Kelimutu : Adventure to the Three colored Lakes

 

Kelimutu : Adventure to the Three colored Lakes




HOME > Indonesia > Flores >  Kelimutu : Adventure to the Three colored Lakes












Some people may only dream about trekking to Mt Kelimutu on the island of Flores with its three colored lakes, while others make it a reality. The challenging trip in a rented polished 7-seater car can make one entertained for hours because of the endless winding road. However, being shaken by the sharp curves in the road that cuts through the 350-km long Flores Island is a worthy price to pay to witness the ultimate top-drawer panoramas that The Island of Flores has to offer.

Mt. Kelimutu National Park is the smallest among six national parks in the stretch between Bali:and the Nusatenggara islands. Its size obviously does not matter much when it offers one of the most spectacular wonders that nature has to offer. There are three lakes on the mountain sharing the same name, Kelimutu, meaning ‘the boiling lake’. Each has its own colors and a local name. But all are believed to be the resting place of departed souls.

Located some 66 km. from the town of Ende or 83 km. from Maumere, Lake Kelimutu was discovered by a Dutch named Van Such Telen in 1915. It gained global fame after Y. Bouman wrote in his notes in 1929 about the bizarre color-changing lakes.

As travelers start ascending from Moni, a small rural town, a basecamp for backpackers, idyllic views appear which will remain perfect in the mind. The westernmost lake is named Tiwu Ata Mbupu, meaning ‘the lake of old people’. The middle one is called Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai, or ‘the lake for young men and maiden’. The easternmost is called Tiwu Ata Polo, or ‘the lake for evils spirits’. The three lakes are quite a display as their colors keep changing.  

Unlike the Blue Lake in Mt. Gambier, South Australia, that changes color from blue to cold steel grey within a predictable period, or Lake Yudamari in Mt. Nakadake, in Japan, that changes from blue-green to green,  the Kelimutu  lakes are unpredictable as to when and what color they will change into. Sometimes, the colors are blue, green, and black, and some other times they turn to white, red, and blue. The last time a traveler saw them, one was dark brown, just like a pond of chocolate. Previously, the east lake was red and the middle lake was blue. 

Scientifically speaking, lakes change colors due to subaqueous fumaroles. Scientists believe that these are the result of minor phreatic eruptions in ancient time. The phenomenon here, however, are of particular interest to geologists since the three lakes present different colors but are yet located on the peak of the same volcano. The local ranger in the national park explained that this is due to chemical reactions of materials contained in the lake, triggered by volcanic gaseous activities. The local people in Moni, however, believe that somehow people around the mountain have done something evil and have died there.

Lake Kelimutu is part of the Kelimutu National Park, presenting a highly aesthetic value and surreal experience. The national park’s highest point is 5,679 feet at Mt. Kelibara (1,731 meters), and 5,544 feet high (1,690 meters) at Mt. Kelimutu. It is a national park that protects 19 endemic and endangered animals, among which, the Floresian punai (Treron floris), Wallacea owl (Otus silvicola), Floresian kancilan (Pachycephala nudigula), Floresian eagle (Spizeatus floris), and Timorese tesia (Tesia everetti).

Here are also endemic mice, deer, porcupines, and the legendary luwak or civet (Pharadoxurus hermaphroditus) that gained its fame for the expensive coffee it produces. Visit Mt. Kelimutu and the three-colored lakes as an essential part of your Flores adventure.

Please Click "Email"  For Making Reservation !

ADVINDO SULAWESI~EAST INDONESIA 
Makassar - South Sulawesi
Indonesia





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fort Rotterdam: History of South Sulawesi

Image
Fort Rotterdam: History of South Sulawesi HOME  >  South Sulawesi  >  Fort Rotterdam: History of South Sulawesi Standing majestically at the western coast of  Makassar , Fort Rotterdam is recognized as the city’s most iconic landmark. With historical traces dating back to the Kingom of Gowa from the 16 th th century to colonization by the Dutch, this Fort has silently witnessed many episodes in Makassar’s history, playing a most essential role in its development. Its magnificence and authenticity has always captivated those who set eyes on it. A journalist from New York Times, Barbara Crossette even described it as “the best preserved Dutch Fort in Asia”. Originally called  Benteng  or Fort Jumpandang or Ujung Pandang, the huge complex was first built in 1545 in the era of Imanrigau Daeng Bonto Karaeng Lakiung or Karaeng Tunipalangga Ulaweng, the tenth King of Gowa. Initially, the fort was made from a mixture of Stone and burnt clay, and took the...
Read more

Labuan Bajo

Image
  Labuan Bajo    HOME   > Indonesia > Flores >  Labuan Bajo On the westernmost tip of the  Island of Flores , the town of  Labuan Bajo ,  or also spelled  Labuhan Bajo  sits peacefully: a small fishing site with surprisingly comprehensive tourist facilities. The central logic for its wide range of amenities is the extraordinary interest of travelers to the existence of the  Komodo dragon , locally called  ora , if not for its superb national park that encompasses some 80 islands. Facing two important islands –  Rinca  and  Komodo  – the only habitat in the world for the mythical and endangered species, the  Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) , the town of  Labuan Bajo  acts as a transit port and a destination to Flores’s  newly  discovered interior. The town at the most western end of Flores provides a place to stock up on groceries and other necessities for those traveling...
Read more

Makassar: Historic Port for Spices and Sailing Ships

Image
  Makassar: Historic Port for Spices and Sailing Ships   HOME   >    South Sulawesi   >   Makassar: Historic Port for Spices and Sailing Ships Formerly called Ujung Pandang, the city of Makassar is the largest city in east Indonesia. Capital of South Sulawesi, Makassar enjoys a central location in the Indonesian archipelago and today Makassar is Indonesia’s busy air hub, connecting Sumatra, Java, Bali and Kalimantan in the west with Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Papua in the east.    In fact,  ever since the 14th. century Makassar was already known as a thriving sea port where merchant vessels from far away China, India and Cambodia called regularly to trade in silks, tea and porcelain in exchange for cloves, nutmeg and pearls from the Moluccas and gold and forest products from Makassar and its hinterland.  And when in the 16th century the Europeans discovered the sailing route to the coveted Spice Islands, the Spanish and Portug...
Read more