Lakes on top of Mount Kelimutu, Indonesia. Lakes of "tears" or lakes of "evil spirits" in Indonesia. Colorful lakes of Kelimutu volcano

Two inseparable and incomparably beautiful lakes are located on Mount Kelimutu in Indonesia. This is the most unusual and mystical place with two lakes of different colors. There are a lot of such extraordinary creatures of nature in the world that delight simply by their existence. One of the lakes is called Tiu Ata Mbulu, which translated means “lake of the souls of ancestors.”

The second lake is located next to Tiu Ata Mbulu and is called Tiu Nuva Muri Koo Fai, translated as “lake of the souls of young people”, it is usually a different color.

The uniqueness and mysticism of these reservoirs lies in the fact that the color of the water constantly changes from turquoise to blue, from blue to blue, and can become red, green or even black.

Each lake lives its own life, so the color of the water changes individually for each one. Local residents living not far from the lake believe that the color of the water changes due to the souls of dead people and the lake reacts differently to each soul, either angry or happy. Others believe that the color of the water changes not as a result of the anger of the lake, but as a result of the anger of the souls themselves. In any case, lakes are a place for dead souls. So the lakes of “Tears” or, as they are also called, lakes of “evil spirits” in Indonesia will remain a mystery and mystical place for humanity for a long time.

It's finished. I reached the Kelimutu volcano! All by herself, across the country, having completed unforgettable journey in Indonesia on public transport. After the village, I left for Ende and the next day to Moni, from there it is convenient to go to the volcano. I’m telling you about my visit to this masterpiece of nature and one of best places on Earth, I'll show you a photo, and then helpful information, how to get there and my stories. See the volcano on the map at the end of the article.

Kelimutu Volcano Kelimutu

Kelimutu Volcano is one of the best attractions in Indonesia, attracting tourists with colorful lakes in its crater. Mount Kelimutu is located on the island of Flores, 51 km from the city of Ende, the administrative center. About an hour's drive. I will write how to get there at the end of the article.

The volcano is considered extinct, although the last eruption was not so long ago in 1968. The height of the Kelimutu volcano is 1639 m. The height of the crater walls is from 50 to 150 meters. The name means "Keli" - mountain "Mutu" - boiling.

Colorful lakes of Kelimutu volcano

Three different colored lakes in the craters of a volcano- black, blue and red - this is the most interesting and extraordinary miracle of nature. The lakes change their color from time to time, and sometimes do not live up to their names at all.

Over the past 25 years, the red lake has changed its color 12 times. My photo was taken on March 8, 2013. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this red (brown) lake in the photos taken this year at the end of August - it was light blue!!! As is usually the case, any mountain has its own legends, especially one as amazing as Kelimutu.

The most best time going to look at the lakes means seeing the sunrise. The amazing views and colors of the lake changed before my eyes when the sun appeared, from gray-blue to emerald green.

I wasn’t sure that I would wake up, so there was no 100% agreement with the motorcyclist, even despite his inexpensive price. However, I woke up at night on my own and, just like a couple of weeks ago on , I persuaded myself to get up and go, so as not to regret it later. And she did the right thing. I came to the house of an elderly man I already knew, with whom I was traveling on the bus and with whom I had dinner in his home cafe. It’s good that he is a Muslim and did not sleep so early, but prayed. She knocked on the door of the tiny room where the light came from. He opened it and went to wake up his son. Within a few minutes we were riding a motorbike to Mount Kelimutu. to greet the dawn, it was still a little dark and very cool. I walked along the path immediately to the observation deck, where local residents They saved frozen tourists, like me, with hot tea and coffee from brought thermoses. Well done! Tea with lemon and fresh ginger, for mere pennies - sitting in front of the lake, waiting already rising sun- That's great! And I was wondering where the locals were going with the bales when I walked from the entrance to the observation deck.

Surprise

But an even greater super awaited me later. God, how happy I am and how lucky I am again! I met for the third time!!! once the same couple of foreigners who lived in the next room in the same family hotel in Bajawa. This is what I love most about traveling! A day earlier, by chance! I came across their house when I was looking for housing, and in a place where there was not a soul at all. And now again, to Kelimuta. There will be someone to ask to take a photo 😀 By the way, these guys came from Ruteng on a rented motorcycle (I envied them a little, although I saw the same beauties, but from the bus window)

Legends of Kelimutu Lakes

Three volcano lakes and each has its own name and mystical purpose.

