Mount Inérie, which means "beautiful mother", is 2,245m tall and is an active volcano on the beautiful island Flores in Indonesia. Most visitors on the island tend to only stay in Labuan Bajo to go scuba diving or take a boat trip in Komodo National Park. However, I was lucky to live on the island for a few months and explore more of its beauty. Flores is an island with lots of beautiful nature, the sweetest people, dreamy waterfalls and stunning volcanoes. And the best part is, you often find yourself in these beautiful places alone. Anyways, after completing the Rinjani trek, I thought I was done with climbing volcanoes for a while. But jokes on me, because just a week later, I found myself packing my backpack for another hike. New day, new volcano, I guess?
PRACTICAL STUFF
Duration
The duration of the hike depends on your pace. We have an average fitness level, and it took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes to go up and 3 hours to come down. The descent took longer due to a lot of falls, laughs, and breaks along the way.
Level
I would say the hike is challenging, but doable.
Season
I did the hike at the beginning of May 2024. The best season to hike here is during dry season, which lasts from April to October. However, you always have to be a bit lucky with the weather.
Guide
Guide: Santos
Whatsapp: +62 882 4774 2528
Price: 350.000 IDR per person (20€)
Accommodation
Cinnamon Guest House, Bajawa (10€)
How to get there?
I booked a bus from Labuan Bajo to Bajawa, but unfortunately, my journey didn’t go as planned. What was supposed to be a 7-hour drive turned into a 12-hour drive because the bus broke down. But I made it eventually, in the Indonesian way (read: the driver checked the engine every 10 minutes).
Labuan Bajo - Bajawa
Whatsapp: +62 852 3932 2000
280.000 IDR
The driver guides you on switching busses in Ruteng
Lunch idea in Ruteng: Gado gado in Chacha homestay (next to the bus office)
Labuan Bajo - Ruteng - Bajawa
Stay in Ruteng for a night or two and explore this local town before continuing to Bajawa
Accommodation
Chacha homestay & dormitory (lovely family): 7€ dorm
Mama's homestay: 21€ private room
Rent a scooter and make a road trip around the island
After our adventure at Inérie, I absolutely loved being the passenger princess on my friend's scootie. The views during the drives are truly breathtaking. If you have time (and if you don't, make time), take a trip around the island. Based on my friend's experiences, you'll need at least 8 days to fully explore it.
What to pack?
Water
Snacks: I recommend Beng Beng!!
Sweater
Layers of clothes: it's hot during the hike, but it gets freezing at the summit
Rain jacket
Good hiking shoes
Headlamp, hiking sticks & gloves: Santos got you
Plastic bag: for trash or in case your clothes get wet
First aid kit
The Climb
You can choose to do the hike at any time of the day: during the day, at sunrise, or at sunset. We started our hike around 3 AM in Watumeze, which is 20 minutes by scooter from Bajawa. We got hiking sticks, gloves (trust me you want them when you're hiking like a crazy spider), and a headlamp from Santos. After a group stretching session, we placed a leaf for good luck and started our night hike. The beginning of the hike is not too difficult, so we maintained a good pace. It becomes more challenging as you go. I was actually relieved it was dark, as I couldn't see how steep it was. The rocks can be quite slippery, and as mentioned earlier, near the summit you'll need to climb on hand and feet. My friend and I initially planned to do the hike without a guide, but if you want to go at night to catch sunrise, I definitely recommend hiring one. It's very easy to get lost, or take a wrong step and fall. Besides, he also shares interesting facts about Inérie and other places in Flores. For example, we learned about a specific area during the climb where speaking is forbidden out of respect for the ancestors. It's a lovely touch to the experience, which we otherwise wouldn't have known.
I don't mean to brag, but my friend and I were doing great. After our 3-day trek on Rinjani, this hike felt relatively easy. So, If you've completed that trek before this one as well, you'll likely find it quite manageable. The final stretch, right before the summit, was incredible. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful our view was. We were literally hiking above a blanket of clouds. When we reached the top, we enjoyed the view with only four other people, which made the experience even more special. We did a little happy dance and Santos treated us to some much-needed hot tea, as it was freeeeezing up there.
After soaking in the dreamy views, we began our descent. It was so much fun because there’s an option to take a different route down. You simply let yourself go and slide through the loose volcanic rocks. We kept slipping and falling, which only added to the fun, though I’m not sure if that was just us. Thankfully, Santos was there, treating me like a princess all the way down. In return, I managed to make him fall with me, and not only once. Oops, sorry, Santos! We made it to the ground safely and got treated with some yummy breakfast.
Conclusion
I would say that Inérie is one of my favorite hikes ever. Not only were the views absolutely breathtaking, but the sense of peace, with no one around, made it feel like it was just me and nature. Compared to other hikes I've done in Indonesia, this one stands out for being clean, there's no trash to be found!
Is it an easy hike? No. Should you do it? Yes, absolutely yes! I tried my best to fully explain it to you, but I guess you’ll need to buy a plane ticket to Indonesia and climb Gunung Inérie yourself to truly understand. If you have more questions or are you excited to share your own hiking stories? Feel free to contact me or comment down below.
Reading your stories makes me want to leave!