INDONESIA

KELIMUTU

ENDE REGENCY, FLORES ISLAND, INDONESIA

Kelimutu is a volcano, close to the small town of Moni in central Flores island in Indonesia. The volcano is around 50 km to the east of Ende, Indonesia, the capital of Ende regency in East Nusa Tenggara province.

The volcano contains three striking summit crater lakes of varying colors. Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lakes of Old People) is usually blue and is the westernmost of the three lakes. The other two lakes, Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake) are separated by a shared crater wall and are typically green or red respectively. The lake colors vary on a periodic basis. Subaqueous fumaroles are the probable cause of active upwelling that occurs at the two eastern lakes.

The lakes have been a source of minor phreatic eruptions in historical time. The summit of the compound 1639-m- high Kelimutu volcano is elongated two km in a WNW-ESE direction; the older cones of Kelido and Kelibara are located respectively three km to the north and two km to the south. The scenic lakes are a popular tourist destination.

Kelimutu is also of interest to geologists because the tree lakes have different colors yet are at the crest of the same volcano. According to the local officer at Kelimutu National Park, the colour changes as a result of chemical reactions resulting from the minerals contained in the lake perhaps triggered by volcano gas activity. Kawah Putih lake in West Java, south of Bandung, is another crater lake in Indonesia with some similarities to the lakes of Kelimutu.

TOURISM

In the early days of developing the local national park in the Kelimutu area, there were some disputes with the local communities over the use of the resources. More recently, forest rangers have worked to develop better relations with nearby village communities and overall management has improved.

Kelimutu is one of the mountains listed as a ribu in Indonesia which are mountains in Indonesia which are more than 1,000 meters high.

The area is said to have begun to attract attention after being notices by a regional Dutch military commander, B. van Suchtelen in 1915 and become more well-known after Y. Bouman wrote about the site in 1929.

The closest airports are Maumere, and Ende. There are regular flights to Ende from Bali. The drive from Ende to Moni, the town at the base of Kelimutu where accommodation is available, takes about 3 hours.

ACTIVITIES AT KELIMUTU

ONE DAY KELIMUTU TOUR TO SEA WORLD CLUB HOTEL IN MAUMERE (ITINERARY)

Tourist can drive in a comfortable air- conditioned private car with driver to the renowned and unique Kelimutu National Park. The drive takes approximately 3.5 hours through picturesque mountainous area passing small traditional village.

Upon arrival at Kelilmutu National Park, tourist need to walk from the parking area for 1.5 km and then ascend 127 steps to lookout at Kelimutu, at an altitude of 1690 meters above the sea level. From there, tourist can enjoy superb views of the three volcanic crater. The terrain surroundings the lakes is spectacular, rugged and varied, and in this setting the colors of the three lakes are nothing less than astonishing. No one has managed to explain the cause of the colors or why they change.

From Kelimutu, drive downward to Moni, passing beautiful rice fields and jungle forest. From the parking area at Kelimutu to the main street in Moni is 14 km. Arriving in Moni, tourist can decide to have late breakfast or early lunch at local restaurant.

On the way back to Maumere, tourist can drive to Jopu Ranggase to visit one of the old traditional houses with some ornament and secret symbols God manifestation. Then drive to Sikka village on the south coast of Flores Island. This village is famous for the traditional ikat-weaving and the old church, dating from the end of 19 century.

Tourist also can stop at lovely Paga Beach for short relax and Wolowaru traditional village. It is also possible to have lunch on Paga Beach or in local restaurant in Wolowaru than can continue the journey to Maumere.