Kelimutu National Park at a Glance
It is a simple article about Kelimutu National Park in Ende-Flores. This article is a preparation for Norwegian students of Agder Univesity doing research on the management of National Park in Kelimutu. I think it is also useful for my blog visitors. That is why, I put it here so as to fill up my readers' curiosity on Kelimutu National Park.
By: Emilianus Yakob Sese Tolo
I. Introduction
Kelimutu National Park is located on the island of Flores, Ende regency, Indonesia. It consists of a region with hills and mountains, with Mount Kelibara (1.731 m) as its highest peak. Mount Kelimutu, which has the three coloured lakes, is also located in this national park. This unique natural attraction is a destination for tourists from many regions.
The most well-known of Kelimutu National park is three colored water of these crater lakes in the mountain-top of Kelimutu. These lakes exist due to the continuous volcanic activities that started million years ago; and this nature phenomenon does not exist in any other parts of the world except in Kelimutu.
According to the local legend, these three lakes are believed as villages in which died people live. Ata polo lake which has red water as its color is believed as a place where the souls of wicked people live; Nua Muri Koo Fai lake which has Tosca-green as its water color is believed as a place where the died youths live; while Ata Mbupu lake which the color of the water is black is believed as a place where the souls of wise people and old people live.
However, there are other potentialities of the park that is nice and need to be enjoyed like flora and fauna potentiality and local culture potentiality. They are also beautiful and so attractive. Therefore, visiting the park without enjoying all its potentialities comprehensively is not perfect yet. But, anyway, of all these potentialities, Kelimutu Lake is the most visited one by tourists from many regions.
II. Kelimutu National Park
2.1. The History of Kelimutu National Park
Talking about Kelimutu Natinal Park could not be detached from Kelimutu Lake. This lake, historically, existed after Kelimutu mountain explosion in 1886. Kelimutu Lake was discovered by Van Suchtelen, an employ of Netherlands in 1915 although locals may have known about them earlier. But, it became famous because of Fr. Bouman, SVD, a missionary in Flores, published his article on Kelimutu Lake in 1929. Since Bouman’s publication, tourists started coming to Kelimutu not only for enjoying its beauty but also for making research on its existence.
But, actually, according to other resources, an early description of Keli Mutu was provided by the French naturalist LeRoux, who mentions it in his travel log of eastern Indonesia in 1896. A more comprehensive geologic and topographic survey was performed in the 1920's by the Dutch colonial geologist Kemmerling, who traveled through Flores on horseback and early motor vehicle. Since 1929 no publicly reported systematic survey of Flores has been done using modern techniques. A map of Flores (TPC N-12BG) was published in 1972 as part of the World Aeronautical Chart (WAC) series, but the topographic information is sketchy.
This Park was declared as a national park on Feb. 26, 1992. Its size is 5.356,5 hektar area not only consists of lakes but also mountains. It has Mount Kelibara as the highest peak. Rich in nature's diversity, the park became the haven of various species of birds, plants and endangered animals. This park is not only rich in natural resources but also in their cultural heritage as evidently showed in the local's traditional houses, weaving and dances.
To be brief, the park appointed by forestry minister based on the decision letter (SK) SK No. 279/Kpts-II/92 with its size 5.000 ha. And it was declared by forestry minister based on SK No. 675/Kpts-II/97 with its size 5.356,5 ha. The temperature is 25-31 degree Celsius and the lowest temperature is 11, 6 degree Celsius happening on July up to August. The rainfall is 1.600-3.300 mm per year where the rain season is on Descember till March and the driest season is on October till November. The high of the place is 1.500-1.731 meter. Geographic position is 8°43’ - 8°48’ LS, 121°44’ - 121°51’ BT
2.2. The potentiality of Kelimutu National Park
2.2.1. Ecotourism Potentiality
2.2.1.1. Kelimutu Lake
As Kelimutu is a volcano, close to the town of Moni in central Flores Island of Indonesia containing three summit crater lakes of varying colors. Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People) is usually blue and is the westernmost of the three lakes. The other two lakes, Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake) are separated by a shared crater wall and are typically green or red in color, respectively. The lake colors do vary on a periodic basis. Subaqueous fumaroles are the probable cause of active upwelling that occurs at the two eastern lakes.
