Ijen Crater Tourism

Ijen Crater or Kawah Ijen is another volcanic tourism attraction in Indonesia. Ijen Crater (Kawah Ijen) is a famous tourism object, which has been known by the domestic and foreign tourists because of the beautiful and charming nature. It is 5,466 hectares, 2,386 meters high from the depth of the sea, with a 92 hectares tourism forest. Its temperature is between 2 to 8 degree centigrade and the crater area lies at 2.386 meters above sea level (mdpl).
There are many beautiful species of plants that can be found there, such as; the edelweiss flower and the Casuarina Junghu (cemara gunung), etc. Various animals can also be seen in the area like jungle fowl (ayam hutan) and porcupine (landak).
The Ijen Crater lies about 68km from the town center. There are some of facilities here such as: a campground, a shelter and Tourist Information Center (TIC) etc.
The best time to enjoy the crater scenery is at morning, when the yellow sunlight glows the yellow water and shines the surrounding mountain like mount Merapi, the sister of Mount Ijen. Morning haze is creating a tranquility that we don't get at the metropolitan towns. At 2 pm, the crater is closed for the reason that the thick smoke from the crater that is poisonous.
Visiting from Bondowoso route, the tourists will travel across a coffee plantation. It has beautiful view either. The green of Arabica coffee trees are really an exciting scene to enjoy.
To reach Ijen Crater from Surabaya, we can use the public transportation with the route as follow:
- Surabaya - Bondowoso : 180 km with public bus
- Bondowoso - Paltuding : 68 km with public transport
- Paltuding - to the location : 2 km on foot
The Ijen volcano complex is a group of stratovolcanoes, in East Java, Indonesia. It is inside a larger caldera Ijen, which is about 20 kilometers wide. The Gunung Merapi stratovolcano (not to be confused with Central Java's Gunung Merapi) is the highest point of that complex.
West of Gunung Merapi is the Ijen volcano, which has a one-kilometer-wide turquoise-colored acid crater lake. The lake is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation, in which sulfur-laden baskets are carried by hand from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an E-W-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. The active crater at Kawah Ijen has an equivalent radius of 361 meters, a surface of 41 × 106 square meters. It is 200 meters deep and has a volume of 36 × 106 cubic meters.
By Adi Mulya Prasetya

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adi_Mulya_Prasetya

West Java (Puncak-Taman Safari-Cangkuang Temple-Mount Galunggung-Mount Papandayans-Telaga Bodas Crater)