A lake that is located separately - black (white) of the usual type is called in the local language “Tiwu Ata Polo” Tiwu Ata Polo - this is the lake inhabited by evil spirits or evil souls of people who have committed evil deeds or crimes. It is called “Lake of Evil Spirits”

Almost nearby, opposite this black one, is blue (green) lake “Nuwa Muri Koo Fai Tiwu” Nua Muri Koo Fai Tiwu- in that beautiful lake The souls of dead children and people who died at a young age have found their refuge - this is a lake of girls and young men, boys and girls.

And next to him through a small wall is the red lake is called "Tiwu Mbupu Ata" Tiwu Mutu Ata- According to legend, the souls of deceased ancestors and parents live in it; some call it “the lake of old people.”

According to local beliefs, if the souls of the dead are disturbed, the lake will change color. Well, how else could illiterate people explain such a phenomenon?

Meanwhile, the sun was already dispelling the darkness and haze, and with every minute the amazing views amazed the imagination more and more. Such a mysterious natural mystery seemed to open its doors with the rays of the sun.

The views are amazing! I just wanted to walk around and look into every corner, climb a mountain and embrace the immensity. To get an idea of ​​the scale, try to see me in a white jacket in the photo below. Cat point.

It became warmer and warmer, everything began to sparkle with bright colors - I was so happy that even these two foreigners gradually began to fool around with me and also take funny pictures. And I was bouncing around like a ball, here and there - everything was so beautiful, unusual, awesome, cool!

Having seen enough, we went for a walk around and closer. Therefore, after saying goodbye to the black lake and taking another photo, in clear weather, we headed to the red lake and the isthmus between the lakes.

The little white house on the top of the mountain is just that Observation deck, from where I started to watch the sunrise, where I drank tea and met a couple of these guys, with whom we had a wonderful time, mainly because of my overflowing emotions.

Here is this stone watershed.

Wall between lakes. It just seems that she is short - she is not even small.

Along the way we met a bunch of monkeys, well, what would we do without them if they are ubiquitous. One agreed to take the photo.

The sun had already risen and was pleasantly hot, and the colors of the lake became simply amazing, brighter and brighter. The blue sky and stone walls of the volcano were reflected in the lake and gave additional shades. One became a real emerald color, and the other was dark brown with a reddish tint.

Why are Kelimutu lakes colorful?

In fact, real chemical reactions take place in lakes, almost like in a giant natural test tube. This can even be observed - sometimes traces appear on the surface - foam or.... The water in the lake contains many minerals, which, reacting with vapors and liquids from the depths of the volcano, color the water in the lakes in different colors. Hydrogen sulfide, hydrochloric and sulfuric acid seep into the cracks at the bottom, respectively, and do their job. It is clear that temperature, pressure and other factors also affect these processes.

Kelimutu National Park Kelimutu National Park

The area around Mount Kelimutu is a nature protection zone and has been declared a national park since 1992 - this is the smallest national park in Indonesia, occupying only 50 square meters. km., but it attracts with its beauty and amazing colorful lakes. The most high peak Mount Kelibara Park 1731 m above sea level.

Entrance to the park was paid in 2014 and cost 20 thousand rupees for a ticket plus 3 thousand rupees for something else, maybe for entry on a motorbike. For photography with a camera you need to pay another 50 thousand rupees. I paid 23 thousand rupees and that’s it. There is a well-equipped path to the craters, which will take about half an hour’s walk from the parking lot.

There are such amazing views around! I so wanted to walk around, climb some mountain. Explore the entire national park. But the motorcyclist waited for me for several hours at the main entrance. So 6 hours was not enough for me.

On the way back we observed beautiful views, and in the distance you can see the blue sea. 🙂 We stopped to take photos, I said goodbye to my foreign friends and the driver took me to one of the hot springs, which turned out to be very small.

Then we stopped at a small waterfall and I returned to the village of Moni, where I spent another two days.

Kelimutu Volcano on the map

How to get to Kelimutu Volcano

From the city of Ende it's only an hour by bus or car, very scenic road. The bus costs 15-25 thousand rupees, depending on your situation. I drove for 15 thousand.

From the city Ende, where there is an airport from which planes fly to other different cities too. From the airport you can even walk to small hotels or guesthouses. And of course, get where you need to go by taxi or bemo.

From the city Maumere, it takes about three hours to travel by bus that runs to Ende through the village of Moni. You can buy tickets in the form below or use this link to find a hotel

Moni- the most convenient point where tourists usually stop. There are guesthouses, home stays, and various cafes.

