Kelimutu Lake: The Beauty of Three Colors Lake

    Kelimutu lake is a crater lake which is located on top of Mount Kelimutu (volcano) located on the island of Flores, NTT, Indonesia. The mountain location was precisely in the Pemo Village, Flores District, Ende Regency. This lake is known as the Lake Three Colors because it has three different colors, namely red, blue, and white. However, the colors are always changing over time.

    The lake is located at an altitude of 1631 meters above sea level. Kelimutu is a combination word of "keli" meaning mountain and the word "mutu" which means to boil. According to local belief, the colors on the Kelimutu lake has the meaning of each and have a very powerful force of nature.

    Kelimutu Lake or Kelimutu Tiwu divided into three sections that correspond to the colors that exist in the lake. Blue lake or "Nuwa Muri Koo Fai Tiwu" is a gathering place for the souls of young people who have died. The lake is red or "Tiwu Ata Polo" is a gathering place for the souls of the dead and as long as he lived always commit a crime / magick. While the lake is white or "Tiwu Mbupu Ata" is a gathering place for the souls of parents who have died.

    The third area of ​​the lake is approximately 1,051,000 square meters with a volume of 1292 million cubic meters. Boundary between the lake was a narrow stone walls prone to landslides. This wall is very steep with a 70-degree angle. Lake wall height ranges from 50 to 150 meters.

    Beginning this area was discovered by Van Such Telen, a Dutch citizen, in 1915. Its beauty is widely known after Y. Bouman describes in his writings in 1929. Since then the foreign tourists started to come enjoy the lake known haunted for the local community. Those who come not only a beauty lover, but also researchers who want to know a very rare natural occurrence it.

    Some of the flora that can be found around the lake including kesambi (Schleichera oleosa), Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) and perennial flower Edelweiss. While the fauna around the lake, such as deer (Cervus timorensis), wild boar (Sus sp.), Jungle chicken (Gallus gallus) and the Eagle (Elanus sp.)

    As one of the prime tourist attractions, the accommodation around the Kelimutu lake enough attention. Around the lake there is a guard hut, shelter shelter for visitors, toilets, parking space capacity, as well as some small inn.