Danau Maninjau

Introducing Danau Maninjau

When viewed from the mountains above, Danau Maninjau looks as if a piece of the sky had grown weary with its eternal floating and crawled to earth for an afternoon nap. And the pace is just as sleepy: no jarring call to prayers, no overload of ‘Hello mister’ calls. Just the basic elements: land, sky and water.

This is a great place to evaporate a Sumatra session with early-morning swims or quiet afternoons watching the clouds wisp over the peaks and slither down the 600m crater walls. From the right vantage point you can outline Maninjau’s crater lip, engulfing a diminutive lake measuring 17km long and 8km wide.

The final descent to Danau Maninjau, on the road from Bukittinggi, 38km west, is unforgettable. The road twists and turns through 44 hairpin bends, and offers stunning views over the shimmering blue lake and surrounding hills.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009