Tangkuban Perahu, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Tangkuban Perahu, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

About Tangkuban Perahu


Gunung (Mountain) Tangkuban Perahu is located about 30 kilometers north of the city of Bandung, more precisely in the area of Lembang, about 30 minutes with a car or motorbike. Tangkuban Perahu has a cold air and hot springs at the foot of the mountain at an altitude of 2084 meters. Cool air, tea plantations, valleys and tall pine trees will accompany you on your journey towards the entree of Tangkuban Perahu, where the tickets at Rp. 13,000 per person are sold (and the cost of parking your vehicle). Here you can already enjoy the beauty and coolness of Tangkuban Perahu.

Tangkuban Perahu is the largest mountain in the Parahyangan mountain range. The mountain is named this way because the shape resembles that of a boat overturned. Tangkuban Perahu is famous for its craters. There are two paths to go to the craters. The first street or road is more difficult and takes a longer time and is usually closed after rain because it is considered too dangerous. The second path is a new paved path that allows you to get to the craters also after rain, on the side of a curvy path are many trumpet flowers and trees. There are three famous craters in the Tangkuban Perahu region worth a visit, namely:

• Kawah Ratu (Queen's Crater):
  This is the largest crater of the three. There is a special bus parking area before Queen's Crater, if you come by bus here you need to get off and continue with the use of ELF. But if you use a private vehicle, you can simply park it on the other side of this crater. You can see the Queen's crater from above, barrier fence at the edges of the crater protect you from getting to close. You can also see the whole crater by climbing to higher grounds. The ground around the crater is generally white with yellow sulfur stones. There are shops in this area that offer a variety of souvenirs and accessories, some serve food and hot drinks like bandrek and you also can ride a horse here.
•  Kawah Upas (Upas Crater)
  Located next to the Queen Crater, this crater is more shallow and flat. Be careful because the path to the Upas Crater is quite dangerous.
• Kawah Domas (Domas Crater)
  This one is located below the Queen�s crater. if you come through the new path you will find the gate to Domas Crater before the one to Queen�s Crater. In Domas Crater you can get a closer look of a crater. You can even try to boil eggs in the crater�s water. If you want to see Domas Crater after 16:00 hour, you must hire a guide (for your own protection since it will be dark soon).

The legend of Tangkuban Perahu Mountain
Tangkuban Perahu has a legend, the core of the story Tangkuban Perahu is the presence of a young man named Sangkuriang who fell in love and wants to marry a woman named Dayang Sumbi. They fall for each other, but Dayang Sumbi realizes later that Sangkuriang is her biological child who went away long ago because she was very angry after Sangkuriang killed his pet dog when they failed to hunt deer. He did not know but that pet dog was his biological father.

Now, knowing Sangkuriang is her biological child she will not marry him, but he does not believe her and still insists. Finally she agrees if he can make a lake and a boat in one night. Aided by genies and spirits Sangkuriang began to make the lake and the boat. Seeing Sangkuriang nearly completed the boat Dayang Sumbi plans to trick him.She set fires in the east so the chickens start crowing and the genies that had helped Sangkuriang left because they thought it was already morning. Without their help Sangkuriang can not finish on time. Sangkuriang was furious and kicked the boat, the boat fell upside down and there was Tangkuban Perahu Mountain.

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Situ Patenggang

Situ Patenggang

About Situ Patenggang

Lake Patenggang or also known as Situ Patenggang (which means lake in the Sundanese language) is situated about 1600 meters above sea level. The lake is located in Ciwidey Patenggang about 47 kilometers south of the city of Bandung, West Java, about a 2 hours drive. The journey to Situ is still very natural with lots of green of the trees on the side of the road which provide a shade on the road and numerous tea plantations and strawberry farms. Besides the fresh air and the natural surroundings the many curves in the road makes the journey to Sity Patenggang also a joy to ride.

Arriving in Situ, you will be greeted with an impressive lake, with mountains towering around it. On the edge of the lake there are numerous beautiful boats with bright colors, ready to take you around the lake for Rp. 15,000 per person. Or if you do not want to get around too far away you can also rent a water bicycle and go by yourself. You can also just sit by the lake and enjoy the serenity of this place and its natural beauty.

Batu Cinta (Rock of love)
Situ patengan not only offers the charm of nature, it also contains the famous and historic island of Asmara (Pulau Asmara) and the Batu Cinta. Pulau Asmara and Batu Cinta is located in the middle of the lake with a large stone. The stone is called Batu Cinta (Rock of love) and has a legendary story. This story stems from a love story of two lovers Ki Santang and Dewi Rengganis separated and eventually reunited in this place. Local people believe the water that fills the lake is a tear of the Ki Santang and Dewi Rengganis, which is why some people call this lake Situ Penganten (bride). Usually the tourists who visit Situ will also visit the Rock of Love. It is said that for anyone who arrive with a partner to the Rock of Love and have gone around the island, then the relationship will be durable and lasting.

Besides the beautiful nature, around the lake are shops that offer a variety of souvenirs or fresh fruits which of course you can take home as souvenirs for relatives. If you want to stay longer there are also several hotels and bungalows with adequate facilities.

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White Crater Lake, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

White Crater (Kawah Putih)

About White Crater Lake

White crater (Kawah Putih) is a crater lake of Gunung Patuha, not far from Situ Patenggang (5km), and is located approximately 46 kilometers south of Bandung 35 kilometers from Soreang and takes about 2.5 hours drive from Bandung. Temperatures here are between 8-22 degrees. There are two craters, the Saat Crater (Saat in Sundanese language means subside) is in the west and the White crater underneath it at an altitude of 2194 meters. Both craters are formed by an eruption that occurred around the tenth or eleventh century
Long ago before the White crater opened to the public, local communities believe that the White Crater was haunted because of the many birds that die while traversing the White Crater, but in 1837 a scientist from Germany, Dr. Franz Wilhelm Junghun arrived. He then did research and found that many birds die when crossing the area is only caused by sulfur due to lava bursts.

Because the sulfur content is very high in the White crater the Dutch had built a sulfur factory in named Zwavel Ontgining Kawah Putih which later during the Japanese occupations had its name changed to Kawah Putih Kenzanka Gokoya Ciwidey.
Then in 1987 PT. Perhutani unit III West Java, Banten began to develop the White Crater area as a tourist attraction, since the White Crater lake was absolutely stunning. The White Crater Lake has the unique characteristic of water that can change color: like apple green, bluish when exposed to the light reflection of the sun, sometimes looks like chocolate milk, but the water is most commonly seen as white with a thick fog on it. This area is often used for pre-wedding photos because of the exotic views.
The White Crater Lake is open for tourists from 07:00 until 17.00 hours, every day. The facilities available are adequate with a parking lot, transportion, information center and food stalls. Admission rates for White crater is fairly expensive: for cars up to Rp. 150,000 to get on top of the White Crater region, Rp.35.000 for motorcycles and Rp. 15,000 per person.

Getting to White Crater Lake

From Jakarta: take the toll road Cipularang and get off at the toll exit Kopo, then head to Soreang south of the city Ciwidey. From Ciwidey it is about 20 to 30 minutes to the entrance of the White Crater. Visitors are advised to use the car to get to the White crater due to its distance from the entrance (about 5.6 Kilometers) and quite steep.
If you use a private vehicle and you can go straight to the parking area not far from the White crater.
You can also use public transportion from Terminal Kebun Kelapa as well as Leuwi Panjang in Bandung, heading first to Ciwidey. Then proceed using local transportation heading for Situ Patenggan.

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