Kawah Putih

Kawah Putih, the "White Crater", is a volcanic lake high on the flank of Mount Patuha, a stratovolcano in the highlands south of Bandung in West Java. At about 2,430 metres the air is cool, often around 10°C, and mist drifts across the water. The lake is intensely acidic and rich in sulphur, and its colour changes with temperature and chemistry, from milky turquoise to pale green, whitish or even brown; the rocks and sand of the shore have been bleached almost white by the acid water.

Patuha has shown no significant eruptive activity since around 1600, but the crater is far from dead: steam and sulphurous gas bubble through the water, and the smell is strong. Local stories once told of birds that refused to fly over the forest here, and it was curiosity about these tales that brought the German naturalist Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn to the crater in 1837. Under Dutch rule a sulphur works operated by the lake, taken over by the Japanese during the Second World War; entrances to its old tunnels can still be seen around the site.

The state forestry company Perhutani began developing the crater for visitors in 1991, and it is now a favourite excursion from Bandung. A path leads down into the bowl of the crater, where you can walk along the shore, and trails climb through montane forest, with Javanese edelweiss and highland shrubs, towards the summit of Patuha. The surrounding hills are strawberry country, and hot springs lie nearby.

Getting there

Bandung is about 50 km to the north; the road runs south through Soreang, and the drive can take up to two hours in traffic. From the car park at the gate, shuttle vans cover the last 5 km to the crater. Husein Sastranegara Airport (BDO) in Bandung is about 35 km away in a straight line.