TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - It's November, surely not too early to start making plans for a year-end trip. Why not explore Indonesia's lakes?

Hundreds of natural lakes from Sabang to Papua offer charming natural panoramas. These lakes can be found in mountains, or are found tucked away between bodies of tropical waters. The beauty of these lakes has already attracted millions of tourists.

Each lake is unique, with stories about the people who live around them, legends preserved by communities.

In Lake Lut Tawar, Central Aceh, lives a rare fish known as the depik (Rasbosa tawarensis). Local fishermen catch them by using a special trawl, as opposed to an ordinary fish net. The trawls have small holes the size of a human finger, just large enough for a depik to enter.

Rare fish also live in Matano, an ancient lake in Central Sulawesi. The deepest lake in Indonesia is home to opudi (Telmatherina opudi) and butini (Glossogobius matanensis). The opudi are tiny, like anchovies. Its fins can be white, yellow or blue. The butini is a larger, palm-sized fish, dark, with wide mouth and fins. The butini was once a staple for people living around the lake. Today, the fish has become a rarity due to an infestation of louhan (flowerhorn cichlid), now dominating the waters of Matano.

Lake Kakaban in the Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, has its own special charm: millions of lovable jellyfish. These jellyfish, Kakaban's main attraction, are special because they do not sting. It is fair to say that most travelers visit the lake just to see this unique jellyfish.

Communities around Indonesia's natural lakes each have their own distinct qualities. The Sasak tribe, natives of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, believe that Lake Segara Anak in Mount Rinjani is a palace where the goddess Anjani resides. For the locals, Anjani is believed to be the ruler of Mount Rinjani.

According to the Sasak, Mount Rinjani is at the center of Lombok's cosmology. The locals believe that Mount Rinjani is Lombok's mountain of life as well as its protector, while Lake Segara Anak is the repository or source of water.

For Hindus living at the feet of Mount Rinjani and in the rest of Lombok, Lake Segara Anak is a sacred location. The Hindus in Lombok perform a religious ritual, the Mulang Pekelem, usually on the night of the fifth full moon, either in October or November. On Mulang Pekelem, adherents offer thanksgiving and wish for peace and prosperity for the people of Lombok. In the ritual, they sacrifice an animal at Lake Segara Anak and float valuable items onto the lake.

A similar ritual can be found among the traditional Lio community living around Lake Kelimutu, East Nusa Tenggara. They make offerings at Lake Kelimutu every August 14. The Lio people offer bananas and betel leafs, and sacrifice pigs and cows as a token of their gratitude. The Lio also believe that the spirits of their dead reside in Kelimutu.

In Jambi, the story goes that mysterious creatures live around Lake Gunung Tujuh (Seven Mountains). People call them Uhang Pandak or Short People. Elders who once lived in the area thought they were supernatural creatures.

In the 1970s, a local resident saw someone approaching the river near a waterfall in the Gunung Tujuh area. He initially thought that the figure, who was only about a meter tall, was simply looking for fish, but later he believed the stranger to be one of the short people'. The legend of the Short People has grown in popularity ever since.

In this issue, we feature a number of such stories, in the belief that these natural lakes can offer you a unique and priceless holiday experience. After all, one travels not only to discover beauty, but also to take in the colorful stories and legends of the local residents.

Wishing you the best in planning your year-end travels! (*)

Read the complete 'Lakeside Legends' Special Report on this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine