SIANOK CANYON (NGARAI SIANOK) - WEST SUMATRA

Sianok Canyon is a steep valley (ravine) which is located in the border town of Bukittinggi, the District IV Koto, Agam regency, West Sumatra.

The valley is long and winding as the boundary line from the southern city of Kota GAdang until the Sianok canyon "Six Tribes", and ended on Palupuh. Sianok canyon has beautiful scenery and became one of the main tourism destination of West Sumatra province.

This chasm which its depth approximately 100 m extends along 15 km with a width of approximately 200 m and is part of the fault that separates the island of Sumatra in half lengthwise (Semangko Fault).

This fault forms a steep wall, even perpendicular and form a green valley - results from the skin down movement of the earth (sinklinal) - which flows through Sianok Stem (Batang Sianok) (stem means the river, in the Minangkabau language) in which the water is clear.

In the Dutch colonial era, the gap is referred to as "sanget" buffalo, because of the large wild ox which lived freely in the bottom of the gorge.

Sianok Stem (Batang Sianok) now can be forded with canoe and kayak which is facilitated by a water sports organization "Qurays". The route taken is from the Lembah Village to Sitingkai Batang Palupuh Village for about 3.5 hours. On the edges, we still can find a lot of common plants and rare plants such as Rafflesia and herbs. Fauna that found at here are such as long-tailed monkeys, gibbons, hoop, deer, wild pigs, leopards, and tapir.

Translated from Indonesian Wikipedia

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LAKE SINGKARAK - WEST SUMATRA

Lake Singkarak (Danau Singkarak) was in two regencies in West Sumatra, Kabupaten Solok and Tanah Datar. With an area of 107.8 km ², Lake Singkarak is the largest lake on the island of Sumatra. This lake is upstream of Ombilin River. This part of the lake's water flowed through the tunnel through the Bukit Barisan to Batang Anai to move generator of Singkarak hydropower at the Lubuk Alung, Padang Pariaman.

"Bilih" fish (Mystacoleucus padangensis) is a species of fish which expected to live only in this lake, and became one of typical foods. Experts research expressed there are 19 species of fish live in freshwater habitats of Lake Singkarak, Solok and Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, with the limited availability of food materials.

Among the 19 species of fish, three species have a high density of population, namely Bilih fish / Biko (Mystacoleusus padangensis Blkr), Asang / Nilem (Osteochilus brachmoides) and Rinuak. Other species of fishes that live in Lake Festival are Turiak / turiq (Cyclocheilichthys de Zwani), Lelan / Nillem (Osteochilis vittatus), Sasau / Barau (HAMPALA mocrolepidota) and Gariang / Tor (Tor tambroides).

Then, Kapiek fish species (Puntius shwanefeldi) and Balinka / Belingkah (Puntius Belinka), Hemibagrus (Macrones planiceps), Kalang (Clarias batrachus), Jabuih / bloated (Tetradon mappa), Kalai / carp (carp Osphronemus lac) and Puyu / Betok (Anabas testudeneus).

Furthermore, species of Sapek fish / Snakeskin (Trichogaster trichopterus), Tilan (mastacembelus unicolor), Jumpo / Cork (Chana striatus), Kiuang / Cork (Chana pleurothalmus) and Mujaie / Oreochromis mossambicus (Tilapia pleurothalmus).

With only 19 species of fish that live in Lake Singkarak, they point that the diversity of fish in that place is not too high. The mesogotrophic conditions of Lake Singkarak that cause this habitat carrying capacity for the development and growth of organisms such as plankton and water biota, very limited.

Several studies have shown plankton and biota populations in Lake Singakrak are very low. Whereas plankton communities (phytoplankton and zooplankton) is the basis for the formation of a food chain and plays very important role in the ecosystem of the lake.

These conditions, causing major nutritional source of natural fish generally are various types of plankton and benthos.

Lake Singakrak is locatated at the geographical position coordinates of 0, 36 degrees South Latitude and 100.3 East Longitude with a height of 363.5 meters above sea level.

The lake water surface area reaches 11,200 hectares with a maximum length of 20 kilometers and 6.5 kilometers wide and 268 meters depth.

The lake has an area of water flow along the 1076 kilometers with rainfall 82 to 252 melimeter per month.

Translated from Indonesian Wikipedia

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LAKE MANINJAU - WEST SUMATRA

Lake Maninjau(Danau Maninjau) is a lake in the district of Tanjung Raya, Agam regency, West Sumatra province, Indonesia. The lake is located about 140 kilometers north of Padang, West Sumatra's capital, 36 kilometers from Bukittinggi, 27 kilometers from Lubuk Basung, Agam regency capital.

Maninjau, a volcanic lake, is located at an altitude of 461.50 meters above sea level. Maninjau's area size approximately 99.5 km² and has a maximum depth of 495 meters. Its sunken area is formed by volcanic eruption called SITINJAU (according to local legend), this can be seen from the shape of the hill around the lake that resembles a wall. According to the legend in Ranah Minang, the existence of Lake Maninjau closely related to the story of Bujang Sembilan.

Lake Maninjau is a source of water for the river named Batang Antokan. In one part of the lake which is upstream of the stem is Antokan Maninjau hydropower. The highest peak around Lake Maninjau hills known as Puncak Lawang.

To reach Lake Maninjau, if you are from Bukittinggi, is going through the winding road known as Kelok 44 approximately 10 kilometres long, starting from the Ambun Pagi to Maninjau.

The lake was listed as the eleventh largest lake in Indonesia. Meanwhile, in West Sumatra, Maninjau is the second largest lake after Lake Singkarak (Danau Singkarak) which has an area of 129.69 km², located in two districts of Tanah Datar and Solok. Around the Lake Maninjau, there are tourist facilities, such as hotels (Maninjau Indah Hotel, Pasir Panjang Permai) as well as lodging and restaurants.

Source : Translated from Indonesian Wikipedia

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