White Crater

Ciwidey, West Java, Indonesia

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Kawah Putih, or “White Crater,” is a surreal volcanic lake nestled in the highlands of Ciwidey, about 50 kilometers south of Bandung, West Java. Formed by the eruption of Mount Patuha in the 11th century, this crater lake sits at an altitude of 2,430 meters and is renowned for its otherworldly beauty—milky turquoise waters, ghostly white sand, and gnarled, leafless trees that lend the landscape an eerie, dreamlike quality.

The lake’s color shifts with the weather and sulfur concentration, ranging from pale blue to greenish-white or even brown. The high sulfur content also gives the area a strong, eggy smell, and visitors are advised to limit their stay near the lake to 15–30 minutes. Despite this, the site is safe and stable, with no significant volcanic activity recorded since the 17th century. Kawah Putih is easily accessible via a scenic two-hour drive from Bandung.

From the entrance gate, visitors can either hike or take a shuttle bus up the final 5 kilometers to the crater rim. Once there, you can stroll along the crater’s edge, snap photos from bamboo skywalks, or explore remnants of old sulfur mining tunnels from the Dutch and Japanese colonial eras.