Locals believe Mount Kelimutu is haunted by ghosts who are friendly if they are left undisturbed and it is customary for them to make offerings at a location called Perikonde, the gateway for the spirits wishing to go to Kelimutu. And local people in Ende in general except Nggela people believe that Kelimutu Lake as a place of died spirit. They believe the light green lake is a gathering place for the spirits of young men and women (tiwu nua muri koo fai); the black-brown lake, for evil sprits (tiwu ata polo); and the black lake, which is located some 200 meters away, for the spirits of old people (tiwu ata mbupu) according to Yeremias Fointuna.
The colors of three lakes are changing through the times. Local believes the changes happened by magic shift and there is a relationship between the water changes in the lake and some very important occurrences that will happen in a country or in Indonesia. At first, the colors of three lakes are red, white and blue. But, they have been changing for many times 1970. Scientifically, the changes are happened because of the changes of basic sediment which is unpredictable beforehand. And, Scientists and researchers analyze that the chemical compounds such as sulfate, ferro-salt and other chemical compounds together with the sun light and the gas pressures which are produced by the volcanic activities are the factors that influence the changes of the water color in the lakes.
Regarding the lake’s colors, there were expert researches. Their primary conclusion of the work at Kelimutu is that the three Kelimutu lakes are all fed by a similar volcanic gas source, but as a result of the mediated sub aqueous transport of that gas it yields different chemical "expressions" in each Crater Lake. Specific findings include the following:
•Tiwu Ata Polo (TAP) is an intermediate "acid-saline" volcanic crater lake whose frequent color changes are probably the direct result of changes in the oxidation state of the lake's water. TAP is intermediate in volcanic activity relative to the other Keli Mutu lakes.
•Tiwu Nua Muri Koo Fai(TiN) is a "cool acid-brine" volcanic crater lake that contains exotic sulfur compounds and probably a host of copper-rich minerals in the sediments. Of the three Kelimutu lakes, TiN is presently experiencing the greatest fumarolic input, which may include a flux of ~85 tones of sulfur dioxide per day (~55MW energy output).
•Tiwu Ata Mbupu (TAM) is an "acid-sulfate" volcanic crater lake whose gaseous input is presently very small relative to those for the other Keli Mutu lakes. In the 1970s it appears that TAM was much more active than it presently is.
•Comparison of the individual lakes with their respective historic chemistries demonstrates that they are all approaching chemical steady state.
•Several seepage outlets exist on and around Keli Mutu. The river Watu Gana bears a strong TAP fluid signature, but other hydrothermal waters show no Crater Lake signature at all.
Briefly, Kelimutu Lake is really interesting both for tourists and researches. It is included in 9 wonders place all over the world. Almost everyday, visitors come here for watching its beauty and to solve its mystery. But, in Kelimutu Lake, Tourists can also enjoy the beautiful maiden forests of pine, fir, redwood and edelweiss. According to souvenir seller Sisilia Sita, the tourist numbers peaked is on April to October. But, the other data says that it is on July till September.
2.2.1.2. Hot Spring and waterfall
Besides Kelimutu Lake, there is a hot spring located in Mony, a village near by the Park. In this place, many tourists also come for bathing, enjoying the hot spring. And there is also beautiful waterfall that could be nice tourism place for tourist. Even, there are two alternative tourism places at Kelimutu National Park but tourists tend to choose Kelimutu Lake as their prioritized destination.
2.2.2. Flora, Fauna and Cultural Resources
At kelimutu National Park visitors do not only enjoy beautiful Kelimutu Lake, but also enjoy other Park’s potentiality like flora and fauna potentiality. In this place, visitors can find vary unique endangered animals like 19 kinds of birds: Treron floris, burung hantu wallacea (Otus silvicola), sikatan rimba-ayun (Rhinomyias oscillans), kancilan Flores (Pachycephala nudigula), sepah kerdil (Pericrocotus lansbergei), tesia Timor (Tesia everetti), opior jambul (Lophozosterops dohertyi), opior paruh tebal (Heleia crassirostris), cabai emas (Dicaeum annae), kehicap Flores (Monarcha sacerdotum), burung madu matari (Nectarinia solaris), and elang Flores (Spizaetus floris).
