the impermanents: Flores -- Cunca Wulang

Do you like trekking?

Then, check out the waterfalls near Labuan Bajo and go have a trek adventure: Cunca Wulang and Cunca Rami are the more accessible waterfalls in the area. Cunca Rami is known to have an easier path and often visited by people who don't like trekking or prefer a less challenging trip.

But if you like a bit of a hiking challenge and a wilderness enthusiast then Cunca Wulang is for you.

Where is it?

It is about 30 kms east or 1 hour from the Labuan Bajo town going to Ruteng. Located on Mt. Mbeliling, a vast tropical jungle on the east of Labuan Bajo, Cunca Wulang is a good challenge of a trek.

How to get there?

Just follow the main roads to Ruteng. there are signs on the way. You will be climbing up the mountain but not to worry as the highway is beautifully constructed and paved. The view on the drive is spectacular.

You will pass rows and rows of paddy fields, little towns, churches and community centers along the way. It is such a delight to see the locals' simple lifestyle amidst the beautiful natural background.

Bring your camera as there's loads of beautiful scenes to capture!

Most importantly, Flores is not very populated so there are hardly anyone on the road. You can either rent a car for comfort or ride a motorbike.

Here are some pretty scenes from the drive (we rode a motorbike by the way..):

gorgeous view from the side of the highway road.
as you can see too, the highway is newly built.

Now, before I go on telling you about what you will see and do on the hike, here are some friendly reminders:

IMPORTANT!

- it often rains on the mountain in the afternoon so best to time your hike in morning
- best to bring a rain jacket.
- an insect repellent is a must! or better yet, cover up
- wear proper hiking shoes
- bring only a small bag with water, snack, necessities.
- if you intend to swim int he waterfall stream, bring your swimmers and booties (if you have any).

What and How much are the Fees?

When you get to Cunca Wulang town, you will go to the registry office and pay the park and guide fee. You can give the guide an extra tip later on too.

Park Fee: Rp 20,00 per person (~$2)
Guide Fee: Rp 50,000 ($5)/guide. We only needed 1 guide.

The guide can speak basic English. Communicating won't be a problem.
Our guide's name was Andre.

Do I really need a guide?

YES. You will need a guide as the jungle can get confusing. There are no signs within the jingle itself. The guides know the path by heart. You can try and be adventurous, but this will take you more time. Also, the terrain can get treacherous especially when it rains!

How long is the trek to the waterfall itself?

Well, this depends on how fast you go, but from the clearing on the mountain, just a bit after the village, it is about 40 minutes to the falls. We took a lot longer as the trail was very slippery due to the rain and we didn't have proper shoes on.

What can I expect from the hike?

The trek going to the waterfalls is downhill and more difficult in the rain than the trek back up.

The path is often rough and narrow, full of twigs, branches, leaves, rocks, and mud. Especially when it rains and during the rainy season (Sept-March), it is very very slippery. So it's best to come prepared with shoes and gear or just go in the dry season.

As it is a tropical jungle, there will be animal around -- frogs, bugs, snakes, rodents, lizards, etc...

Photos below of what the path looks like.

What can we do there apart from the hike?

You can swim in the pools and streams or jump off the edge of the cliff. There are 2 spots, one is 3 meters high and the other 10 meters.

You will walk through a little village where you can witness the daily rural lives of the townsfolk. They are normally friendly and used to seeing foreigners around.

After that the trek and hike begins.

The Scene before the rain came....

following the guide to the clearing

*As it was December, and rainy season in Indonesia, the pathways were flooded, muddy, and very slippery. Needless to say, we came unprepared for this trip so we had quite a difficult time traversing in our flipflops.

This is basically what the path looks like:

Yep , there will be some climbing and wading through streams involved. The rocks on int eh stream were very mossy and slippery. Would have been great if I had my booties with me!

Remember what I said about the insect repellent??

I had more on my legs and face but didn't want Michael to take anymore photos...

Luckily, our guide has some local oil that eases and heals the bites. He put some on each bite (yeah it took him a while haha). I forgot what what it was called and to ask where to get them. The itch and bites went away fast! It was like a miracle oil!

An attraction on the way... The Ash Tree. Your guide will probably show this to you and will light it up to explain what the tree is about.

And then you get to the waterfalls....

Unfortunately........

It had rained a lot the night before so, the normally calm pool is running strongly through the stream. The rock formations for walking tot he falls were covered with water so there was no way to get to the rocks by the falls itself but to swim upstream against the current.

Michael going to the 1st stop to jump off!

We got to the falls after lunch. After our swim in the water, it started raining again and we had to make our way back so we won't get trapped by the rising water. More so, the skies were darkening and we wanted to get back on safe ground before it got too dark.

It rained a lot so the trek back up the mountain was difficult and extra slippery. I've lost count of the times my flipflops got stuck in the mud and came off my feet! At one point, we decided to just take them off and walk barefoot!

What happens after the hike?

Once you get back to the village, your guide will invite you to his house and meet his family. The locals are used to this experience of cultural exchange. They love having foreigners visit their homes and chat.

You will also be offered some local coffee and fruits. It was a welcoming treat as we were very cold from the rain and wind. We had a chat with the family as they let us dry off and feel better before we got on the bike again.