Why visiting the ‘White Crater’ Kawah Putih is a must in Bandung, Java

What is Kawah Putih, better known as the White Crater in Indonesia?

The name of the location in the photos in Bahasa Indonesia literally means ‘White Crater.’ The locals in Bandung, therefore, name the white crater after its original meaning: Kawah Putih. However, White Crater is the most common name used in the English language.

The White Crater is one of the major tourist attractions and natural landmarks in Bandung on the island of Java. The volcanic lake sits in the crater itself at an altitude of 2,430 meters atop Mount Patuha and is located 50 km south of Bandung.

In June, we visited the Indonesian island of Java. We also spent a few days in the city of Bandung and whenever you find yourselve there, a trip to the White Crater is almost a must. In this blog, we share our experience along with all the other sorts of useful information so that you can have an unforgettable experience when visiting the White Crater.

What is so unique about the White Crater?

The White Crater is so special, because the water does not just appear blue, like a normal lake does. Instead, due to the high concentration of sulfur, the water of the lake can also appear green to white. This creates a unique and beautiful scenery inside the crater of Mount Patuha. The color of the water depends on the amount of sulfur, which in some cases creates a milky white effect and in other cases creates a green-glow effect.

A visit to the White Crater is much more than just a crater lake

Besides seeing the White Crater in all its glory, there is so much more to do in the area of Mount Patuha. And because of that, tour operators usually combine a visit to the White Crater with those other activities in the nearby region.

For instance, we went to see a strawberry farm and a tea plantation. We also visited the natural hot springs and went on a cable car. There’s also a very cool huge suspension bridge which is 243m long and about 70m high above the ground. Here’s a complete overview of all the activities:

Book a tour to see the White Crater

Because there is so much to do, we would advice you to book a tour to see the White Crater. Why? Because it offers a hassle-free experience of the region. It includes all the entry fees (and there are quite some), transportation back and forth from Bandung, transportation to the various activities and food and drinks during the day. This way you can just sit back and relax and above all: enjoy the moment.

Why visiting the white crater was a unique experience for us

For us the White Crater was such a unique experience, because it offers something new and exciting. It is not everyday you stand on top of a volcano and get to see a natural heated lake that shines in such beautiful colors thanks to natural interference. It also was something we had never ever seen before in our lives, despite the fact that we have traveled to more than 24 countries in the world already. That, together with all the other fun activities we did that day, made us decide this trip is a must do whenever you find yourself in Bandung city!

Read more about our personal experience

In this paragraph we want to give you a brief overview of how our daytrip to the White Crater went. In such a way, that you can make a well-considered decision on whether you want to go yourselves.

The tour started with a pick-up at 08.00am in the morning by our tour guide. It was supposed to be a group activity, but it appeared we were the only ones that booked that day. It is quite a ride from Bandung city to Mount Patuha, namely a 2 hour drive by car. When we were about halfway we made a stop at a local strawberry farm. Our first side-activity, where we made good use of picking local strawberries and trying them. They were delicious!

After some time we arrived at the entrance of Kawah Putih. Our guide made sure he arranged the entry tickets and off we went. It is quite a steep mountain, but they made a good car-accessible road that leads to the top. This is why it is also quite popular among locals and tourists: there is no need to hike to the top. To be fair, if you ask us it would be great to do some kind of trekking at least – as for us –  this felt like a lazy way.

Tea plantation and White Crater viewpoint

The first thing we did when we arrived at the top, was to see the tea plantation first. This was really impressive to us. We had never seen a tea plantation before and it was astonishingly big. The plantation stretched from one mountain top to the other and even beyond! It was also the moment for our tour guide where he explained the ins and outs of the different kinds of teas and some more about the tea production process. Did you know for instance that black, white and green tea all come from the same plant? It is actually the way the leaves are processed that makes the difference. Andrea – as a vivid tea lover – really enjoyed learning more about it and viewing the magnificent tea plantations was a joy.

After the tea plantation it was time to go to the White Crater itself. We went through a route that brought us to the White Crater viewpoint first. Here we had the chance to see the White Crater from above: another remarkable view. We were really lucky – because no more than 10 minutes later – the clouds started to fog up the area and the pretty view disappeared.

This was also a moment to relax and catch our breath from the short but quite intensive ‘hike’. We were not the only ones, so there was a time to chit chat with other locals and backpackers. A nice way to get to know new people!

White Crater: a beautiful scenery on top of the volcano

Now it was time to view the White Crater from closeby. We walked down the path and got a great glimpse of the white crater lake. Of course, we took the necessary photos, just like everybody else. There is also quite a unique smell hanging in the air. The smell of sulfur, which also is the cause of the lake appearing white in the photos. We did not spend a lot of time there, because in the end the gasses and smell are quite heavy on the lungs. Which is also the reason that it’s not advised for people who suffer from asthma or any other (severe) lung condition to walk down to the crater lake.

Natural hot springs and suspension bridge

After a short break at the White Crater with some snacks provided by our tour guide, it was already time for our second last stop. The natural hot springs, along with the suspension bridge were next on the list. Just like the White Crater this was a first for Andrea and me. The place appeared quite popular among locals. Some of them told us they like to go there when they are (almost) sick. To reach a similar effect of a sauna most probably.

To reach the natural hot springs, we first had to cross a suspension bridge with a length of more than 243m. This was easily the longest and biggest bridge (for pedestrians at least) we experienced walking on. After crossing the bridge we walked past the cable car and walked straight to the natural hot springs. We did use the cable car on the way back to the car though as we would not want to miss it! 

The water at the natural hot springs was really hot. At some smaller puddles of water, the water was actually boiling! And in other places lots and lots of steam was coming from the water. We figured there was a similar smell here, as at the White Crater. A good thing that it was not as bad and strong as at the crater. What we found most intriguing was the simple fact that this is all natural and the Earth itself made this.

Eating at a local house to end the day trip

To sum up the day, we went for dinner at a local house. The kind lady prepared dinner, spread out all the food on a large leaf of a banana tree and then it was time to eat. It was a feast, as all the food was so deliciously prepared. We had chicken bamboo, tofu, rice, omelet, vegetables (like cauliflower) and more. As a surprise we had to eat with our hands. Which gave us another great first time experience! We all had a wonderful time as eating with our hands was not so easy as it appears. A great way to end the day.

Now that you know why you should go, let’s prepare your own visit

As you have read by know, Kawah Putih was a memorable experience for us. The beauty of the crater lake with its shifting colors, combined with the other activities around Mount Patuha, made our trip unique and exciting. From picking strawberries and exploring the massive tea plantations to relaxing in natural hot springs and crossing the suspension bridge, we enjoyed all of it. Despite our travels to over 24 countries, the White Crater stood out as a highlight, offering something new and unique. We highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Bandung – it is an adventure that you do not want to miss.

Frequently asked questions for the White Crater/Kawah Putih

Planning a trip can we hard sometimes. To make things as enjoyable as possible for you, we have compiled the most frequently asked questions. This way, you have access to the most relevant and up-to-date information regarding your potential visit of the White Crater in Bandung. Use it to your advantage.