The Park also becomes the home for 4 kinds of mammal like two mountain mice ( Bunomys naso and Rattus hainaldi), banteng (Bos javanicus javanicus), kijang (Muntiacus muntjak nainggolani), luwak (Pardofelis marmorata), trenggiling (Manis javanica), landak (Hystrix brachyura brachyura), dan kancil (Tragulus javanicus javanicus).
Inside the park visitors could find also several trees like (Albizia montana), kebu (Homalanthus giganteus), tokotaka (Putranjiva roxburghii), uwi rora (Ardisia humilis), longgo baja (Drypetes subcubica), toko keo (Cyrtandra sp.), kayu deo (Trema cannabina), and kelo (Ficus villosa).
There is also marine potentiality around Menjangan Island and Tanjung Gelap. Here, visitors could find 45 kinds of corals like Halimeda macroloba, Chromis spp., Balistes spp., Zebrasoma spp., and Ypsiscarus ovifrons. There are 32 kinds of fish like ikan bendera (Platax pinnatus), ikan sadar (Siganus lineatus), and barakuda (Sphyraena jello); 9 kinds of sea mollusks like kima selatan (Tridacna derasa), triton terompet (Charonia tritonis), and kima raksasa (Tridacna gigas).
In 2001 Kelimutu National Park was divided into 4 zones based on SK Dirjen PKA No. 16/Kpts/DJ-V/2001, namely:
1. Central zone with its is size 350, 50 ha
The dominant vegetations in this zone are Vaccinium varingiaefolium, Cemara Gunung ( Casuarina junghuniana ), ( Rhododendron renschianum). And dominant animals are burung perkici, forest pig, forest chicken.
2. Junggle zone with its size is 4.351,50 ha. The dominant vegetations are ampupu (Eucalyptus urophylla ), fir (Casuarina junghuniana), fig tree (Ficus sp). And the dominant animals are monkey, forest chicken and burung perkici.
3. Intensive using zones with its wide is 96, 50 ha
The dominant vegetations are kurusaku, ranga. And the dominant amimals are forest chicken , burung perkici.
4. Rehabilitation zone with its size is seluas 558, 50 ha
The dominant vegetations are kurusaku and ranga. The dominant animals are forest chicken and burung perkici.
The park is sorrounded by local villages. Most of locals are farmers. There are 9 desa around the Park, namely Desa Sakoria, Koanara, Woloara, Pemo, Waturaka, Wiwipemo, Tenda, Detusoko and Wolojita. Locals living close to the Park are really friendly and always smile at visitors coming to the Park. It happens because of influencing of their culture, LIO culture, which really keeps the hospitality to the guests coming to their village. In villages, there are so many cultural rites doing for adore their Supreme Being. Their Supreme Being is called INE PARE. INE PARE literally means Mom Rice (Ine: Mother and Pare: Rice).
There are several cultural rites for adore there Supreme Being. They are:
1.Tu Tau ; It is a rite before harvesting. There are two kinds of this rite.
oTu Tau Tedo : It is a ceremony before planting. It happens on October.
oTu Tau Keti : It is a ceremony while harvesting. It happens on January and February.
2.Gaga Jala; it is a rite for cleaning the road before beginning the cultural ceremony. It happens on March.
3.Wari Pare ; It is a rite for dry the rice. It happens on April and May.
4.Dhu Kibi; It is a rite of pounding the rice.
5.Nai Keu ; It is a rite for harvesting sirih, pinang and coconut. The rite for harvesting siri and pinang is once a year on February. And the rite for harvesting the coconut is three times a year. It happens on March, June, September, and December.
6.Riwu Benu ; It is a rite for bringind rice.
7.Wa'u Tosa; It is a rite for pounding the rice for cultural ceremony. It happens on September or October.
8.Pu Keu and Pu Uwi ; This is the rite for give meals for the local head of the village. This rite happens once a year in the harvesting season for pinang and cassava.
9.Ia Keu ; It is a rite for playing Tandak along the night. It happens once a year on October.
