Kawah Putih (English:
White Crater) is a striking crater lake and tourist spot in a volcanic crater about 50 km south of Bandung in West Java in Indonesia.
Kawah Putih lake (7.10° S 107.24° E) is one of the two craters which make up
Mount Patuha, an andesitic
stratovolcano (a "composite" volcano). Mt Patuha is one of numerous
volcanoes in Java.
Kawah Putih crater lake itself represents a relatively stable volcanic
system with no records of significant activity since around 1600.
The Kawah Putih site was opened to visitors in 1987. The lake is
2,430 meters above sea level so the local climate is often quite chilly
(temperatures are frequently around 10 degrees celsius). This makes a
brisk change from the humidity of the north Java plain and the capital
city of Jakarta.
Kawah Putih is a sizeable highly acid lake (pH 0.5-1.3) which changes
colour from bluish to whitish green, or
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Kawah putih ( white volcano) |
brown, depending on the
concentration of sulfur and the temperature or the oxidation state.
The sand and rocks surrounding the lake have been also leached into
whitish colours through interaction with the acidic lake waters (with
possible mineral precipitation as well).
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white volcano |
The surrounding area is heavily forested. There is a pathway down to
the lake which is surrounded by the high walls of the crater nestling
into the side of Mt Patuha. The smell of sulfur is strong because there
is a good deal of steam and sulfurous gas bubbling from the lake. There
are tracks around the lake and through the nearby forest including to
the peak of Mt Patuha. Visitors can walk around the crater area or sit
in the various shelters. Local plants not widely found in lower
altitudes in Java include
javanese Edelweiss and Cantigy (
Vaccinium varingifolium). Animals and birds which may be spotted include eagles, owls, monkeys,
mouse deer, and forest pigs. Panthers, leopards and pythons have also sometimes been seen in the nearby forest.
A range of simple facilities exists near the lake. There is ample
parking and public toilets. Entrepreneurial vendors sell trinkets and
food. The site is well-signposted. Local farmers often take the
opportunity to sell strawberries (widely grown in the area), steamed
corn, and various other items such as pumpkin seeds (
pepita).
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the views |
Kawah Putih and the surrounding area (where there are resort
facilities such as hot spas) is a popular spot for people from Bandung.
On weekends and on holidays, quite large numbers of Indonesian tourists
visit Kawah Putih. The site is so far less well-known to international
tourists. According to
Perhutani staff at the site, up to 10,000 people might visit on busy holidays and the total number of visitors is perhaps 300,000 per year.
posted by:
Bandung Car Rental - Diaz Travelindo