Danau Biru (Blue Lake), A Breeze of Alluring Nature
The gurgling sound of the stream running over rocks, accompanied by the chirping sounds of birds and the breeze of fresh air, all lend that special sense of serenity that awaits the visitor to Danau Biru; “The Blue Lake”. Located by the Walasiho Village, Wawo District, North Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, the lake lies on the border between the regencies of North Kolaka and Kolaka.The bright blue color of the lake will definitely tempt anyone to just dive in and submerge oneself in its refreshing water.
Danau Biru is surrounded by high rocky hills, along with the rows of trees, that together provide shelter from the scorching sun. About 80 meters from the lake is a white sand beach that stretches for 2 km. The water from the lake runs over rocks and over the beach before it reaches the open sea. There are a number of shower rooms to clean up and a gazebo facing the sea provided for tourists.
The lake is also home to various fish such as groupers and rabbitfish. According to local myth, if anyone catches fish from the lake and consumes it, then he or she will meet with misfortune. Although it may just be superstition, yet the essence of this myth is that preserving the natural ecosystem of the area is most important.
Get There
The distance form Kendari, capital of Southeast Sulawesi to Danau Biru in North Kolaka Regency is approximately 320 km. If you want to take the overland route, you must first reach Kolaka Regency by the Kendari-Makassar route which is normally served by public buses. The buses trip will take about 3-4 hours.
From Kolaka you can go straight to Danau Biru in Wawo district in about 3 hours' drive. One of the transportation services available in Kolaka is the Mitra Utama Taxi. From Makassar, you can take the flights from the Hasanudin International Airport to the Sangia Nibandera Airport in Kolaka. The route is served by Wings Air. If you wish to take the sea route, there are also ships from the port of Makassar to Bajo Port in Bone Regency. The trip will take about 3 hours. From Bajo Port you can continue to Kolaka Port with a ferry which will take approximately 8 hours.