10.Nggera Kibi ; It is a rite for taking rice from rice granary for special villagers who are poor, widows and orphans (ana kalo fai walu). It happens on October.
11.Po'o Teu: It is a rite for cooking rice using bamboo and burning it. It happens on October.
12.Poke Gaku : It is a rite for scare away mice by singing certain songs while hitting the baboos.
13.Pire Ngii Te’u; It is a 7 days fasting, and locals do not do anything in their farm.
To be brief, the richness of natural resources at Kelimutu National Park is supported by local culture resources like art, traditional house, traditional dance, and traditional weaving. All of these cultural resources are really attractive for visitors especially for foreigner tourists. Usually, after visiting Kelimutu Lake, tourists spend their time for visiting these cultural resources by going to some villages like traditional village of Nggela, Koanara, Wiwipemo, Tenda, Wolojita, Wolotopo, Ngalupolo, Onelako, Puutuga, and Sokoria.
III. The Management of Kelimutu Natinal Park
3.1. Local Government and Local People
Local government really concerns with the existence of the Park. They always make short term and long term plans of keeping and maintaining this park. Balai Taman Nasional Kelimutu promised to maintain the Parke better by providing more equipment. By this, visitors will be more safe and enjoying the beauty of the Park. “We are trying to make a site plan for maintaining Kelimutu National Park better,” said Agus Bambang Haryono, the employee of Balai Taman National.
But, the paradigm of local government in maintaining the Park is a top-down paradigm. Using this paradigm means that local people are not included in the process of maintaining the Park. The impact is that local people do not agree with the local government decision regarding the Park. “Local people were not included in making policy on the Park. Actually, the Park belongs to local people. That is locals land and already taken by the government for being National Park. And for doing all of this, local people were not included comprehensively by government. It is not fair,” said Ardianus Conterius Wia, a local people.
The head of WAHLI NTT (environmental office located in Jl. Untung Senopati No. 7 Kupang), Pius Hamid, S. Fil, affirmed that management of Kelimutu National Park is not so good because local government treats a local people as an object of the park management not subject of the park management. Therefore, local government does not pay attention to the need of the local people. Local people still cut down the tree inside the National Park of Kelimutu for building new house of traditional house. And local government does not solve this program by distributing alternative timber from outside.
According to the research of Forestry Reseach Institution of Bali and Nusa Tenggara Timur says that 89% need of timber for people of Ende is from Kelimutu National Park. There are 23 kinds of trees that used for building traditional house and local house is keba, balu wete, kuro, kasa, singgi, nggura, naju, kesa, naa, nangka, wowo, oja, kaju wawi, balu, naka, bu/cemara, ampupu, fai, uru, wea nana, nara, mundi, and wola. And most of these timbers exist in Kelimutu National Park. The conflict between locals and government regarding the timber is still going on until now.
3.2. Kelimutu National Park Contribution for Local Government and Local People
The entrance fee for going to Kelimutu National Park is really cheap. For domestic tourist is only Rp. 1.000 per people, foreigner tourist is Rp. 2.500 per people. It is so cheap. Local government also admits that the entrance fee is too cheap. But, until now there are no any policies of local government for increasing the amount of entrance fee. And the entrance fee contribution will go for maintaining the park only.
Most of local people income is increasing after Kelimutu became well-known tourisms place. They could sell anything for tourists visiting the Park. But, maybe, some locals are sad because most of their lands are taken by government to be Kelimutu National Park without any compensation.
In Kelimutu, locals sell traditional snacks and main meals, with beef, bananas and corn featuring heavily on the menu. At night, a glass of moke, an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of the palm tree, warms the cockles of the heart. Ende souvenirs include woven fabrics bearing motifs that are peculiar to the district. Prices range from 40,000 for a scarf to 300,000 for a sarong.
In this village, you can stay in wooden huts that are managed by the local administration. The cost is about Rp 100,000 a night. Alternatively, if you are on a limited budget but would like to spend a few days in Kelimutu, you can stay in a homestay for Rp 50,000-75,000 a night. There is also government cottage, but it is quite expensive then locals.
