Kelimutu: The Tricolored Lakes

Kelimutu Lake on Mount Kelimutu, Ende, Flores has three smaller lakes located next to it. The lakes appear to have different colors that change over time due to volcanic activity which started million years ago. In the entire world, this color changing phenomenon only occurs at Kelimutu.

 

Presently, these three lakes have black-green color in the far east lake, green in the middle lake, and black in the west lake. Previously, the far east lake was red and the middle lake was blue.

The local community considers these lakes a sacred place, where the souls of the dead lie. The name Kelimutu itself was derived from the word ‘keli’, means ‘mountain’, and ‘mutu’, means ‘boil’. The East lake is also called “tiwu ata polo” or lake for evil spirits, while the middle one is called “tiwu nua muri koo fai” or lake for young souls, and the west lake is called “tiwu ata mbupu” or lake for elderly and wise peoples souls. Lake Kelimutu and its spectacular panorama are now a very popular tourist attraction.

Getting There
Kelimutu is situated in Koanara village, Wolowaru sub-district, Ende Regency, about 66 kilometers from Ende city and 83 kilometer from Maumere City. Moni is a village at the foot of Mount Kelimutu. It is the gate to Lake Kelimutu. The distance between Moni and Kelimutu is 15 kilometers.

You can take a motor taxi, car or public transportation to take you to a parking lot before Kelimutu peak. Buses plying the Ende-Maumere route will pass Moni. From there, you must walk 30 minutes along the mountain side.

Every day, there are flights from Denpasar and Kupang to Maumere. To Ende, daily flights only come from Kupang. If you are interested in making a long trip in Flores, you can start from Maumere in the west and visit Kelimutu, Ende, Bajawa, Ruteng and lastly Labuan Bajo (Komodo) or vice versa if starting from the east.

Getting Around
Kelimutu area is surrounded with forest containing floras that are scarcely found in Flores area. Other than pines, there are also casuarinas, red wood and edelweiss. Pine forest grows well in this side of Kelimutu Mountain. The other side of the mountain is dried land with highly unstable sand and soil. Local community believes that Kelimutu Mountain is sacred and donates fertility to the nature nearby.

Visitors can only walk around Lake Kelimutu but not all areas can be explored because some are dangerous and therefore restricted. From Moni to Kelimutu, if you like to go trekking, there is a path which is shorter than the car access route.

Distance from Moni to the top is about 12 kilometer (km). The distance to the parking lot by motor vehicle is 11 kilometer, and then visitors will climb on foot through the pathway for 30 minutes. 

To Do
Morning is the best time to witness the beauty of Kelimutu Lake. Close to the midday and at evening the scenery of Kelimutu Lake is blocked with thick mist.

Other than the scenery of Kelimutu Lake, visitors can enjoy Flores’s hilly topography from the peak of Mount Kelimutu, during a sunny day. Or the beauty panorama at Kelimutu National Park. There’s the Conservation, containing pines and casuarinas trees which are sights for sore eyes.

Tired of hearing car horns? Listen to the chirp of birds inhabiting Kelimutu National Park. Or feed the many long-tail monkeys in the forest to the south.

Kelimutu area’s also adorned with cultural wealth like traditional houses, traditional dances and woven clothes of Flores. In addition, there are hot water sources, waterfall, and tradition settlements that you can visit along the way.

The best time to visit is July to September. But if you missed that period, you can witness a local tradition in mid-October when the community offers livestocks for paa loka (religious offerings).

Lake Singkarak

Overview
The majestic Lake Singkarak (Danau Singkarak) is an enormous crater lake set within a dramatic volcanic landscape. Spread over two districts; Solok and Tanah Datar, the lake is a massive 1000 hectares. It is the widest lake in Sumatra and the second biggest lake on the island, after Lake Toba. A world of silent calm, breathtaking vistas and spectacular views awaits here. Here you can embrace the remote natural beauty that Indonesia is so famous for.

Locally Lake Singkarak is famous for its Bilih fish which is a species of fish that only lives in this lake. This fish is especially unique as it can’t survive anywhere but Lake Singkarak, not even in an aquarium.

Getting ThereLake Singkarak is located 70 km from Padang, 20 km from Solok and about 36 km from Bukittinggi.
From Minangkabau international airport, you can take a rented car or a public minibus plying the Padang-Solok route and then take other transportation to the lake. This journey will take you passed the Sitinjau Laut area which is famous for its sharp curves and steep canyons.

The most convenient way of getting around here is to drive. Lake Singkarak can also be reached by public transport.

To Do
 Bring your camera and capture the view of this beautiful lake. The best view of the lake is from the Solok-Bukittinggi main road, where visitors often stop to stock up on photos of the magnificent scenery.
The Tour di Singkarak is a major international cycling event, attracting teams from around the world who come to West Sumatra to battle it out in a grueling cycling competition. Racing through the regions most beautiful scenery over six days, riders finish the tour at the beautiful Lake Singkarak.
Test your nautical knowledge and explore the beauty of Lake Singkarak by boat. Boats are available for hire from vendors at the Lake.

Relax with a swim in the pristine waters of the lake. Several areas are suitable for swimming so take the opportunity to take dip in one of the most scenic swimming holes in the world.
Throw a line in and try your luck fishing. Test your skills and try to capture the famous bilih fish. If you drive to the lake, on your way you will pass through the charming hilltop village of Balimbing (the name means starfruit).

Matano Lake; Another Heaven on Earth

Matano Lake is located in a small town named Sorowako, a distance of approximately 600 km southwest of Makassar, South Sulawesi. Arriving there, visitors will be greeted by the blue lake water, almost without a ripple. The water was so clear, until the bottom of the lake clearly visible. Anyone who saw it, seemed unable to resist the temptation to plunge into the water to enjoy the freshness and crystal clear water of this lake.

Enchantment of the lake is so tempting. Beautiful landscape and cool with lush forests on the shores of the lake. Do rafting on the lake covering 16 408 hectares, with an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level, is the most tourism activities carried people around.

With beautiful panoramic views and surrounded by Veerbec mountain forests, Lake Matano has become an attractive tourist destination. Besides swimming and rafting, a quiet lake has also become an appropriate location for various types of water sports such as screens, water skiing, canoeing and diving.

Most proud of this lake is a lake ecosystem which is still preserved and maintained since the 1930s to the present. For this reason, some scientists assess the Lake Matano deserves to be world heritage.

To reach this lake, visitors have to travel overland by bus-, air-conditioned bus for about 12 hours from Makassar, South Sulawesi provincial capital. Can also use the DASH-7 aircraft with a capacity of about 50 passengers, specially hired by PT. Inco to facilitate accessibility to Sorowako for both corporate and community interests.

Performed once daily flights from Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar at 12:00 pm while the flight to Makassar from Sorowako at 6:30 pm with any travel time approximately 85 minutes