The Beauty and Uniqueness of the Largest Lake in Papua, Lake Sentani
Papua has quite a lot of beautiful and charming natural attractions, Lake Sentani is one of them. Lake Sentani is located on the slopes of the Cycloops nature reserve which has an area of about 250,000 hectares. Lake Sentani itself has an area of 9,360 hectares and is located at an altitude of 75 meters above sea level.
Lake Sentani is the largest lake in Papua and has various species of freshwater fish typical of Papua. The name Danau Sentani itself means "here we live in peace" which was chosen because the indigenous tribes living around the lake live side by side peacefully.
Because it is very wide this lake has about 22 islands in it. Tourists can also visit these islands by renting a motorboat. Tourists can see the activities of residents such as fishing. There are at least 33 species of fish in Lake Sentani, including sawfish which are thought to be extinct.
In addition, tourists can see the beauty of Lake Sentani from a height at the McArthur Monument. From here you can see the islands and the vastness of Lake Sentani with natural views that provide tranquility.
Location of Lake Sentani
Lake Sentani is located in Jayapura Regency, Papua, precisely on the slopes of the Cycloops nature reserve and is about 50 km from Jayapura City.
The right time to visit Lake Sentani is in June because the Lake Sentani Festival (FDS) will be held that month. The festival will feature various dances such as the Papuan war dance, traditional dances performed on boats, and also various Papuan culinary offerings.
History of Lake Sentani
Sentani lake has a history, closely related to ancient people from Papua who made long journeys riding dragons. While in the middle of the journey the dragon could no longer continue his journey he then fell into a large lake. The dragon died and the rider lived on the dragon's body that appeared on the surface of the lake.
According to legend, the dragon's head became an island on the east side of the lake and the tail became an island on the west side while the body became an island in the middle called Asei Island.
Lake Sentani is the target of Indonesian travelers and even the world because it displays natural exoticism that is well preserved. Going around the lake while enjoying the beauty of the scenery as well as the freshness of the air must be very pleasant.
Visitors can also visit the island of Asei which is one of the islands that is quite popular. Here, visitors can buy Papuan handicrafts, such as bark cloth which has a distinctive motif.