Mount Rinjani is the third highest mountain in Indonesia which rises to 3,726 meters above sea level. It is an active volcano on the island of Lombok. The most recent eruption was in May 10, 2009. The oval shaped caldera of the volcano is filled with crater lake named “Sagara Anak” which is in the Lombok dialect meaning ‘child of the sea’. The reason of this name is because it is so wide that it appears like a sea with the blue water in it. The width of this crater lake is about 1,100 Ha!

Every year, thousands of local pilgrims visit the lake as they believed it to be a sacred place. Here, they offer gifts to the goddess that rules over the lake, Dewi Anjani (dewi means goddess, pronounced day-wee).

The three-day Rinjani trek route from Senaru to the crater rim, down to the Crater Lake then on to Sembalun Lawang, is considered one of the best treks in South East Asia. The national park of the Mount Rinjani manages the Rinjani trek. This is to ensure that communities around the mountain benefit from the tourism revenue. Revenue from tourism activities and entry fees is used for conservation, raining, management and assisting the National Park with maintenance of the Rinjani Trek, thus ensuring sustainability. The best time of the year to trek in Rinjani is from April to November.

The Gunung Rinjani National Park lies within a major bio-geographical transition zone (Wallcaeae), where the flora and fauna of South East Asia meets that of Australasia. The park covers about 413 square km. Some of endangered plants and also animals are protected here.

Popularity: 2% [?]