Puncak
Between Bandung and Bogor in the mountains lays Puncak, a cool area, which is very popular. People from Jakarta spend their weekend and on public holidays from the heat and busy streets of the capitol of Indonesia to Puncak. Bandung to Puncak takes about 3 hours drive. Puncak Pass area has long been the foremost weekend retreat for Indonesians capital city residents. The cool, fresh air, and the magnificent view offer a calm, fresh and peaceful feeling. In the afternoon, sunsets from the top of the pass can be quite spectacular.
Puncak Pass is one of interesting destination in the West Java Province. It is located in the south of Jakarta and can be reached by an hour journey. Puncak is an ideal place for weekend, as well as a good location to find a fresh mountain air. Besides, many attractions can be found nearby, such as the Bogor and Cobodas Botanical Gardens; the Gede Pangrango National Park; the Plantations and the Safari Park.
Puncak Indah consists of three districts: Ciawi, Megamendung, Cisarua. The area is familiar with its fresh air and beautiful panorama. From Ciawi to Cipanas, there are many bungalows, hotels, motels, restaurants, and other tourism facilities. Tourisms object in Puncak is Lido Park, which is located in Cigombong village/Wates Jaya (km. 21) Rd. Ciawi-Sukabumi, Cijeruk. Facilities that are provided in Lido Park ara restaurant, cottages, swimming pools, camping grounds, and other facilities for lake recreations. Gunung Mas XII Plantation, which is located in Rd. Puncak, Cisarua district. It offers panorama with hilly panorama, which could only be found in Puncak. Activities that could be done are tea walk and seeing the making of the tea from the picking of tea until the tea is ready to serve.
Taman Safari
The wildlife conservation is located in Cibeureum village, Cisarua. Taman Safari Foundation owns the land in Taman Safari, which is also the management of the tourism object. Facilities in Taman Safari are bus, artificial lake, water cycling, canoe, swimming pool, mini train to see African style village, Bird Park, go cart, children playground, windmill, circus, merry-go-round etc.
Animals from all continents roam freely in this 35-hectare park, 75-km southeast of Jakarta along the Jakarta-Bandung route. Among the animals kept here are some comparatively rare species such as anoas, rhinos, giraffes, white tigers and European, American and Asian bears. Adjacent to the park is recreational grounds with a swimming pool, tennis courts, an artificial lake, waterfall and children's playground and amusement park. There are also restaurants and cafeterias.
Taman safari is a drive through zoo and amusement park and is open every day. On the way from Bandung to Taman Safari we have to pass Puncak, do not try to do this on Sunday or public holiday because we can end up in a big traffic jam, because Puncak is a very popular spot for people from Jakarta. Normally, it take 3,5 hours from Bandung to get to Taman Safari.
Cangkuang temple
Cangkuang Temple is 10 kilometers from Tarogong to the North in the direction to Bandung. To go there, tourists particularly foreigners took delman (a traditional land transportation with horse in the front). Beautiful flowers cover the shallow situ. There is a small island in the middle of the lake, namely Cangkuang temple. It is the only Hindu temple that ever found in West Java is the important discovery in the past. Cangkuang has been built in the period of the first Sundanese Kingdom: Galuh Kingdom. Near the temple, there are heritage graves from the Moslem follower Arif Muhammad, who is one of the Mataram Kingdom soldier from Central Java when attacking the Dutch Colonialist in Batavia (now Jakarta), at the 17th Century. The ambush failed, he refused to return and stayed in Cangkuang for teaching and disseminating Islam to the surrounding community, precisely in Kampung Pulo, where his hereditary stays until now. In Kampung Pulo, can be found the traditional village, which contains six houses in a row and face-to-face, three on the left and three on the right, plus one mosque, which stays only six families. In the edge of the lake, to reach Cangkuang temple, people must use traditional transportation made from bamboo, but safe and comfortable that is called rakit (raft).
Mount Galunggung
Mount Galunggung is a volcano with 2,167 m above sea level. It is located about 17 km from Tasikmalaya. There are several objects offered, that is forest-tour in at least 120 hectares area under Bureau of Forestry management, hot water bathing place completed with swimming pool, bathroom and hot water tub facilities. Mount Galunggung is a volcano near to Tasikmalaya city. The volcano erupted in 1990 and spread its rain of ash to entire Indonesia and neighboring countries.
An easy trip from Tasikmalaya by minibus, motorcycle ride and then a two-hour walk is Mount Galunggung. An active volcano that erupted less than ten years ago is worth a look-see. Hike around the "Golden Crater" of Mount Papandayan, southwest Garut, which is an active steam-hissing volcano. The mountain is named after its bright-yellow sulfur deposits and gains its fame, or infamy, due to its highly active and potentially dangerous steaming geysers and poisonous gases. Be careful when walking around the volcano's rim.
Mount Papandayans
Papandayan Mountain is situated on the island of Java, at 7°32' S and 107°73'E, rising 2.665 m. Papandayan Mountain is one of the natural wonder in West-Java. Papandayan is a complex strata volcano with four large summit craters, the youngest of which was breached to the NE by collapse during a brief eruption in 1772 and contains active fumarole fields. This interesting place lies in the border of the Bandung and Garut regencies, about seventy kilometers south of Bandung and about 19,25 km from Garut. It is one if the most spectacular volcanoes in this province and the top of the mountain are easily reaches, because there are special road leading to the crater. Mount Papandayans crater is probably one of the most spectacular mountain scenes on Java Island. There is a Cangkuang temple situated by Cangkuang Lake, which was a major discovery of archaeological value as it was the first of its kind found in West Java, dating back to the 8th century. This volcano is situated 17 km from Garut or 50 km from Bandung.

Telaga Bodas Crater
It is a very nice and beautiful place for hiking and to know the nature from close range (natural studies). The crater is very captivating with water in the crater, which becomes the sulfur exploitation project. Tourists that intend mostly visit the tourism site to bath in the hot water, which contains sulfur. The surrounding view is beautiful, which is full of plants and tropical trees. Telaga Bodas Crater is situated 19.5 kilometers from Garut. Some 30 kilometers from Garut to the Southwest, there is Curug Orok tourism site. The tourism site is beautiful waterfall as the road to reach Curug passes tea plantation. Natural scene in the Curug surrounding areas and the atmosphere of mountainous areas with green tea plantations are the magnetic charms of the tourism site. No wonder many youngsters love to visit the site. Other activities that could be done in the site is bathing in the waterfall. It is good for tourists that seek peace or take a rest for a while from busy cities atmosphere. To reach the site, private cars and public transportation from Garut to Bungbulang could be used. (Courtesy By Indonsia-Tourism)

West Java (Leuweung Sancang-Ciater Hot Spring-Mount Ratuha and Kawah Putih-Cimanggu Hot Springs-Patengan Lake or Situ Patengan- Batu Tulis Ciaruteun)

Leuweung Sancang
Leuweung Sancang includes the conservation areas, which is located in Cibalong district. To reach the site, we need a -5- hour or a -118-kilometer trip from Garut. The long trip must be taken, as the road condition is stony. But it is an outrageous journey as we can see the Leuweung Sancang Natural Conservation Area, the area of tropical rain forest with multi function. The natural conservation area, which is protected by law, covers 2,157 hectares of land. The charm of the site is that we can walk inside the forest while looking at a number of endangered species. _Unique animals that live in Leuwung Sancang Natural Conservation Area is buffalo (Bos Javanicus), Merak bird (Papo Muticus), Mencek (Muntiacus Muntjak), while plants that exist in there are Palahlar (Diptek Ocarpuspee dir), Kabao (Dipterocarpus Gracilis), Werejit (Excoecaria agallocha lin). However, this area could only be used for tourism activities that are related with education and research.