IV. Conclusion
Kelimutu National Park is well-known. Many tourists come here for enjoying its beauty. However, even it is well-known; it does not mean that the park is managed well. There are some conflicts between locals and government regarding the existence of the Park. It is needed to be solved otherwise locals and government itself will receive its catastrophe.
By: Emilianus Yakob Sese Tolo
I. Introduction
Kelimutu National Park is located on the island of Flores, Ende regency, Indonesia. It consists of a region with hills and mountains, with Mount Kelibara (1.731 m) as its highest peak. Mount Kelimutu, which has the three coloured lakes, is also located in this national park. This unique natural attraction is a destination for tourists from many regions.
The most well-known of Kelimutu National park is three colored water of these crater lakes in the mountain-top of Kelimutu. These lakes exist due to the continuous volcanic activities that started million years ago; and this nature phenomenon does not exist in any other parts of the world except in Kelimutu.
According to the local legend, these three lakes are believed as villages in which died people live. Ata polo lake which has red water as its color is believed as a place where the souls of wicked people live; Nua Muri Koo Fai lake which has Tosca-green as its water color is believed as a place where the died youths live; while Ata Mbupu lake which the color of the water is black is believed as a place where the souls of wise people and old people live.
However, there are other potentialities of the park that is nice and need to be enjoyed like flora and fauna potentiality and local culture potentiality. They are also beautiful and so attractive. Therefore, visiting the park without enjoying all its potentialities comprehensively is not perfect yet. But, anyway, of all these potentialities, Kelimutu Lake is the most visited one by tourists from many regions.
II. Kelimutu National Park
2.1. The History of Kelimutu National Park
Talking about Kelimutu Natinal Park could not be detached from Kelimutu Lake. This lake, historically, existed after Kelimutu mountain explosion in 1886. Kelimutu Lake was discovered by Van Suchtelen, an employ of Netherlands in 1915 although locals may have known about them earlier. But, it became famous because of Fr. Bouman, SVD, a missionary in Flores, published his article on Kelimutu Lake in 1929. Since Bouman’s publication, tourists started coming to Kelimutu not only for enjoying its beauty but also for making research on its existence.
But, actually, according to other resources, an early description of Keli Mutu was provided by the French naturalist LeRoux, who mentions it in his travel log of eastern Indonesia in 1896. A more comprehensive geologic and topographic survey was performed in the 1920's by the Dutch colonial geologist Kemmerling, who traveled through Flores on horseback and early motor vehicle. Since 1929 no publicly reported systematic survey of Flores has been done using modern techniques. A map of Flores (TPC N-12BG) was published in 1972 as part of the World Aeronautical Chart (WAC) series, but the topographic information is sketchy.
This Park was declared as a national park on Feb. 26, 1992. Its size is 5.356,5 hektar area not only consists of lakes but also mountains. It has Mount Kelibara as the highest peak. Rich in nature's diversity, the park became the haven of various species of birds, plants and endangered animals. This park is not only rich in natural resources but also in their cultural heritage as evidently showed in the local's traditional houses, weaving and dances.
To be brief, the park appointed by forestry minister based on the decision letter (SK) SK No. 279/Kpts-II/92 with its size 5.000 ha. And it was declared by forestry minister based on SK No. 675/Kpts-II/97 with its size 5.356,5 ha. The temperature is 25-31 degree Celsius and the lowest temperature is 11, 6 degree Celsius happening on July up to August. The rainfall is 1.600-3.300 mm per year where the rain season is on Descember till March and the driest season is on October till November. The high of the place is 1.500-1.731 meter. Geographic position is 8°43’ - 8°48’ LS, 121°44’ - 121°51’ BT
2.2. The potentiality of Kelimutu National Park
2.2.1. Ecotourism Potentiality
2.2.1.1. Kelimutu Lake
As Kelimutu is a volcano, close to the town of Moni in central Flores Island of Indonesia containing three summit crater lakes of varying colors. Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People) is usually blue and is the westernmost of the three lakes. The other two lakes, Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake) are separated by a shared crater wall and are typically green or red in color, respectively. The lake colors do vary on a periodic basis. Subaqueous fumaroles are the probable cause of active upwelling that occurs at the two eastern lakes.
