THE KELIMUTU VOLCANO AND ITS THREE MAGICAL LAKES: KELIMUTU NATIONAL PARK INDONESIA
Indonesia is an island nation, it is the largest single archipelago in the world. Indonesia ranks number one as a volcanic nation and it is the nation with more active volcanos in the world. There are 400 volcanos from which 127 are active.
Indonesia lies in the “Pacific ring of fire”, an area where tectonic plates movements and tension originate many earthquakes and volcano eruptions. That is why there are so many volcanos, and active volcanos in the country.
A volcano hike or visit is a “not to be missed” activity when visiting this volcano and island nation. There is one in particular that stands out among all the volcanos in Indonesia, due to its uniqueness, beauty and legend, the Kelimutu and its three colored lakes.
The Kelimutu and its three volcanic mouths that have developed into changing color lakes is still a mystery for researchers. It is believed that the color of the lakes fluctuates due to the varying percentages of mineral and gases and the activity under them, Kelimutu is a dormant active volcano. However the specific reason of why and when they change color is still unknown.
These lakes are believed to be magical by the local people living in the area, the Lio people. And I would bet there is an energy vortex, one of those secret doors to a parallel dimension, as the vibration is really high close to the summit and in the surrounding areas.
The Kelimutu volcano is situated in Central Flores, which is, in my opinion one of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia. You can combine your visit to Kelimutu and its volcanic lakes with many other activities that for you sure you will enjoy, such as visiting the Komodo national park and Maumere coast, one of the best places in Indonesia and the world to do muck diving.
Kelimutu lakes, a sort of mystical Heaven and Hell
Entrance fees to Kelimutu national park
Can you swim in the Kelimutu lakes?
How to get to Kelimutu and its volcanic lakes
Kelimutu national park
Kelimutu is a dormant volcano situated in Central Flores, Indonesia and its summit lies at 1639 meters. The peak consists of three volcanic mouths that were formed after an eruption in 1886 and have since them been a mystery and a place of worship.
The Kelimutu volcano and its lakes are the most visited area of the park, but there are more to see in the protected area. There is a higher peak in the park, mount Kelibara and the Kelimutu national park is home to some endemic endangered plants and animals.
Kelimutu, a sort of mystical Heaven and Hell on Earth
The Lio people have still a pre Christian animistic belief system where they still worship ancestors and nature. They unveiled the secrets of the lakes and found out that their striking variating colors are home to the spirits of the departed. The lakes are a door to a parallel dimension where the deceased migrate and dwell. The age and karmic state at the moment of death will determine to which lake the soul will go.
The Tiwu ata Mbupu is the lake of Old People and it stands on its own. The water color is dark green or grey. Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai is separated from the lake of the Bewitched people only by a wall and it is the lake of the Young Men and Maidens. Tiwu Ata Polo is the Bewitched or Evil lake. This is the lake where the people who committed crimes or were enchanted will go.
The Lio people hold and annual festival on August 14th to honor their ancestors, ”Pati Ka Du’a Bapu Ata Mata” and there is a demonstration and food offerings to the spirits which souls rest on the lakes.
At the entrance of the Kelimutu national parks sits the gate of the spirits, that consists of two rocks, named “Konde” and “Ratu” respectively. There is a spiritual guard at the gate that decides to which lake the spirits will go.
Local guides usually perform prayers before entering the area to honor the ancestors and protect you from the Bewitched during your visit.
Entrance fees to Kelimutu national park
The entrance to Kelimutu national park is around 10 $ and it will allow you to visit Kelimutu lake as long as you want.
You will be able to visit the lakes as many times as you want during the day and all the areas in the national park.
Sunrise at Kelimutu lakes
The most magical moment to visit the lakes is at sunrise time as the angle of incidence of the Sun on the lakes will give them different colors as the new days starts.
Most excursions, either guided or private, start at Moni at 4:00 A.M. You will arrive at the summit still at night and see the whole duration of the sunrise on the national park.
Take some good jacket as it can be pretty chilly there until around 10:00 A.M due to the altitude, and be aware of the monkeys in the area that will try stealing your stuff, as monkeys usually do.
Can you swim in the Kelimutu lakes
NO, you cannot swim at the Kelimutu lakes and do not even consider even getting close to the lakes borders as they are slippery and there are loose rocks on the banks.
It seems enticing swimming on the lakes as they usually present heavenly like shades of green and cerulean blue but it is certain death jumping into the lakes as they have sulfuric acid components fatal for human life. It is also dangerous to get too close from above as there are sometimes gas clouds ascending from the lakes that have engulfed visitors.
A Dutch tourist fell on the lake in 1995 and his body was never found.
But do not worry, there are safety gates with indications. If you do not cross the gates and follow the indications you will be completely safe.
How to get to Kelimutu and its volcanic lakes
Flight to Ende or Maumere: There are several daily fights from Labuan Bajo and Bali to Ende or Maumere, which are just a couple of hours by bus from Moni. Moni is the closest village to the Kelimutu summit and your base to stay when visiting the volcano.
