Blue Lagoon Labengki: getting in and what to expect

By Labengki Island Editorial Desk

Sourced facts: prices in the table carry their source and date and belong to third parties. We cannot guarantee availability, sightings, safety or weather.

Blue Lagoon Labengki is a lagoon that Kompas places behind karst rock, known locally as Laguna Mahumalalang according to operator Asik Travel. A traveller report describes getting in by ladder over jagged limestone, so footwear matters more than swimwear. Sources disagree on the water's colour, and the Jadesta tourism portal lists snorkelling there.

What is Blue Lagoon Labengki?

It is one of ten visitor spots named on the Ministry of Tourism's Jadesta listing for Labengki village. Beyond that, what you know about it depends on who you read, and each source saw something a little different. Our overview of Labengki lists all ten.

All four descriptive accounts mention rock. Read together, they suggest an enclosed body of water that you reach on foot over limestone, not a stretch of open sea you drift into. That shapes the visit more than the colour does, so think first about how you cross the rock and what you carry over it.

It is not in Kendari city. Jadesta places Labengki in North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, reached by sea, and our Kendari to Labengki route guide covers that part of the trip. A programme that lists this stop has already built in the crossing.

What is its local name?

Asik Travel gives Laguna Mahumalalang, which you may also see written as Mahumalalang lagoon. It is a single operator's naming, so ask a local crew whether they use it too. Knowing the name helps when one programme says Blue Lagoon and another uses the Indonesian. The same operator supplies these pairs:

One trap in the paperwork: Jadesta lists "the lagoon" and "Blue Lagoon" as two separate spots. A trip description that says only "lagoon" may not mean this one. If this is the stop you came for, ask for it by name.

Why do sources call it blue, green and turquoise?

The name says blue, ANTARA says green and Kompas says turquoise. None of them measures anything. Do not treat any one word as the colour you will see, or expect a particular photograph to repeat itself.

Kompas offers the only explanation, a meeting of sea and fresh water. Treat "fresh water" as a press description, not a reason to skip rinsing your gear or to drink from it.

How do you get into it?

You arrive by boat and then climb. The World Travel Guy says the lagoon is reached by climbing a ladder over jagged limestone. That is one traveller's undated account, so the ladder you meet may differ from the one described. Ask the operator shortly before you leave what the access looks like now.

Think about this stop in advance if you fall into any of these groups:

• You are unsteady on ladders, or have knee or balance problems, and the rungs may be wet from other swimmers.
• You are travelling with small children who would need carrying over sharp rock.
• You plan to bring a camera or phone, which you will want in a dry bag with both hands free.

It is fine to stay on the boat and ask the crew what the climb involves. Nobody should feel obliged to do it because a programme lists it.

Separately, jonnymelon.com mentions places people jump from the cliffs. This guide does not recommend it. Water depth is not published for any point in the lagoon, and sharp rock is exactly what the traveller accounts warn about.

What should you wear on the rocks?

Closed shoes, on the advice of jonnymelon.com, because of the sharp rocks. It is a single traveller's advice, but it matches the other descriptions of jagged limestone. A few practical points follow from that.

• Choose shoes that can get wet. You may be walking from boat to rock to water and back, so they will not stay dry.
• Leave flip-flops on the boat. Open footwear gives no protection on a sharp edge, and a ladder is a bad place to lose one.
• Pack them where you can reach them. You want them on before you step off the boat, not after.

If you only bring one extra pair of shoes to Labengki, make it this kind. Other stops among the Labengki lagoons may ask similar things of your feet.

Can you snorkel there?

Yes, on paper. Jadesta advertises snorkelling at this lagoon, and the price table on this page shows the figure attached to that listing. Treat it as a listing rather than a set tariff, check it on the Jadesta page, and ask whether it applies to you if you are already on a package.

Ask your crew what the water is like on the day, whether a mask and fins are included, and whether you carry them over the rock yourself. Our Labengki snorkelling guide covers the wider area.

What else is close by?

A short hop away is the viewpoint over Kimaboe Hill and Teluk Cinta, about ten minutes by boat on jonnymelon.com's account, which makes the two a natural pairing on one outing. Teluk Cinta is the local name for Love Bay. ANTARA also describes a Twin Lagoon, two lagoons separated by rock.

Jadesta's other nine spots include Tobelo cave, the Raja Ampat view, two beaches, Kampung Bajo and the lighthouse. Ask an operator to set out the order of stops in writing, and whether Blue Lagoon falls before or after the hill viewpoint, because a ladder and a hill in one morning is worth knowing about in advance. The same name is attached to a clam, covered on our kima boe clam page. No source here says why the hill shares it.

What else do people ask about this lagoon?

How do you get to the Blue Lagoon at Labengki?

By boat, and The World Travel Guy reports a ladder over rock. The stop depends on a boat and crew going there on your day.

Can you swim in the Blue Lagoon at Labengki?

Jadesta lists snorkelling there, so people do get in. Ask the crew about depth and currents on the day, and stay out if you are not confident in the water.

Is the Blue Lagoon at Labengki fresh water?

Kompas describes a meeting of sea and fresh water rather than a freshwater lake. That is a press description without a measurement, and it should not be taken as a statement that the water is safe to drink.

Why is the Blue Lagoon at Labengki green?

ANTARA calls the water green and Kompas calls it turquoise, while neither gives a cause for the colour. The name and the descriptions simply do not match.

What shoes do you need for Blue Lagoon Labengki?

Closed shoes that can get wet, following the advice of one traveller who warns about sharp rocks. Keep them within reach on the boat so that you can put them on before stepping off.

Which sources support this page?

• Ministry of Tourism Jadesta portal: Labengki
• Asik Travel: Labengki and Sombori guide
• ANTARA Sultra: Pulau Labengki feature
• Kompas Travel: Pulau Labengki (August 2023)
• The World Travel Guy: Labengki Island
• jonnymelon.com: Pulau Labengki

How do I reach the desk?

If this lagoon is the reason for your trip, say so when you write, with your dates and any limits on climbing. The desk can tell you which published programmes mention it, but no stop is promised on this site. Tide, sea and crew decide the day, and only a written offer commits anyone to anything. The disclaimer sets out our position.

• WhatsApp: +62 811-3941-4563
• Email: bd@juaraholding.com