Locals believe Mount Kelimutu is haunted by ghosts who are friendly if they are left undisturbed and it is customary for them to make offerings at a location called Perikonde, the gateway for the spirits wishing to go to Kelimutu. And local people in Ende in general except Nggela people believe that Kelimutu Lake as a place of died spirit. They believe the light green lake is a gathering place for the spirits of young men and women (tiwu nua muri koo fai); the black-brown lake, for evil sprits (tiwu ata polo); and the black lake, which is located some 200 meters away, for the spirits of old people (tiwu ata mbupu) according to Yeremias Fointuna.
The colors of three lakes are changing through the times. Local believes the changes happened by magic shift and there is a relationship between the water changes in the lake and some very important occurrences that will happen in a country or in Indonesia. At first, the colors of three lakes are red, white and blue. But, they have been changing for many times 1970. Scientifically, the changes are happened because of the changes of basic sediment which is unpredictable beforehand. And, Scientists and researchers analyze that the chemical compounds such as sulfate, ferro-salt and other chemical compounds together with the sun light and the gas pressures which are produced by the volcanic activities are the factors that influence the changes of the water color in the lakes.
Regarding the lake’s colors, there were expert researches. Their primary conclusion of the work at Kelimutu is that the three Kelimutu lakes are all fed by a similar volcanic gas source, but as a result of the mediated sub aqueous transport of that gas it yields different chemical "expressions" in each Crater Lake. Specific findings include the following:
•Tiwu Ata Polo (TAP) is an intermediate "acid-saline" volcanic crater lake whose frequent color changes are probably the direct result of changes in the oxidation state of the lake's water. TAP is intermediate in volcanic activity relative to the other Keli Mutu lakes.
•Tiwu Nua Muri Koo Fai(TiN) is a "cool acid-brine" volcanic crater lake that contains exotic sulfur compounds and probably a host of copper-rich minerals in the sediments. Of the three Kelimutu lakes, TiN is presently experiencing the greatest fumarolic input, which may include a flux of ~85 tones of sulfur dioxide per day (~55MW energy output).
•Tiwu Ata Mbupu (TAM) is an "acid-sulfate" volcanic crater lake whose gaseous input is presently very small relative to those for the other Keli Mutu lakes. In the 1970s it appears that TAM was much more active than it presently is.
•Comparison of the individual lakes with their respective historic chemistries demonstrates that they are all approaching chemical steady state.
•Several seepage outlets exist on and around Keli Mutu. The river Watu Gana bears a strong TAP fluid signature, but other hydrothermal waters show no Crater Lake signature at all.
Briefly, Kelimutu Lake is really interesting both for tourists and researches. It is included in 9 wonders place all over the world. Almost everyday, visitors come here for watching its beauty and to solve its mystery. But, in Kelimutu Lake, Tourists can also enjoy the beautiful maiden forests of pine, fir, redwood and edelweiss. According to souvenir seller Sisilia Sita, the tourist numbers peaked is on April to October. But, the other data says that it is on July till September.
2.2.1.2. Hot Spring and waterfall
Besides Kelimutu Lake, there is a hot spring located in Mony, a village near by the Park. In this place, many tourists also come for bathing, enjoying the hot spring. And there is also beautiful waterfall that could be nice tourism place for tourist. Even, there are two alternative tourism places at Kelimutu National Park but tourists tend to choose Kelimutu Lake as their prioritized destination.
2.2.2. Flora, Fauna and Cultural Resources
At kelimutu National Park visitors do not only enjoy beautiful Kelimutu Lake, but also enjoy other Park’s potentiality like flora and fauna potentiality. In this place, visitors can find vary unique endangered animals like 19 kinds of birds: Treron floris, burung hantu wallacea (Otus silvicola), sikatan rimba-ayun (Rhinomyias oscillans), kancilan Flores (Pachycephala nudigula), sepah kerdil (Pericrocotus lansbergei), tesia Timor (Tesia everetti), opior jambul (Lophozosterops dohertyi), opior paruh tebal (Heleia crassirostris), cabai emas (Dicaeum annae), kehicap Flores (Monarcha sacerdotum), burung madu matari (Nectarinia solaris), and elang Flores (Spizaetus floris).
