Danau tiga warna di puncak kawah Gunung Kelimutu yang menjadi salah satu dari keajaiban dunia ini, benar-benar mempesona dengan keindahan dan misteri yang tersimpan di puncak gunung setinggi 1.690 meter di atas permukaan laut itu.
Kelimutu merupakan gabungan dari kata keli yang berarti gunung dan mutu yang berarti mendidih. Kelimutu adalah satu dari sekian daerah tujuan wisata yang sangat terkenal di Pulau Flores, selain komodo, kampung tradisional Bena, dan Taman Laut Riung yang indah. Danau vulkanik dianggap ajaib dan misterius karena warna ketiga danau tersebut berubah-ubah, seiring dengan perjalanan waktu. Sebelumnya warna danau ini adalah merah, putih, dan biru.
Satu danau yang terpisah, Danau Arwah Orangtua (tiwu ata mbupu) tetap berwarna hijau tua/lumut. Namun, pada Desember lalu ketika Pembaruan berkunjung ke danau tersebut Danau Arwah Muda-mudi kembali berwarna hijau, Danau Orang Jahat menjadi biru tua, dan Danau Orangtua menjadi cokelat kehitaman. Warna air Danau Kelimutu adalah misteri alam.
Pagi hari adalah waktu yang terbaik untuk menyaksikan Danau Kelimutu. Menjelang tengah hari, apalagi sore hari, biasanya danau diselimuti kabut yang menghalangi pandangan. Itu sebabnya para wisatawan biasanya bermalam di Kampung Moni dan baru berangkat ke Gunung Kelimutu dini hari. Kelimutu terletak sekitar 66 kilometer dari Kota Ende dan 83 kilometer dari Kota Maumere.
Dari Maumere dapat menggunakan kendaraan sewaan sekitar Rp 600.000 untuk perjalanan Maumere-Kelimutu-Maumere. Waktu perjalanan bisa ditentukan sendiri dan pengunjung dapat mencapai puncak Kelimutu. Untuk biaya yang lebih murah dari Maumere dapat menggunakan bus umum dengan biaya Rp 25.000, namun hanya sampai di Kampung Moni, tetapi sulit mendapatkan bus yang tiba pagi hari di kampung itu sehingga harus menginap di tempat itu. Perlu juga menyewa kendaraan pribadi atau ojek untuk mencapai puncak danau.
"Kalau dengan kendaraan sewaan pengunjung bisa mampir di beberapa desa tradisional dan perjalanan diatur sesuai kesepakatan. Biasanya sekali jalan hingga pulang, butuh delapan jam dengan harga Rp 600.000. Waktu tersebut sudah lebih dari cukup termasuk dua jam penuh menikmati Danau Kelimutu dan sekitarnya," kata Paul Yanca, sopir yang biasa menyewakan kendaraan pribadinya.
Selain dari Maumere, Kelimutu juga dapat dicapai dari Ende menggunakan bus antarkota ataupun kendaraan sewaan, dengan harga dan waktu perjalanan yang relatif tidak jauh berbeda.
Untuk menginap di Kampung Moni terdapat sekitar 20 homestay yang dikelola penduduk dengan tarif Rp 25.000- Rp 50.000 per malam. Cottage milik pemerintah bertarif Rp 75.000-Rp 85.000. Kawasan Kelimutu dikelilingi hutan dengan flora yang jarang ditemukan di wilayah Flores. Ada pinus, cemara, kayu merah dan edelweiss. Sedangkan fauna yang ada seperti rusa, babi hutan, ayam hutan dan elang.
Apa yang terlihat saat ini tidak jauh berbeda dengan kondisi 15 tahun lalu ketika Pembaruan mengunjungi kawasan tersebut. Hanya sedikit perbedaan, jika 15 tahun lalu kendaraan pengunjung bisa mencapai bibir danau, saat ini kendaraan hanya bisa sampai di kaki gunung dan butuh 30 menit berjalan kaki menuju bibir danau ajaib itu.
Masyarakat setempat mempercayai bahwa Gunung Kelimutu keramat dan memberikan kesuburan pada alam di sekitarnya. Dalam beberapa kesempatan biasanya ada upacara masyarakat setempat dan memberikan sesajen kepada "arwah" yang menjaga kawasan tersebut.
Luas ketiga danau itu sekitar 1.051.000 meter persegi dengan volume air 1.292 juta meter kubik. Batas antardanau adalah dinding batu sempit yang mudah longsor. Dinding terjal tersebut memiliki sudut kemiringan 70 derajat dengan ketinggian antara 50 sampai 150 meter.
Gunung Kelimutu pernah meletus pada 1886 dan meninggalkan tiga kawah berbentuk danau tersebut dan ditetapkan sebagai taman nasional sejak 26 Februari 1992. Kelimutu juga merupakan tempat yang bagus bagi yang menyukai hiking dan menikmati kawasan desa pegunungan tropis.
