Saturday, July 19, 2008

Bandung Part IV : Kawah Putih


Kawah Putih and me!





After tired of the hectic culinary or shopping tourism in northern Bandung, we visited the montane area in the south, and enjoyed the exotic panorama and the fresh, cold mountain air. The forests and tea plantations are more lush than those in the north, and offer an opportunity for natural adventures that will relieve our fatigue. Cellular signals are generally absent in the area, so we could rest assured that nobody will disturb our holiday. :) The southern tourist area of Ciwidey is located about 35 kilometers from downtown Bandung, and is quite accessible.


The first interesting site — and the favorite among visitors — is the Kawah Putih (White Crater), which looks like a lake surrounded by mountains. The water is warm and has a high sulfur content, and the sun’s rays frequently change the color of the water from milky white into bluish green.


The Kawah Putih is formed by the active volcano of Mount Patuha, situated 2,343 meters above sea level. This crater is more famous than Kawah Saat to the west of Patuha. Both craters were formed between the 10th to 12th centuries by the eruption of Mount Patuha.


Locals living around the crater once thought it to be haunted because of the many ancestral graves in the area, which was formerly called Gunung Sepuh (Mountain of the Elders). Patuha comes from the Sundanese word Patua, meaning “very old man”.


The beauty of the crater was brought to light by Dutchman Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn, who exposed it to the public in 1837. History also records that the Dutch built Zwavel Otgining Kawah Putih, a sulfur factory, in the area. During the Japanese occupation of 1942-45, the factory assumed its Japanese name, the Kawah Putih Kenzanka Gokoya Ciwidey.


Today, visitors to Kawah Putih can wade in the waters of Kawah Putih to cure minor dermatological diseases. It is said the water here can heal rashes, even eczema and ringworm.


To visit Kawah Putih, make sure that you get there before 10 a.m., because a mist descends in late morning, especially during the rainy season. The thick mist can obscure the beautiful panorama around the crater lake, the banks of which resembles a sandy beach. Nice one! :)


p/s- I still smelt sulfur!yucks~!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

camne ko wat gamba atas skali tu?

Joan^Of^Arc said...

Kaedah percantuman :D ala cam robot power rangers!

Unknown said...

heyy.. baju ayeem ade sayap! (ayeem bitau aku, tuh shawl namenye)ayeem mengembangkan sayapnye.har har har.. taleh terbang pon

heheh.. nice pic kak. tak try berenang lam kolam volcano tu ke? ade ikan tak eh.. nampak jernih jek

pasir memutih, weather yg cantik, perahu terbalik nye legend and bau sulfur yg boley membuatkan aku batuk tuh membuatkan aku keghairahan yg amat sangat nak pegi sane :P

kalo ko jadik tourist guide mcm bagos. :D

Unknown said...

eyh tuh dah kat south ghupenye.. dah tade perahu :P

malu malu~ still aku nak lepak kat volcano.

Joan^Of^Arc said...

superimpose zahrah :) pakai healing tools kat adobe photoshop :D