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$151
Luwuk Banggai, Central Sulawesi
Banggai Islands 1-Day Trip: Snorkel, Island Hop & Dolphins
1 DaySmall groups
lake · Luwuk & Banggai
Paisupok Lake
A spring-fed blue lake on Peleng Island, so clear the fallen logs look suspended.
At a glance
- Entry fee
- Around IDR 5,000 as of January 2026, with small extra charges for parking, boat and gazebo hire. A new tiered rate of roughly IDR 50,000 to 60,000 for foreign adults was announced in March 2026, so ask at the gate rather than assume. Cash only.
- Opening hours
- Open around the clock, but the boardwalk, changing rooms and rentals run in daylight. On busy weekends the managers cap time on the main platform at about an hour per group.
- Time needed
- Two to three hours at the lake itself. Budget an overnight on Peleng either way: the ferry back to Luwuk leaves Leme-Leme around 8am, so a same-day round trip is not possible.
About Paisupok Lake
Paisupok is a small spring-fed lake in the Danau district of Peleng, the largest of the Banggai Islands, and its reputation rests on one thing: the water is so clear that the sunken tree trunks on the bottom look like they are hanging in mid-air. The springs feeding it keep the lake cold and a hard blue-green, and on a still morning the surface reads as glass. Local guides quote visibility of ten to fifteen metres, and unlike most such claims, that one is easy to verify from the boardwalk.
There is a wooden walkway out over the water with platforms to swim and jump from, plus changing rooms, toilets and a small shop by the entrance. Motorised boats are banned, so the only things on the lake are swimmers, a few small rented boats and paddle boards. The water is genuinely cold first thing and warms to something pleasant by the middle of the day. On busy weekends the managers cap time on the main boardwalk at about an hour a group, which tells you how popular this has become with Indonesian visitors even though almost no foreign travellers make it here.
The entrance fee has been a few thousand rupiah for years, around IDR 5,000 as of January 2026, with small extra charges for parking, boat and gazebo hire. In March 2026 the Banggai Kepulauan tourism office announced a new tiered structure that would charge foreign adults around IDR 50,000 on weekdays and IDR 60,000 at weekends, with the start date to be announced a week in advance. Whether it is already in force when you arrive is worth asking rather than assuming. Either way, it remains a very cheap ticket for what you get.
Getting there
You cross from Luwuk by sea. The everyday option is the public ferry from Pelabuhan Rakyat, a large wooden passenger boat that leaves in the early afternoon, usually quoted as around 2pm, and takes roughly two hours to Leme-Leme on Peleng, for somewhere around IDR 50,000 to 55,000 as of early 2026. A bunk in a fan cabin costs a little more. Departures run late as a matter of routine, so build slack into the day. A private speedboat charter cuts the crossing to about an hour but costs many times more, and is only sensible split across a group. From Leme-Leme it is about 23 km to the lake, roughly an hour on a road with patched and broken sections, either by rented scooter or with a hired car and driver. From the car park a short paved path, about five minutes, brings you to the water. The critical detail is the return: the ferry back to Luwuk leaves Leme-Leme in the early morning, around 8am, which makes a same-day round trip impossible. You need at least one night on Peleng, either at a homestay in Leme-Leme or in the village by the lake itself.
Best time
The dry season, roughly April to November, gives the calmest crossings and the most reliable weather; December to March is unsettled and the ferry is less pleasant. On the day itself, early morning gives the glassiest surface and the strongest colour, though the water is at its coldest then, while early afternoon light sits better for photographs and the swim is warmer. Weekdays are far quieter than weekends, when local families arrive in numbers and boardwalk time is rationed. Avoid national holidays and the days around Eid entirely unless crowds are what you came for.
Good to know
Accept from the start that this is an overnight trip, not a day trip, and book somewhere to sleep on Peleng before you leave Luwuk. Bring all the cash you will need for the ferry, the driver, the entrance fee and your bed, because there is nothing resembling reliable card payment out here and ATMs are scarce. In the water, no soap and no shampoo, and no rubbish left behind. These are posted rules and they matter for a small enclosed lake with no outflow to speak of. The water is deep in places and cold enough to catch your breath, so it suits confident swimmers rather than small children, and it is worth easing in rather than jumping straight off the platform on a cold morning.
Luwuk & Banggai
Things to do at Paisupok Lake
01
Swim off the boardwalk
The wooden walkway runs out over the water with platforms to swim and jump from. The springs keep it cold first thing and it warms to something pleasant by the middle of the day. It is deep in places, so ease in rather than jumping straight off on a cold morning.
02
Look straight down at the sunken logs
The reason people come. Visibility is quoted locally at ten to fifteen metres and the fallen tree trunks on the bottom read as though they are hanging in mid-air. You can verify the claim from the boardwalk without getting in.
03
Take a small boat or paddle board out
Motorised boats are banned, so the lake stays quiet. Small rented boats and paddle boards are available at the entrance for a few tens of thousands of rupiah, and they get you over the clearest water away from the platform.
04
Come early for the glass surface
On a still morning the water reads as glass and the blue-green is at its strongest. Later in the day the light is better for photographs and the swim is warmer, so which slot you want depends on what you came for.
Luwuk & Banggai
Tours that include this
Good to know
Paisupok Lake FAQs
Can I visit Paisupok as a day trip from Luwuk?+
Not on the public ferry. It reaches Peleng in the mid afternoon and the return boat leaves Leme-Leme around 8am the following morning, so you need at least one night on the island. A chartered speedboat can make it a day trip, but the cost is high unless you are splitting it across a group.
How much does it cost to enter?+
The entrance fee was around IDR 5,000 as of January 2026, with small extra charges for parking, boat and gazebo hire. In March 2026 the Banggai Kepulauan tourism office announced a new tiered tariff of roughly IDR 50,000 weekdays and IDR 60,000 weekends for foreign adults, so check the current rate on arrival.
How clear is the water really?+
Local guides quote ten to fifteen metres of visibility, and the sunken logs on the bottom are clearly visible from the boardwalk on a calm day. Wind and heavy rain reduce it, so an early, still morning is when it looks its best.
Is it safe to swim in the lake?+
There are platforms and a boardwalk designed for swimming and the water is calm, with no crocodiles or dangerous wildlife reported. It is cold and deep in places, though, so it suits confident swimmers more than small children.
Are there facilities at the lake?+
Basic ones. Changing rooms, toilets, a small shop, gazebos and boat hire, plus camping if you arrange it. Bring your own water and snacks rather than relying on the shop.
Where do I stay on Peleng?+
There are simple homestays at Leme-Leme near the ferry port and in the village by the lake, and the larger town of Salakan has more conventional hotels. Rooms are basic and limited, so message ahead rather than turning up hoping.
Luwuk & Banggai
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