Danau Gunung Tujuh (Mount Tujuh Lake) is a large caldera lake in the north of Kerinci Seblat National Park, in southeast West Sumatra Province. It has the distinction of being the highest lake in Southeast Asia and has good hiking.
Access to Kerinci Seblat National Park is via the Padang-Sungaipenuh highway in the Kerinci Valley at the pleasant village of Kersik Tua. Danau Gunung Tujuh lies at 1,950m above sea level and is a four-hour trek from nearby Pelompek village. The lake belongs to Mount Tujuh (Seven Mountains).
Also in the area is Mount Kerinci, the highest mountain in Indonesia at 3,805m. It has superb hiking and is also accessible from Kersik Tua, but is tough for beginners. It’s a good three-day hike from Kersik Tua to the summit of Mount Kerinci and back.
Kerinci Seblat National Park at large is a stunning park that covers four provinces, including the bottom end of West Sumatra. As well as stunning scenery it harbors a plethora of animals, including Sumatran rhinos, tigers, crocodiles, orangutans and numerous species of birds.
Getting There & Away
Flying to Padang in West Sumatra from Jakarta is the best way to get to Danau Gunung Tujuh. Minangkabau International Airport is a 1-hour, 30-minute flight from Jakarta and the journey time to Kersik Tua (near Danau Gunung Tujuh) from Padang is 6 hours by bus.