Kelimutu

Kelimutu is a volcano in central Flores with three crater lakes near its summit, each a different colour and each capable of changing: turquoise to green, black to deep red, brown to blue, over timescales of months and years, driven by gas and mineral chemistry rather than anything visible. Two of the lakes sit side by side separated by a thin wall, and the third is set apart. Most people stay in the village of Moni below and drive up before dawn, walking the last stretch to a viewpoint on the ridge to watch the light arrive. For the Lio people of the surrounding villages the lakes are where the dead go, and the site is treated accordingly.

What you actually see

• The paired lakes - two craters side by side, separated by a narrow ridge, usually different colours.
• The third lake - the separate crater across the summit, often the darkest of the three.
• The summit viewpoint - the stepped path to the lookout above the craters.
• The drive from Moni - hillsides of coffee and rice on the road up through the villages.

When to go

May to September is drier and clearer. Go before sunrise: the craters are usually visible early and then fill with cloud, sometimes by eight in the morning. The road up is short but slow. Colours depend on light as much as chemistry, so what you see may look nothing like the photograph that brought you.

Honest expectations

Cloud and fog spoil a good share of visits, and there is no second chance if you are on a tight itinerary. Getting to Flores takes effort, with flights into Ende or Maumere and a couple of hours on winding roads. Moni is a small place with basic rooms. The summit is cold and windy before dawn, and the crowd at the viewpoint is larger than the village suggests.

Nearby

Moni village, the hot springs below it, and the road west towards Bajawa.