Mount Egon – Flores, Indonesia
Mount Egon is located on the island of Flores, Indonesia, in the area of Maumere bay. It’s last activity was on 15 April 2008 and forced thousands of people to evacuate. Quakes and fumes from the volcano have been occurring since November 2010, designating Egon as one of 11 volcanoes in Indonesia on the highest level alert.
By: tribanana
How to get to Mount Egon
From Maumere, take the main road east to Larantuka. After about 16km, you will reach Waigete. From here, drive about five kilometers until you will reach Blidit Village, which is a good starting point for the hike to Mount Egon.
If you don’t have your own transport you can always get an ojek (motorcycle-taxi) that will bring you to the village. From there you can ask someone from the local people to be your guide.
Price
The only price you need to pay to see this beauty is the ojek (if you don’t have your own transport) that was 50.000 IDR (3,5 EUR) and the guide 100.000 IDR (7 EUR).
Some tourists decide to go without a guide, but i would recommend to take someone with you since when we went there the trail was not used for long time and was not really visible.
Where to stay
The nearest town is Maumere, but it’s better to stay outside of the city. There are few places where you can stay that are close to the volcano, but there is one that is really nice, with small black beach (it’s difficult to find a beach here) and cottages 10 meters from the sea.
It’s called Sunset cottages and apart the great food that they offer they also help with the planning of all the activities you would like to do while there.
How much time do you need at Mount Egon
The hike to the summit takes 2-3 hours, and is well worth the effort considering the absolutely amazing views from the crater rim into the volcano and over the island. Starting out through dry grasslands, you will soon hike through savannah scrubs interspersed with eucalyptus trees.
After about two hours you will get a first glimpse of wide-open landscapes. Another hour of hiking brings you to the summit, where you can walk around the rim or even go down towards the crater lake.
When is the best time to clim Mount Egon
The best time to visit is early early in the morning. Do all the climbing when it’s still not too hot. The best period i would say is the end of the rainy season.
In dry season it’s not going to be as green as in the end of March or beginning of April. In this period, apart the volcano, the whole Flores island is with no tourists.
The climbing to the volcano can take half a day, so on the way down you could visit the near by waterfall or the hot springs. For these two attractions you will need to give some extra money to your guide. About 70.000 – 100.000 IDR (5 – 7 EUR).
Tips
The prices given are for the low season, when there are no tourists there. On high season, the dry season, the prices can double or triple. Plus you have to share all the places with other travellers.
Why should Mount Egon be on my bucket list ?
As you stand 1700 metres above sea level and above the clouds, it will become perfectly clear as to why this mountain should be on your bucket list. From the top of mount Egon you can enjoy the amazing views of the crater.
Also check out the Komodo National Park in Flores, Indonesia.
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