KELIMUTU: The Weird Three Lakes on The Top Mountain

Kelimutu is a volacano central Flores Island of Indonesia containing three summit crater lakes of varying colors. The western lake, Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People) is commonly blue. Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched, or Enchanted Lake), which share a common crater wall, are commonly green- and red-colored, respectively, although lake colors vary periodically. Active upwelling, probably fed by subaqueous fumaroles, occurs at the two eastern lakes. The scenic lakes are a popular tourist destination and have been the 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. A Dutch Geologist discovered Kelimutu in 1914. Eruptions of Kelimutu Volcano 1968, 1938, 1865.

HOW TO GET KELIMUTU

Before continuing your trip to Kelimutu, you can stay a while in Ende and using your time to visit attractive tourist objects in this town, Mbu’u Beach, and traditional villages such as Wolotopo, Ngalupolo and Ndona.

Getting Kelimutu from Maumere via Wolowaru. In Wolowaru, You can visit traditional villages like, Mbuli Lo’o, Ranggase, Jopu, Tenda, Wolojita, Wiwipemo, Nuamulu, Nggela, and Lisedetu then going to Moni – Koanara and Kelimutu.

From Komodo Island by passing through Labuan Bajo – Ruteng – Bajawa – Ende. Along the trip, you can enjoy the exciting panorama and sandy beaches with its green stones of Nangamboa, Nangapanda, Penggajawa, Numba, having a chance to see beautiful natural cave in Mbawe. You will be satisfied if you can find time for sailing and visiting Ende Island by using traditional boat (Perahu Cadik) which available in Taman Wisata Bahari Pantai Ende (Ende Beach Park).