Lake Maninjau is a volcanic lake that is located at 461,50 meters above the sea level. Its width is 99, 5 km2 with 4, 95 meters of the maximum depth. The existence of Lake Maninjau has created a folktale called “Bujang Sembilan” (The nine bachelors). People living around the lake believe that those nine bachelors are real. Once upon a time, there was a family consists of nine bachelors and a beautiful girl named Sani. There was a man named Sagiran who loved her, they love each other until one day they were accused of doing contemptible thing by the bachelors. In order to prove the bachelors’ assumption, both Sani and Sagiran jumped into the cauldron of Mount Tinjau. Before jumping into the cauldron, they swore that the mount would not explode if they did that contemptible thing, otherwise, the mount would explode if they did not do it. Finally, there was a huge explosion causing a big hole that was fulfilled by water that is believed as the cause of the existence of Lake Maninjau.
The Maninjau Lake is watering the river of Batang Antokan, and at the upstream of Batang Antokan there is a hydro power plant of Maninjau. Puncak Lawang/ The Peak of Lawang is the highest hill in Maninjau Lake area. And if you come from Bukittinggi city to Maninjau Lake, you will through the famous Veers, named the 44’s Veer, cross along 10 KM from Ambun Pagi till Maninjau.
Maninjau has shinny turquoise water with the flapping leaves of coconut trees and hills around the lake that make a wonderful view in Lake Maninjau.
There are two alternative ways to reach the destination, from the east and from the west. If you choose to start it from the west, it will be started from Padang to Lubuk Basung (the capital of Agam district) passing by Pariaman city. It spends about a half an hour hours by land using any accessible public transportation or chartered car that can be easily found there. It will be started from Padang to Bukit Tinggi continued to the destination passing by Kelok 44 for approximately three hours if we choose the alternative way from east.
