Lake Lalolalo - Wallis and Fortuna
Probably a country you have never heard of... It's in the Oceania, alongside to the most crazy paradise islands in the world. They were
first discovered by Dutch and British explorers. French Roman Catholic
missionaries settled the islands in 1837; a treaty in the 1880s ceded
control to France. Today, the islands maintain a great deal of autonomy
and are still ruled by a king, whose land you are now trespassing on to
find this amazing lake. The first thing about this is the funny name, I had to take a closer look on the internet ahah!!
It's a volcanic crater lake that you can find in the south
of the island. This eye-catching lake is an ideal, beautiful water body
comprising rocky cliffs with about 80 meters deep waters. And the thing is: it's a perfect circle lake with a great water color, so... Totally a bucket list place!! It's also a pretty important place in the mythology of the island for who lives here.
Tropical birds are often seen gliding effortlessly across the surface
and it is tabu to clear the jungle here, making this some of the best
preserved primary forest on the island.
How to visit:
You set out from Ahoa, a small village on the western coast. You head
south, first passing overgrown orchards, full of bananas, coconuts, and
papayas, before reaching the dense jungle. Though it’s the dry season,
when southeast trade winds keep the coast cool, there’s no relief this
deep in the forest. You keep moving and waiting for a clearing ahead.
Finally, you start to see a break. As you get closer, the sheer,
rocky cliffs come into view. Red walls fall nearly 100 feet into the
mossy colored water. Lake Lalolalo is the largest lake on Uvea. Swamp
harriers and Pacific reef herons fly overhead. Red-footed boobies squawk
loudly. Pekas (flying foxes) dangle from the viney trees. Blind eels
swim in the deep water, though you can’t see them. And at the bottom of
the 260-foot lake, there might be equipment from World War II that the
Americans dumped before leaving the island.
There's a viewing platform that was built in recent years at the
top for getting good photos. But if you take the steep trail down to the
lakeside, the view gets a little better, but you will be surrounded and
attacked by the resident mosquitoes.
You can always find a tour too if you're not comfortable running in the wilds like me. I couldn't find any on the internet, but if you go to the nearest town, find a tour guide and go :)
Happy journeys in Wallis and Fortuna!
0 comentários