English :
Travel approximately three hours from the city of Maumere, Sikka regency of East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), reached by a rented car across the road winding ravine and cliffs, as well as road conditions are not smooth. Was exhausting and challenging, let alone made the trip at dawn. But it all disappeared after entering the village of Moni, the village closest to the Lake Kelimutu. Offers mothers woven Lio sold at the foot of Mount Kelimutu which became the vehicle visitor parking lot lake. Woven Lio is one of the local potential of the local community sold to tourists. Lake Kelimutu colors keep changing. Changes could have been caused by mineral content, the influence of biota type of moss and rocks in the crater. For local communities of color changes that have special meaning.
Moni is located in the village of Kampung Koanara, District Wolowaru, Ende, a distance of 13 kilometers from Lake Kelimutu. From Moni only takes about 45 minutes to reach the lip of Lake Kelimutu. Promptly at 8:15 pm, after crossing the trail about a mile, we reached the lip of Lake Kelimutu.
Three color lake on top of the crater of Mount Kelimutu who became one of the wonders of this world, absolutely stunning with the beauty and mystery that are stored on top of a mountain as high as 1690 meters above sea level.
Kelimutu keli is a combination of word meaning mountain and quality, which means boiling. Kelimutu was one of those tourist destination is very popular on the island of Flores, in addition to the Komodo dragon, a traditional village of Bena, and Riung the beautiful Marine Park. Volcanic lake is considered magical and mysterious as the third color of the lake is changing, with the passage of time. Earlier this lake color is red, white, and blue.
In mid-2006 and occurred several times, especially for the two lakes adjacent to the Lake of Spirits Young men and women (Tiwu nua ko'o fai muri) and Lake Dead soothsayer (Tiwu ata polo). Lake Dead Young men and women who previously green, in June last year had changed to blue. While Lake Evil soothsayer or person previously dark brown change color slightly reddish.
A separate lakes, Lake Dead Parents (Tiwu Ata tourists) stay dark green / moss. However, last December when the lake is visited Update Lake of Spirits Young men and women back is green, Wicked Lake became a navy man, and Lake's parents became blackish brown. Kelimutu Lake water color is a mystery of nature.
Morning is the best time to watch the Lake Kelimutu. Shortly before noon, let alone in the afternoon, the fog that blanketed the lake usually blocking the view. That's why the tourists usually stay overnight in the village of Moni and the new left Kelimutu early morning. Kelimutu located about 66 kilometers from the town of Ende and 83 kilometers from the town of Maumere.
From Maumere can use a leased vehicle approximately USD 600 000 for travel-Kelimutu-Maumere Maumere. Time travel can be determined alone and visitors can reach the top Kelimutu. For a cheaper cost of Maumere can use the public bus at a cost of USD 25 000, but only reached the village of Moni, but difficult to find a bus that arrived early morning in the village and should stay in place. There should also hire a private car or motorcycle taxi to reach the top of the lake.
"If the leased vehicles, visitors can stop at several traditional villages and a trip arranged according to the agreement. Usually a one-way till home, it took eight hours with a price of USD 600 000. This time is already more than enough to enjoy including two full hours Kelimutu Lake and surrounding areas," said Paul Yanca, regular driver who rents his personal vehicle.
Apart from Maumere, Kelimutu can also be achieved from Ende using intercity bus or rental vehicle, with prices and travel time is relatively not much different.
A wooden cottage is one of the alternative accommodation in the village of Moni before or after visiting the Lake Kelimutu. Rates are relatively cheap and attractive landscapes are delight for tourists with limited funds. Kelimutu bersemayamnya believed to also as a place of human souls. The lake is visible on the photograph is the ghost of the old lake (Tiwu Ata tourists) is located separately from two other lakes are coincident with each other.
To stay in the village of Moni, there are around 20 residents managed homestay with a tariff of Rp 25,000-Rp 50,000 per night. Government-owned cottage-cost Rp 75,000-Rp 85,000. Kelimutu area surrounded by forest with rare flora in the region of Flores. There are pine, fir, redwood and edelweiss. While the existing fauna such as deer, wild boar, pheasant and eagle.
What looks not much different today with the condition 15 years ago when updates visit the area. There is little difference, if 15 years ago vehicles, visitors can reach the lip of the lake, the current vehicles can only be arrived at the foot of the mountain and it took 30 minutes walk to the lip of the lake was magical.
Local people believe that the sacred Kelimutu and give fertility to the surrounding nature. On several occasions there is usually a ceremony of the local community and give offerings to the "spirits" who guarded the area.
The third area of the lake was approximately 1.051 million square meters with a volume of 1292 million cubic meters of water. Antardanau boundary is a narrow stone walls that easily slides. It has a steep wall slope angle 70 degrees with an altitude between 50 to 150 meters.
Kelimutu had erupted in 1886 and left three and crater-shaped lake is designated as a national park since February 26, 1992. Kelimutu also a great place for those who love hiking and enjoying the tropical mountain village region.