Kawah Putih, the “White Crater”
South of Bandung you find the Kawah Putih, which literally means “white crater”.
Compared to Tangkuban Perahu and the Ciater hot springs, Kawah Putih volcano and the Kawah Rengganis hot springs are less visited. Kawah Putih is a sulfur lake in one of the two craters of the Patuha volcano. Patuha stands for “pak tua” which means “old man”. In the villages around the Patuha it was believed that the Patuha is the oldest mountain and that the spirits of the ancestors gather here. The mountain is 2434meters high.
The colors of the landscape are unreal: the water is azure blue / turquoise and the sand is yellow. Because the lake is high in the mountains, it is cool here. You can walk in the lake on a wooden platform.
Due to the strong sulfur air, you cannot stay close to the lake for too long. The water contains so much sulfur that it is poisonous. In the past, sulfur was extracted here, remains of the old factory can still be found.
It is possible to climb up for a nice view. If you don’t feel like walking, it is (often) possible to be brought here on a motorcycle in exchange for a small fee. You can also make beautiful walks on the mountain.