Paisu Pok Lake is a beautiful blue lake in Banggai, Indonesia that was still a hidden gem until very recently, although pictures of this amazing lake are going viral all over social media now so it seems the word is officially out.
We visited Paisupok recently and it’s just as nice as it looks in the photos. It’s not very hard to get to there if you’re already traveling in Sulawesi, which you should, because Sulawesi is a huge island with so many wonderful things to see and do.
This travel guide will explain how to get to Paisu Pok Lake in Banggai, and everything else you need to know before you go!
How To Get To Luwuk & Banggai
Paisu Pok Lake is located on Peleng island, which is part of the Banggai Islands Regency in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The first step is getting to Luwuk. There are direct flights to the Luwuk airport (LUW) from Makassar in South Sulawesi, or Manado in North Sulawesi. If you’re coming from Bali, Jakarta, or somewhere else in Indonesia, then you’ll have to transit in Makassar or Manado on the way to Luwuk. You can shop for flights on Skyscanner.
Once you arrive in Luwuk, you can take the public ferry from Luwuk People’s Port (‘Pelabuhan Rakyat’) over to Peleng island. It departs every day at 2 PM and the journey takes 2 hours, but it usually leaves an hour late (i.e. Indonesian rubber time).
Tickets can be bought on the spot for 54k Rupiah (~$3 USD) per person. This is a big wooden boat that carries about 50 to 100 passengers. It has bunks and benches to sit on, but they’re not very comfy. If you want more privacy, you can rent a small room for two people which has bunk beds and a fan. This costs an extra 50k Rupiah per room.
Alternatively, you can arrange a speedboat to take you over to the best sights on Peleng island, including Paisu Pok & Poganda Beach. In that case, the journey takes 1 hour from Luwuk, and you can sometimes see dolphins on your way over.
A private speedboat tour like this will set you back 4 million Rupiah (~$250 USD) for the roundtrip, but it’s quicker than the ferry and it could be economical if you’re traveling with friends to share the boat cost.
Paisupok Lake
How To Get To Paisu Pok Lake
The ferry from Luwuk will bring you to Leme-Leme port on Peleng, which is still 23 kilometers from the Paisu Pok Lake.
You can then rent a scooter from Novpitri Homestay near the harbor, or hire a private driver with a car. Google Maps says it’s a 40 minute drive, but it actually takes closer to 1 hour by scooter because some parts of the road are broken and you have to slow down to pass them safely.
There’s very little traffic on the road and it’s easy to find the lake. You can’t get lost, especially if you download an offline map beforehand. Here’s the location to use for navigation.
After visiting the Paisupok Lake, you can return to Luwuk by ferry from Leme Leme, which goes back at 8 AM daily, or you can head east to Salakan and continue exploring the Banggai islands!
Underwater shot
Paisu Pok Lake: What To Expect
Paisu Pok Lake is just as nice as it looks in pictures. We first saw it in the morning, and we thought that was stunning, but the color gets even better when the sun shines on it.
You can rent a small boat, canoe, or standup paddleboard for exploring the lake, or you can swim and snorkel in it. The water would be very cold in the morning, but by midday it felt perfect and it was a great escape from the heat and humidity of Sulawesi.
The inside of the lake is almost as beautiful as the outside, with fallen logs and rocks that give it personality. The water color seems to change with the lighting. In full sunlight, it has more of a greenish turquoise tint than I expected.
The lake is extremely clear, almost like glass, and you can usually see all the way to the bottom, even though it’s actually 10 to 20 meters deep in some places. The name ‘Paisu Pok’ means ‘black water’ or ‘dark water’ according to the locals.
There are only a handful of other places like this in Indonesia, such as the Labuan Cermin blue lake in Kalimantan, or the smaller Danau Kaco lake in Sumatra.
Drone view of Paisupok Lake
Overhead view
Conservation At Paisu Pok Lake
This is a small lake and it’s very beautiful, so there’s a danger of it becoming overdeveloped. I hope the locals will be serious about conservation.
My wife, who is Indonesian, made sure to thank the locals for protecting the lake, and politely asked/encouraged them to keep the natural scenery and not cut down too many more trees around the edge of the lake in the future. I’m afraid of that happening as it becomes more popular.
The jungle is half the beauty, and it would be really sad if they turn it into a tacky concrete theme park with swings, fake bird nests, and other silly photo ops everywhere, kind of like what’s happened at Alas Harum and some other popular places in Bali.
If you feel the same way and speak a little bit of Bahasa, you might also want to encourage the locals to conserve this place. As long as you’re polite, it can’t hurt. Nature like this is already perfect. There’s no need to try to improve it with more buildings.
The water color is unreal
Tourist Fees
- Lake Entrance: 5k IDR
- Canoe Rental: 30k IDR
- Camping Overnight: 35k IDR
Other Tips For Paisupok Lake
- Facilities: There’s a small shop at the lake where you can buy food and drinks, and also a toilet and changing room.
- Where To Stay: There are a bunch of very basic homestays in the Luk Panenteng village by the lake. If you stay there, you can walk to the lake and swim every day. We stayed at Novpitri Homestay, which is a bit farther away at Leme Leme. Another option is to stay in Salakan, which is a much more developed and comfortable town, but it’s a 3 hour drive from the lake.
- Language: This area is still very new to international tourism, so you’ll have to be patient with the locals. They can’t really speak English, but they’re friendly and helpful. A translator app could be handy.
- Mosquitoes: We didn’t see many mosquitoes at the lake, but it’s still a good idea to wear repellent if you’re not swimming.
- Crocodiles: There aren’t crocodiles in the lake, and it doesn’t have a channel connecting it to the ocean.
- Cell Service: We had phone signal with Telkomsel at the lake, and also at Leme Leme, so we were able to use the internet and send texts. It was helpful for trip planning.
- More Things To See Nearby: In the same vicinity as the lake, there’s a white sand beach called Pantai Poganda, and a turquoise lagoon called Paisu Batango. Both of these are nice and you can easily visit them in conjunction with the lake.
Paisupok Lake
This drone pic only shows about two-thirds of the lake. It’s bigger than you’d think.
Is Paisu Pok Lake Worth It?
Yes, the lake is amazing and I think it lives up to the hype on social media, although that could change someday if it becomes overdeveloped.
Would I travel all the way to Luwuk just to see Paisu Pok Lake? Maybe not, but there’s lots of other stuff to see and do in Banggai, so if you’re already traveling in Sulawesi it’s definitely worth setting aside at least a few days for it.
Glassy lake
More Banggai Travel Tips
Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this guide for visiting Paisupok Lake in Banggai, Sulawesi. It has to be the bluest lake in Indonesia.
I’m currently writing up a complete travel guide for the Banggai islands right now, so don’t forget to bookmark this blog and check back soon! There are lots of good things to see and do in this part of Sulawesi.