Sunday, April 13, 2014
The Kawah Putih site was opened to visitors in 1987. The lake
is 2,430 meters above sea level so the local climate is often quite chilly
(temperatures are frequently around 10 degrees celsius). This makes a brisk
change from the humidity of the north Java plain and the capital city of Jakarta. Kawah
Putih is a sizeable highly acid lake (pH 0.5-1.3) which changes colour from
bluish to whitish green, or brown, depending on the concentration of sulfur and
the temperature or the oxidation state. The sand and rocks surrounding the lake
have been also leached into whitish colours through interaction with the acidic
lake waters (with possible mineral precipitation as well).
The lake is said to have been first documented in the western
world in 1837 by Dr Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn, a German botanist
who carried out a considerable amount of research in Indonesia until his death
in Lembang,
just north of Bandung, in 1864. At the time, there were various local stories
about the history of the area. Birds were said to be reluctant to fly near the
region and villagers in the area tended to regard the forest around the lake as
eerie and somewhat mysterious. These stories prompted Dr Junghuhn to
investigate. He discovered Kawah Putih. There was formerly a sulfur mine at the
crater although production has now ceased. A sulfur plant known as the Zwavel
Ontgining Kawah Putih was first established near the lake during the period
of Dutch rule in Java. The plant was later taken over during World War II by
the Japanese military and operated under the name Kawah Putih Kenzanka
Yokoya Ciwidey. Entry points to various tunnels which represent the
remnants of these mining activities can be seen at several points around the
current site.
Over a century after Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn first discovered
the lake, in 1991 the Indonesian state-owned forestry firm Perhutani Unit
III Jawa Barat dan Banten (Forestry Unit No III for West Java
and Banten)
began to develop the site as a tourist spot.
The surrounding area is heavily forested. There is a pathway
down to the lake which is surrounded by the high walls of the crater nestling
into the side of Mt Patuha. The smell of sulfur is strong because there is a
good deal of steam and sulfurous gas bubbling from the lake. There are tracks
around the lake and through the nearby forest including to the peak of Mt
Patuha. Visitors can walk around the crater area or sit in the various
shelters. Local plants not widely found in lower altitudes in Java include javanese Edelweiss and Cantigy (Vaccinium
varingifolium). Animals and birds which may be spotted include eagles, owls,
monkeys, mouse deer, and forest pigs. Panthers, leopards and
pythons have also sometimes been seen in the nearby forest.
A range of simple facilities exists near the lake. There is
ample parking and public toilets. Entrepreneurial vendors sell trinkets and
food. The site is well-signposted. Local farmers often take the opportunity to
sell strawberries (widely grown in the area), steamed corn, and various other
items such as pumpkin seeds (pepita).
Kawah Putih and the surrounding area (where there are resort
facilities such as hot spas) is a popular spot for people from Bandung. On
weekends and on holidays, quite large numbers of Indonesian tourists visit
Kawah Putih. The site is so far less well-known to international tourists.
According to Perhutani staff at the site, up to 10,000 people might
visit on busy holidays and the total number of visitors is perhaps 300,000 per
year.