Indonesia is a country of beauty and exoticism. Even a person who has never been interested in this archipelago has probably heard about Komodo Park or Buddhist temple Borobudur, as if it came down to people from the screen, from the films about Indiana Jones. But this is what Indonesia can capture the imagination of even an experienced tourist - Mount Kelimutu + Lakes of Tears. Such a unique natural spectacle cannot be found anywhere else in the world. And what is most interesting is that this complex spontaneously changes over time.

The island of Flores, on which Mount Kelimutu is located (Indonesia), is part of the Eastern Lesser Sunda Islands group. The mountain itself is a volcano and part of the Volcanic Ring of Fire. In total, the island has 14 volcanoes, and some of them are in “working condition”, and therefore earthquakes are frequent here. Kelimutu is considered extinct, although the last eruption occurred in 1968, so it is premature to draw such conclusions. Especially high volcano you can’t name it: it falls one meter short of the 1640 m mark. At the same time, it is an object of active tourist interest. And all thanks to the Lakes of Tears.

Kelimutu volcano and its colored crater lakes are perhaps the most amazing a natural phenomenon on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Besides this, “Steam Mountain” is the most famous “Tempat Angker” of the island, which means “Abode of Ghosts”.

The shores are composed of hardened lava that erupted when the Kelimutu volcano was active.

The fog and rays of the setting sun create a truly ghostly environment.

The scientific explanation for the color of the lakes is that various chemical reactions occur in the waters between gases and minerals from the volcano. Iron and hydrogen can produce red colors, while hydrochloric and sulfuric acids produce greener hues.

Local residents consider Kelimuta a sacred place. If you ask a local why the lakes have this color, he will definitely have several myths and stories related to the origin of the reservoirs. For example, residents of the village of Moni believe that the Lakes of Tears are last resting places the souls of the dead, and frequent changes in color mean the anger and disappointment of the ancestors from the actions of their descendants.

There is also a legend that by changing the color of the water, ancestors warn of all kinds of disasters in Indonesia.

Other legends say that if you disturb, anger or offend the spirits living in the reservoirs that crown Mount Kelimutu (Indonesia), the water in them will begin to change its color. Probably someone has already touched the dead with something, since this phenomenon has happened more than once: now they have thick black, turquoise and green shades, but just a few years ago the gamma was different: burgundy - black - blue-green. Tivu-Nua-Muri-Kooh-Tai changed its shades a dozen times over a quarter of a century.

This photo clearly shows the location of the lakes and their color.

And this photo was taken a year later. The colors of the two bodies of water have completely changed.
All three lakes have their own history and names:

Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (the lake of the souls of young boys and girls, translated from the local language) is located in the center, it changes the color of the water more often than others - once every couple of years.
Immediately next to it is Tiwu Ata Polo (lake of evil spirits) - the souls of people who have sinned greatly fall into it.
And 1.5 km to the west there is a third one - Tiwu Ata Mbupu (lake of the souls of old ancestors).

Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai. Souls who did not have time to enjoy life ended up in it.

Tiwu Ata Polo. An enchanted estuary, a haven for villains.
The thin wall between the lake of evildoers and the youth represents that the youth are susceptible to bad deeds and only a thin line keeps good from evil.

Tiwu Ata Mbupu. According to legend, the souls of those who died of old age end up here. It has become a symbol of experience and wisdom.

Indonesia is the “land of a thousand islands”. How many fire-breathing volcanoes are there?! Some of them sleep, while others constantly disturb the inhabitants of the country.

The famous Kelimutu volcano is located on the island of Flores. Since 1968, this sleeping giant has shown no signs of volcanic activity. Kelimutu is an ancient one that has an amazing feature.

Bright spots on the top of the volcano

Kelimutu reaches an altitude of 1639 meters. At its top, after the last eruption, three craters of various shapes appeared, which over time were filled with water from atmospheric precipitation.

The bodies of water that are nearby change their color. Turquoise, red, brown, black, green - this is what the lakes look like at different periods of time!

Scientists theorize that the lakes change color from their contents due to a chemical reaction that occurs when various gases and minerals interact.

For example, the reaction between iron and hydrogen sulfide gas produces a brownish-red hue. As both hydrochloric and sulfuric acid levels increase, a rich green color appears.

The legend of the most unusual lakes in the world

Residents of the village of Moni, which lies very close to the foot of the volcano, believe that these reservoirs are the abode of the souls of deceased ancestors. If it means that souls are angry.