Drive to Moni: If you have gone to Flores and based yourself in Labuan Bajo to explore the Komodo national park, as most tourists do, you can always drive to Moni or take a car tour. I would not recommend to do a day trip from Labuan Bajo as it is a lot of hours driving and the roads on Flores are pretty basic. I would rather drive and spend the night in Moni. Moni is a very nice village with a nice waterfall and surrounding areas to explore.
By motorbike ride from Moni to the summit: This is the way I did, as I like the freedom of going at my own pace and choosing when and where to stop. But it is not but the faint-hearted ones. There is a lot of gravel on the road and it is a very steep path. You need to be an experienced driver and not forget wearing a helmet.
Hike down to Moni from the summit: Some people get to the top with a driver and they hike down from the top to Moni. The trail goes trough spectacular rices terraces, waterfalls and local villages.
Where to stay in Moni
There are not a lot of choices to stay in Moni, at least when I was there. But probably things have changed as more tourist are coming. I stayed in the Bintang lodge. And you can find a pretty nice selection of available places.
Be aware some of the local houses and lodges in Moni have graves in their gardens. It is pretty common in Flores. When I was going around checking for a place to stay I sat on what I thought it was just an ornamental construction while waiting for the owner. when he came help me he said: -You are sitting on top of my father.
I replied with a shy sorry but he told me not to worry. The reason why they bury family members in the house gardens is because there are not government cemeteries in the Moni area and they want to protect the corpses from been eaten by the wild beasts.
Tips
At the time I was there there was not an ATM in Moni. I have heard now that there is one ATM in the village. My advice still is to take enough cash with you. My experience in Flores with ATMs was pretty frustrating. Many times I had to go to three different ATMs until I was able to withdraw cash.
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Your visit to the Kelimutu National park looks totally exciting adventure. The three volcanic lakes and their significance with the Lio ancestral worship and beliefs adds to the charm of the place. I would love to visit Kelimutu and also the scenic waterfalls and nature trails of Moni and would definitely like to capture the sunrise moment to see the different color of the lakes.
I can totally agree you do not want to miss the opportunities for volcanic. I want to Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawaii. The view on top is sptacular. I can see Waikiki beach and the city from above. It is a moment worth capturing. I can picture the Kelimutu volcano and its three colored lakes are no different. I would love to see the view.
What do you mean by ” karmic state at the moment of death will determine to which lake the soul will go?” Does it also determine where which lake they will barry or just determine where the soul goes?
The Kelimutu lakes sound pretty scary once you fall you cannot get out. Having gates sounds like a good idea. Interesting topic. I enjoyed reading it.
Ossama. the “Karmic state at the moment of death” means that the people who did good things in life will go to the Old or Young people lakes. The ones who committed crimes or were bewitched will go to the lake of the bewitched. People are not buried in the lakes, it is just the soul that goes to the lake.
I always find the volcanoes here magical especially in the mornings with all the clouds swirling around and then magically disappearing later in the day. i haven’t been to this specific volcano but it looks amazing and the colors of the water so surreal when it lights up in the morning is striking.
Indonesia has long been on my wishlist, in part because of the amazing and diverse cuisine. But I’m also keen to see the local landscapes, and Kelimutu and its three beautiful lakes look like a must see. I’ve seen some unusual colours in different waters around the world, sometimes caused by minerals, sometimes by local algae etc. Interesting that they are still not sure what creates the colours in this case!
Oh wow, thank you for the notice not to swim in the lakes, and I’m sorry to hear about the Dutch tourist who had that unfortunate accident. I would be at such a loss for words if someone came up to me and said I was sitting on their father’s grave without knowing, oh my gosh! This area seems really fascinating and the nature stunning as well, lovely guide.
What a stunning place! I would like to do to sunrise hike and arrive at the summit whilst it is still dark. I can imagine that sunrises here are amazing. I think that the motorbike ride to the top would be interesting as well, but I am not such a great driver, so I would probably just rely on someone else to drive me up and then I’ll hike down. It’s so strange that there is no cemetery in Moni and that people have to bury their loved ones in their gardens.
I have not been to Indonesia yet but this blog has inspired me to go there fast! I love the changing color concept at the the threee magical lakes and the Kelimutu volcano region. I have been to volcanic regions in Japan and in New Zealand and would love to go here too. Capturing the sunrise in this place is another attraction. Lovely photos! 🙂
Reading your post reminded me of my trip there back in 2017. I don’t remember our lodging name, but it was in Moni and we had a rental car as there were 11 of us. Sunrise was beautiful! But I do remember several tourists went pass the fence to take better pictures. 🙁 And there was a group of young tourists who couldn’t keep their voices to themselves that made me want to tell them to shut their mouth. lol.
Wow! That’s interesting that they change color and would love to visit these magical lakes. Will take your word and make sure to be there during sunrise. I can just imagine how beautiful it will be.