The Park also becomes the home for 4 kinds of mammal like two mountain mice ( Bunomys naso and Rattus hainaldi), banteng (Bos javanicus javanicus), kijang (Muntiacus muntjak nainggolani), luwak (Pardofelis marmorata), trenggiling (Manis javanica), landak (Hystrix brachyura brachyura), dan kancil (Tragulus javanicus javanicus).
Inside the park visitors could find also several trees like (Albizia montana), kebu (Homalanthus giganteus), tokotaka (Putranjiva roxburghii), uwi rora (Ardisia humilis), longgo baja (Drypetes subcubica), toko keo (Cyrtandra sp.), kayu deo (Trema cannabina), and kelo (Ficus villosa).
There is also marine potentiality around Menjangan Island and Tanjung Gelap. Here, visitors could find 45 kinds of corals like Halimeda macroloba, Chromis spp., Balistes spp., Zebrasoma spp., and Ypsiscarus ovifrons. There are 32 kinds of fish like ikan bendera (Platax pinnatus), ikan sadar (Siganus lineatus), and barakuda (Sphyraena jello); 9 kinds of sea mollusks like kima selatan (Tridacna derasa), triton terompet (Charonia tritonis), and kima raksasa (Tridacna gigas).
In 2001 Kelimutu National Park was divided into 4 zones based on SK Dirjen PKA No. 16/Kpts/DJ-V/2001, namely:
1. Central zone with its is size 350, 50 ha
The dominant vegetations in this zone are Vaccinium varingiaefolium, Cemara Gunung ( Casuarina junghuniana ), ( Rhododendron renschianum). And dominant animals are burung perkici, forest pig, forest chicken.
2. Junggle zone with its size is 4.351,50 ha. The dominant vegetations are ampupu (Eucalyptus urophylla ), fir (Casuarina junghuniana), fig tree (Ficus sp). And the dominant animals are monkey, forest chicken and burung perkici.
3. Intensive using zones with its wide is 96, 50 ha
The dominant vegetations are kurusaku, ranga. And the dominant amimals are forest chicken , burung perkici.
4. Rehabilitation zone with its size is seluas 558, 50 ha
The dominant vegetations are kurusaku and ranga. The dominant animals are forest chicken and burung perkici.
The park is sorrounded by local villages. Most of locals are farmers. There are 9 desa around the Park, namely Desa Sakoria, Koanara, Woloara, Pemo, Waturaka, Wiwipemo, Tenda, Detusoko and Wolojita. Locals living close to the Park are really friendly and always smile at visitors coming to the Park. It happens because of influencing of their culture, LIO culture, which really keeps the hospitality to the guests coming to their village. In villages, there are so many cultural rites doing for adore their Supreme Being. Their Supreme Being is called INE PARE. INE PARE literally means Mom Rice (Ine: Mother and Pare: Rice).
There are several cultural rites for adore there Supreme Being. They are:
1.Tu Tau ; It is a rite before harvesting. There are two kinds of this rite.
oTu Tau Tedo : It is a ceremony before planting. It happens on October.
oTu Tau Keti : It is a ceremony while harvesting. It happens on January and February.
2.Gaga Jala; it is a rite for cleaning the road before beginning the cultural ceremony. It happens on March.
3.Wari Pare ; It is a rite for dry the rice. It happens on April and May.
4.Dhu Kibi; It is a rite of pounding the rice.
5.Nai Keu ; It is a rite for harvesting sirih, pinang and coconut. The rite for harvesting siri and pinang is once a year on February. And the rite for harvesting the coconut is three times a year. It happens on March, June, September, and December.
6.Riwu Benu ; It is a rite for bringind rice.
7.Wa'u Tosa; It is a rite for pounding the rice for cultural ceremony. It happens on September or October.
8.Pu Keu and Pu Uwi ; This is the rite for give meals for the local head of the village. This rite happens once a year in the harvesting season for pinang and cassava.
9.Ia Keu ; It is a rite for playing Tandak along the night. It happens once a year on October.
10.Nggera Kibi ; It is a rite for taking rice from rice granary for special villagers who are poor, widows and orphans (ana kalo fai walu). It happens on October.
11.Po'o Teu: It is a rite for cooking rice using bamboo and burning it. It happens on October.