Lake Tiwu-Ata-Mbulu, located in the west of the volcano, is called the lake of old men. According to legend, it sheltered the noble souls of people who lived their lives with dignity, those who died in old age. “Lake of Old Men” is a symbol of faith, knowledge and wisdom that comes with age.

Two other strange chameleon lakes are located nearby. They are separated only by a thin partition - the crater wall. Residents of the island of Flores believe that this is a thin line separating good and evil.

The names of the lakes explain this idea. After all, one of these volcanic formations, Tivu Nua Muri Kooh Tai, which is called the lake of boys and girls, preserves the innocent, young souls of those who died very early.

Incredibly, over the last quarter of a century 12 times! the water in the lake changed its color. Behind the partition is the “lake of black, evil souls” Tivu-Ata-Polo, where the souls of sinners languish.

Miraculous transformations in the volcanic lakes of Kelimutu

It is impossible to know for sure what color of water will be in each of the lakes tomorrow. Now the “lake of old people” is black, the lake of “young souls” is green. The enchanted “lake of sinners” is currently brown.

Previously, these reservoirs were, respectively, white, turquoise and red. In 2010, Tivu Ata Mbulu was painted dark green, Tivu Nua Muri Kooh Tai a beautiful vibrant turquoise, and Lake Tivu Ata Polo a moss green hue.

How to get to the colored lakes in Indonesia

Thousands of travelers visit Indonesia during their holidays. National Park Kelimutu to see the chameleon lakes. The village of Moni can be reached from the towns of Ende (51 km) and Maumere (62 km). Further - car route. 40 minutes - and you are at the parking lot next to the foot of the volcano. Another half hour - and colored lakes will appear before you.

At the top there is a convenient observation deck from which guests of Indonesia can enjoy a fantastic landscape. Sunsets and sunrises give the lakes bright, rich colors. Late in the morning, thick fog thickens the atmosphere of secrets and mysteries in the area around the lakes.

Important: Beware of walking on volcanic rock outside designated paths. An experienced guide will help you plan your route. Remember that the surface of the stones on the slopes of the volcano is very slippery. Stay away from the lakes, as the fumes cause fainting.

Volcanoes of Indonesia, including the mysterious giant Kelimutu with colored lakes, are on the list of attractions of this island country. Natural objects National Park Kelimutu in Indonesia is protected by UNESCO.

Kelimutu and its colored lakes photo

In the central part of the Indonesian island of Flores, on the territory of the National Park, the Kelimutu volcano rises. The volcano has been dormant for a long time. His last activity was in 1968. Then three multi-colored lakes were formed - an amazing miracle of nature.

The lakes are located at the very top of the mountain, in the depressions formed after the eruption. The lakes, like a chameleon, periodically change their colors from green, turquoise to brown, red and black.

This color change is explained by chemical reactions occurring in the water between gas and minerals. For example, rising levels of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid turn lakes a beautiful green hue, while the reaction between hydrogen sulfide and iron produces a red color.

Local residents explain this phenomenon by the fact that the souls of their dead ancestors live in the lakes. If the color in the lakes changes, it means that the souls are very angry. There is another version according to which the change of colors indicates upcoming tense events in.

The lake located on the western side is named Tivu Ata Mbulu. The name translates as “lake of old people.” The legend tells that the souls of good people found peace in the lake. Having lived their lives with dignity, they died at a ripe old age. The lake means wisdom, which appears only with more life experience.

In the center is the reservoir Tivu Nua Muri Kooh Tai or “lake of girls and boys”. It contains the souls of dead young, innocent people. The peculiarity of the reservoir is that in 26 years its color has changed 12 times.

The last lake is Tivu-Ata-Polo - “lake of evil souls”. The souls of evil people languish in its waters. These two lakes are separated by a thin wall of a volcanic crater. The partition has a symbolic meaning and clearly shows that good and evil are separated by a very thin line. It is almost impossible to predict what the color of the lake will be. Today, the lake of the “good” has changed from green to black. The lake of “young souls” turned bright green, and the lake of “evil” ones turned brown.

The best panorama of the most wonderful reservoirs opens from the top of Mount Kelimutu. For safety reasons, it is better to use the “point of inspiration”, which is the name of the observation deck. At sunrise or sunset, the lakes take on bright, rich colors. The thick fog gathering over the area creates an atmosphere of mystery and mysticism.

Volcano lakes are highly valued in Indonesia. In the past, their images were featured on Rs 5,000 notes. Kelimutu Park is protected by the Convention World Heritage. The views of chameleon lakes attract thousands of tourists from all over the world every year, eager to admire another masterpiece of nature.