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It's About Kawah Putih
KAWAH PUTIH
Kawah Putih is located near
the dusty market town of Ciwidey
about 35 kilometres south of Bandung. Meaning “white
crater” in Indonesian, the main attraction of Kawah Putih is the
surreal turquoise coloured lake which fills this vast dormant volcanic crater.
On sunny days, the colour of the lake is stark and bright and on cloudy days,
the entire crater can be shrouded in mist making for an utterly experience. The tree-clad cliffs
surrounding the crater reach around 2,500 metres above sea level and make for a
stunning backdrop, especially when those clouds start rolling in. Similarly,
the altitude here brings with it chilly temperatures and a light sweater is a must, a thicker jacket preferable.
Kawah Putih is incredibly
popular with local daytrippers and this will impact on when is best to visit.
Sunday is by far the busiest day of the week, closely followed by Saturday. The
rest of the week proves to be nigh-on dead and chartering vehicles will
inevitably enter the mix of ransport used that day.
The easiest
way to get to Kawah
Putih from Bandung is with your own transport. Hiring a
motorbike from your guesthouse should cost around 60,000 rupiah for the day and
hiring motorcycle taxi should cost about 100,000 rupiah plus lunch for the
driver. Private tours in cars may also be
possible, but these tend to cost in the region of 500,000 rupiah for the day.
By public transport,
travellers must get to the Leuwi Panjang bus terminal
in the south of Bandung. It’s possible to get to Leuwi
Panjang with two angkots from the train station by asking drivers for the best option
(2,000 rupiah per angkot). From Leuwi Panjang, catch a Ciwidey bus for 6,000
rupiah for the hour journey south. At Ciwidey, it
is possible to catch an angkot to the front gate of Kawah Putih for 7,500
rupiah, but you will be offered a charter which when all things are considered,
may well be the best option depending on the day of the week and the sort of
deal you can get.
Once at the Kawah Putih
entrance, it is a long haul up hill to the crater and you won’t
see anyone attempting to walk it. Instead, a fleet of open-air angkots ferry
groups to the top for 15,000 rupiah per person. Generally, the angkots wait
until they are full, but this can sometimes be a problem when visitor numbers
are low. Chartering one will cost 100,000 rupiah for the round trip which might
make the charter option from Ciwidey seem more sensible.
The entire journey by public
transport takes three hours from Bandung, but it is a day worth spending,
particularly when you consider that you can add on a side trip to Situ Patengan
and some stunning tea plantations just around the corner
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