Ciater Hot spring
Ciater Hot Spring is a nice park with small pools in which we can sit or swim. The streams and pools are fed by warm mineral springs, which are created by the heat from nearby volcanoes. About 30 minutes from Tangkuban Perahu crater. Ciater is pretty little place in the middle of huge tea estate. Its main attraction is the Sari Ater Hot Spring Resort; the pools are probably the best of all the hot springs around Bandung. We can enjoy swimming in warm sulfurous water pools that can heal rheumatism and skin problems. Here we can swim in warm mineral water pools, good for healing skin problems. Ciater hot spring is one stop place for entertainment and relaxation. Ciater is located in Lembang, a green, lush place. The water contains iodium and sulfur, well for curing skin ailments and rheumatism. Equipped with tennis courts, restaurants, and camping area, Ciater is a good way to retreat from every day's life.
Ciater is another area with tea plantations and hot springs, eight km northeast of Tangkuban Perahu. The place also has a tea factory. Ciater is a good starting point for hiking, and has some accommodation.

Mount Ratuha and Kawah Putih
Mt Patuhu is located southwest of Bandung, Kawah Putih is a lake on this mountains is sometimes pale turquoise, or as it's name says white. The direction is drive to Ciwidey. Kawah Putih can easy be reached by car all the way to the rim and then it is a 100 metre walk to the lake it self. It is a very nice colorful lake. Far to the south of Bandung, the hill becomes greener. The fresh air flows through the bamboo trees marching along the way. Kawah Putih, The White Crater, is waiting for who want to contemplate there.
Two craters adorn the summit of Patuha Volcano. The dry crater of Kawah Patuha lies 600 meters northwest of Kawah Putih, a crater lake with approximately 8 meters of water depth. Kawah Putih Crater Lake represents a relatively stable volcanic system, with no records of magmatic or phreatic activity since A.D. 1600. Surrounded by the tea plantation, Kawah Putih is a very prospectors tourist's destination in West Java - Indonesia. Located at about 30 km to the south of Bandung, Kawah putih is relatively easy to be reached. But, driving bu your own car is recommended, it's convenience because along the way, you can stop by to just take a rest, or buy strawberry, which can be easily found in this area. Fresh and considerably cheap.

Cimanggu Hot Springs
Ciwidey is rich with hot springs. One of them has used by Perhutani (State Forest Management Firm) as the source of Cimanggu swimming pool. Cimanggu Hot Spring is some swimming pools full of hot water from the mountain. The water is much hotter then in Hot Spring Ciater Resort, the area of this hot spring is very nice and a good place to relax. This hot spring is not so crowded as Ciater Hot Spring. The drive from Bandung takes about 2 hours. It is a lovely spot reasonably maintained, to relax, to swim, or just soak. The hot springs are channeled into a small pool for children and a large hot water pool. Cimanggu tourism site has some facilities such as; big parking area, play ground, hot water swimming pool, public toilet and bathroom, musholla, and drinking and food shops.

Patengan Lake or Patengan Situ
One of the leading resorts is located in less than an hour by road to the south of the city. The eastern side of the lake is a cool forest has an average temperature of 10 degrees C and is often hazy the whole day. A lush tea estate, reaching far out to the west and south, borders the north side. From Cimanggu Hot Spring it is just 30 minutes drive through tea plantations. This is a lovely site for boating, the lake looks a green carpet, and tea plantations surround the lake. Patengan Lake is a very popular spot for Indonesians on a Sunday and public holiday. Its location is in Ciwidey tourism area, 47 kilometers from Bandung to the South, and the site is in the area of Rancabali tea plantation. The tourism site is good for family as it offers hot spring water swimming pool, restaurants, a recreation park for kids, and bungalow as well as other supporting facilities

Batu-Tulis Ciaruteun (Stone Inscription)
One of the oldest kingdoms of Indonesia, the Hinduism Tarumanagara from the 5th century, was probably located near Bogor. In the area a number of inscriptions has been found, under them a remarkable one, which still can be seen in Ciampea, 15 km west of the city, approximately two kilometers Southwest of the botanical gardens It's a big stone in a riverbank, which contains several lines of Indian style inscriptions, and two king-size footprints, which should have been from the conqueror and king Purnawarman. This inscription tells about the influence of king Surawisesa of Pajajaran in 1533, an important Hindu-king. This inscription is used Sanskrit language.
A replica of the stone can be found in the Fatahillah Museum in Jakarta. The name of the kingdom seems to have close ties with the river, which runs through the Bandung Basin east of Bogor to the coast, Citarum River. Because the inscriptions were found here, the historians concluded the capital of Tarumanagara should have been here, also because it's a good place for defense, and it also provides entry to the fertile hinterlands and the nearby trading harbors at the Sunda Strait.
The site is located on the bank of the Ciaruteun river in Ciampea village which can be reached by driving along the 9-kilometer road from Bogor to Ciampea followed by going on foot for about two kilometers. (Courtesy By Indonesia-Tourism)