An easy day trip from Bandung (or a one night stay from Jakarta), Kawah Putih is an extremely accessible volcanic crater. Approximately two hours from Bandung by car, the route through the Javanese countryside is pleasant enough, with plenty of places to stop for food, cash or toilet breaks. Perfect for families and those with little to no experience hiking that want to get out and see nature doing it’s thing.
Once on the flanks of the volcano, visitors are taken up to the crater in little shuttle vans. The crater itself is an easy walk, with a few stairs. There are a few boardwalks built up around the rim of the crater which act as great viewpoints.
A word of warning: Due to it’s accessibility, this location is VERY popular with Indonesian tourists and is therefore, can be very busy. Along with this, if you are of a fair complexion there is a high chance you will be asked to pose for photography. Agree to this with caution, as it may be never ending!
Along with the crater itself there are also strawberry farms you can visit and pick your own strawberries, hot springs and tea plantations with great views all around the volcano. Great for a little bit of variety, but not so much a hikers paradise.
Need to know
- Cost for foreigners without a KITAS visa is 80, 000Rp
- Unless you have a car, you will need to hire a driver for the day, we got ours for 600, 000Rp for the car rental, fuel and driver for the day from Bandung
- Very easy in terms of physical requirements
- Lots of other interesting things in the area to visit, with no extra cost
Kit list
- Comfortable shoes (trainers and even flip flops are fine)
- Swimsuit for hot springs
- Don’t forget to put on sunscreen- It’s a little cold in the crater, but the sun is still just as strong!
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