu just to see the coloured lakes, but the walk back down from the lakes towards Moni village offers some good mountain birding including the “Flores Nightingale”.
Key species
Grey Goshawk, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Changeable Hawk-eagle, Green Junglefowl, Red-backed Buttonquail, Dark-backed Imperial Pigeon, Brown-capped Woodpecker, Snowy-browed and little Pied Flycatchers, Black-naped Monarch, Common Golden Whistler, Helmeted Friarbird, Mountain White-eye. Check the vaccinium scrub at the top for Brown quail, Blood-breasted Flowerpecker and Scaly-crowned Honeyeater.
Getting there
By bus Moni is about 7 hrs from Bajawa via Ende (2 hrs, 53 km from Ende) and 3,5 hrs (83 km) from Maumere. In Moni take a vehicle to the summit, eg the daily, pre-dawn truck laid on for tourists, $1.5; for 5-6 people, charter a jeep from Kelimutu Restaurant, $14 round trip; then walk back down (3 hrs).
General information
There is easy access to habitats in the 700-1,600 m altitude range: casuarinas and mountain forest near the summit, other habitats lower down. However, take great care around the lake and do not go alone: the ground is very unstable off the path. A tourist disappeared in 1995.