12.Poke Gaku : It is a rite for scare away mice by singing certain songs while hitting the baboos.
13.Pire Ngii Te’u; It is a 7 days fasting, and locals do not do anything in their farm.
To be brief, the richness of natural resources at Kelimutu National Park is supported by local culture resources like art, traditional house, traditional dance, and traditional weaving. All of these cultural resources are really attractive for visitors especially for foreigner tourists. Usually, after visiting Kelimutu Lake, tourists spend their time for visiting these cultural resources by going to some villages like traditional village of Nggela, Koanara, Wiwipemo, Tenda, Wolojita, Wolotopo, Ngalupolo, Onelako, Puutuga, and Sokoria.
III. The Management of Kelimutu Natinal Park
3.1. Local Government and Local People
Local government really concerns with the existence of the Park. They always make short term and long term plans of keeping and maintaining this park. Balai Taman Nasional Kelimutu promised to maintain the Parke better by providing more equipment. By this, visitors will be more safe and enjoying the beauty of the Park. “We are trying to make a site plan for maintaining Kelimutu National Park better,” said Agus Bambang Haryono, the employee of Balai Taman National.
But, the paradigm of local government in maintaining the Park is a top-down paradigm. Using this paradigm means that local people are not included in the process of maintaining the Park. The impact is that local people do not agree with the local government decision regarding the Park. “Local people were not included in making policy on the Park. Actually, the Park belongs to local people. That is locals land and already taken by the government for being National Park. And for doing all of this, local people were not included comprehensively by government. It is not fair,” said Ardianus Conterius Wia, a local people.
The head of WAHLI NTT (environmental office located in Jl. Untung Senopati No. 7 Kupang), Pius Hamid, S. Fil, affirmed that management of Kelimutu National Park is not so good because local government treats a local people as an object of the park management not subject of the park management. Therefore, local government does not pay attention to the need of the local people. Local people still cut down the tree inside the National Park of Kelimutu for building new house of traditional house. And local government does not solve this program by distributing alternative timber from outside.
According to the research of Forestry Reseach Institution of Bali and Nusa Tenggara Timur says that 89% need of timber for people of Ende is from Kelimutu National Park. There are 23 kinds of trees that used for building traditional house and local house is keba, balu wete, kuro, kasa, singgi, nggura, naju, kesa, naa, nangka, wowo, oja, kaju wawi, balu, naka, bu/cemara, ampupu, fai, uru, wea nana, nara, mundi, and wola. And most of these timbers exist in Kelimutu National Park. The conflict between locals and government regarding the timber is still going on until now.
3.2. Kelimutu National Park Contribution for Local Government and Local People
The entrance fee for going to Kelimutu National Park is really cheap. For domestic tourist is only Rp. 1.000 per people, foreigner tourist is Rp. 2.500 per people. It is so cheap. Local government also admits that the entrance fee is too cheap. But, until now there are no any policies of local government for increasing the amount of entrance fee. And the entrance fee contribution will go for maintaining the park only.
Most of local people income is increasing after Kelimutu became well-known tourisms place. They could sell anything for tourists visiting the Park. But, maybe, some locals are sad because most of their lands are taken by government to be Kelimutu National Park without any compensation.
In Kelimutu, locals sell traditional snacks and main meals, with beef, bananas and corn featuring heavily on the menu. At night, a glass of moke, an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of the palm tree, warms the cockles of the heart. Ende souvenirs include woven fabrics bearing motifs that are peculiar to the district. Prices range from 40,000 for a scarf to 300,000 for a sarong.
In this village, you can stay in wooden huts that are managed by the local administration. The cost is about Rp 100,000 a night. Alternatively, if you are on a limited budget but would like to spend a few days in Kelimutu, you can stay in a homestay for Rp 50,000-75,000 a night. There is also government cottage, but it is quite expensive then locals.
IV. Conclusion
Kelimutu National Park is well-known. Many tourists come here for enjoying its beauty. However, even it is well-known; it does not mean that the park is managed well. There are some conflicts between locals and government regarding the existence of the Park. It is needed to be solved otherwise locals and government itself will receive its catastrophe.
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