Ruteng Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields

Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields: Planning Your Visit

In Hiking, Indonesia by SheenaLeave a Comment

Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields are worth a quick stopover on the road from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng – find out all the transport options, entrance fees & more!

After the fun of Komodo dragons & diving with manta rays, traveling onwards from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng & the rest of Flores Island requires time & patience.

Here’s the DIY Travel HQ guide to get from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng, with a stop at the small & delightful Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields along the way.

Bus Terminal at Ruteng

Your final destination: Ruteng bus terminal

Contents

Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields: From Labuan Bajo

The first thing to know is that travel agencies in Labuan Bajo sell tickets on tourist buses, which may or may not be just the local bus, which you can easily board yourself.

Local buses depart Labuan Bajo at 7am.

The actual “terminal” is some distance away but you can flag the bus down from anywhere along the main street, Jalan Soekarno Hatta:

Labuan Bajo to Ruteng Bus

The bus from Labuan Bajo at Ruteng Bus Terminal

Private vans will also be waiting for passengers at one particular spot further up the street, about a 5-10 minute walk from the town center.

You can bargain these vans down to 50,000 IDR / $3.75 for the ride to Ruteng, but their departure time depends on when they get enough passengers, despite what the drivers will tell you.

For the same price, 50,000 IDR, you can take the local bus that departs at 7am.

Be warned that it will circle the town 2 or 3 times trying to pick up passengers, & also for the entire journey to Ruteng. It’s another painfully slow Indonesian journey, taking approximately 6 hours.

So while there’s a set departure time with the local bus & it leaves a lot earlier, you will get there a lot faster & probably also earlier with the private van.

Ask the driver to stop you at the Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields at Cancar – it is 17km before Ruteng.

Inside Labuan Bajo Ruten Bus

The inside view of a local Indonesian bus

Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields

You will be stopped directly at the foot of a small hill – walk straight ahead to the house on the left.

A man & woman will be waiting here to collect a 10,000 IDR / $0.75 entrance fee & you can leave your bags with them.

Oh you’ll have to sign a guestbook:

Sign in to the guestbook at Lingko Spiderwebs

Sign the guestbook & pay 10,000 IDR to visit the Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields

A short 10 minute uphill trail, littered with rubbish, leads to the rice fields.

Although most rice fields are cultivated in terraces, the unique design of the Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields are based on a traditional agricultural calendar of rituals & ceremonies.

It’s a different & unique take on rice fields, especially for seasoned travellers to Asia.

Me at Lingko Spiderwebs Ruteng

I’ve seen many rice fields but never one in the shape of a spiderweb!

Catch a glimpse of Cancar on the way back down:

View of Cancar from Lingko Spiderwebs

The little town of Cancar

Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields: To Ruteng

Farewell the caretakers & continue along the main road to the left towards Cancar town. From here, you can catch regular bemos to Ruteng for 10,000 IDR / $0.75.

From Ruteng, there are also regular bemos to Cancar for 10,000 IDR / $0.75.

Ruteng is not a fun or interesting city to be stuck in – rather than staying overnight & catching a bemo the next day, we hired a private car to Bajawa for 70,000 IDR / $5.25 so we could wake-up in a new, & hopefully better, city.

We thought about hiking Wae Reno for free but decided instead to visit Bena & Wogo villages.

Welcome to Ruteng Bus Terminal

Ruteng welcomes you…

Labuan Bajo – Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields – Ruteng

How to travel from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng via Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields:

  • 7am Labuan Bajo–Ruteng (stopping at Cancar): 50,000 IDR / $3.75 local bus, 6 hours
  • Stopover in Cancar: 10,000 IDR / $0.75 bemo to/from Ruteng
  • Ruteng–Bajawa: 70,000 IDR / $5.25 private travel car, 3 hours / Or overnight in Ruteng & travel by bemo the next day, 40,000 IDR / $3.00
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*** The Final Word: Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields are worth a quick stop if passing through ***

Have you seen rice fields like this anywhere else in the world?

3 Shovels

Accessible DIY travel to more distant locations via multiple connections or longer forms of public transport

Visited in October 2015

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