Hiking Around the Crater

Circling Kawah Ratu to the right (north) is popular and less dangerous route than to the left because the edge of the cliff is secured with a fence. Along the right, twisted trees on the rim make an eerie sight. After a short while, you see an experimental cloud-seeding station which was once run by Indonesia’s Agency for Applied Technology (BPPT) but is now defunct. It is possible to hike all around the outer rim of Mt. Tangkuban Perahu, passing the summit (2,076 m) in the northern part; however, there is no path that looks promising ends at spring.

An easy walk of thirty minutes lead down to the saddle between the two main craters, giving you a view into both Kawah Ratu and Kawah Upas, as well as back to the car park. From there you can climb steeply through forest up to the southern rim, where you meet another trail. If you turn to the right (west) onto this trail, you reach the cliff above the fissures emitting sulphur vapor, a thrilling view. The path then leaves the rim and leads on-either uphill to the transmitter station visible from Bandung, or downhill to the Sukawana Tea Plantation. If you turn to the left (east) on this trail when coming up from the saddle, you reach the ruins of a former volcanological observation station and then meet a path leading back to the car park down steep stairs. This way offers broad vistas over Kawah Ratu from the southern cliffs. Though there’s a retaining fence along here, these high and almost vertical cliffs can be dangerous, particularly for children.

You can also circle Kawah Ratu in the opposite direction, to the left from the car park. Watch for the small trail which leads to saddle between Kawah Ratu and Kawah Upas; it leaves the main trail after you have walked five minutes beyond the old observation station.

Back at the car park area you might consider buying souvenirs form on of the many stalls (bargain for about 50% of the asking price!) or some of those peculiar-looking red berries on offer. The sellers call them strawberries but they seem to be more closely related about ten of palm-sized boxes they come in.