Kawah Putih Tour + Tea Plantations Tour
Hey guys! So, I arrived at Bandung Airport from Bali in the morning for my Kawah Putih Tour + Tea Plantations Tour. I pre-booked a car so I don’t have to bring a lot of cash. I met up with my local guide or driver at the arrival area which took me time to find and got me worried.
The trip started with buying a local sim card for wifi which was only 42,000 IDR. It’s a two hour drive from the airport going to Kawah Putih. The city has a cool weather to my surprise! Glad I have my hoddie with me.
We arrived at the area before lunch. Entrance fee was 225,000 IDR.
The lake is said to have been first documented in 1837 by a German Botanist. There were various local stories during that time about this lake. People found some birds being dead around the lake. So birds tend to avoid flying around the lake.
During the investigation, it was concluded that the birds flying over the White Crater died due to its high concentration of sulfur. This wide barren area has left me in awe of how naturally it was created.
The lake is 2,430 meters above sea level so the local climate is often quite chilly. Kawah Putih is a highly acidic lake 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.
The surrounding area is actually heavily forested. I could see the boiling steam on some points. The sulphuric smell was overpowering at times so it’s advisable to put a mask on which I bought from the entrance.
Kawah Putih Expenses
Air Asia Flight from Bali to Bandung- IDR 360,000
Bandung Car- IDR 165,000
Fuel- IDR 150,000
Food- IDR 310,000 (includes the food for the driver)
Car Parks and Toll Fee- IDR 65,000
Kawah Putih Entrance- IDR 225,000
Total- IDR 1,275,000 ($170)
Kawah Putih gave me an opportunity to immerse myself in the true, untouched beauty of nature. If you want to book your tour in advance, you can freely do so. If it’s not too much, kindly use my code link below to keep this blog running. I really hope you enjoyed this post.
After the Kawah Putih Tour…
we went farther south to check the amazing tea plantations they have which I will be making another post. I booked my stay at Pinisi Backpackers at the last minute for only IDR 115,000 per night. I was thinking of sleeping at the airport to catch another flight in the morning but decided meeting new people is a lot more fun!
THE CIWIDEY TEA PLANTATION AS A SIDETRIP
After Kawah Putih we went farther south to check the amazing tea plantations they have. This southern part of Bandung is called Ciwidey. The tea plantation was indeed picturesque whilst we drive along a bumpy road. It was very serene and lively to look as it was my first time to see so much greenery in my life! I will let the pictures below do the talking.
As far as the eyes could see, everywhere is tea trees. The teas are planted in rows, and there is a pathway between the row for tourists to walk in and out. My driver was very accommodating when I told him to stop and stand by so I can take a lot of photos.
If you want to visit Bandung on you own, you can do so with hiring a driver. However, here are my recommended tours below. They will pick you up from your accommodation.
Bandung City Tour
Kawah Putih
Volcano Tour
If you have questions, feel free to comment below. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, and if you did please share it.
Best,
Paul
