Twin Lakes of Solok

Danau Kembar, the twin lakes, are Danau Diatas and Danau Dibawah - the upper and lower lakes - lying about three hundred metres apart in the West Sumatran highlands near Alahan Panjang at around fifteen hundred metres, in a landscape of volcanic craters and vegetable terraces. The names are the local joke: the one called the upper lake sits at a lower elevation than the one called the lower, which is explained by their relative positions when seen from the road rather than by altitude. They differ in colour and depth, Dibawah being much deeper. A viewpoint on the ridge between them takes in both at once, which is the reason to come. The area is cold at night by Sumatran standards, grows tea, cabbage and passion fruit, and the road continues to Kerinci.

What you actually see

• Two crater lakes at once - Diatas and Dibawah from the ridge between them.
• Reversed names - the upper lake sitting lower, explained by the road view.
• Highland farming - tea, cabbage and passion fruit terraces at 1,500 metres.
• A cold highland climate - genuinely chilly at night for Sumatra.

When to go

All year; mornings before the cloud closes in. A day.

Honest expectations

Cloud and mist hide the lakes a good part of the time. Facilities are roadside stalls. The area is much colder than visitors expect - bring a layer.

Nearby

Solok and Singkarak are north; the road runs south towards Kerinci.