Bandung: Kawah Cibuni (Cibuni Crater)

Besides the more commercialised 'Kawah Putih' in Bandung, there is one more crater in Mount Patuba called Kawah Cibuni. Not many people have visited this place or even heard of it. To get there, you first have to go to the Kawah Putih area, then keep on going until you pass a huge tea plantation area. After a few kilometers, you will be able to see this place on your left. There, you will see some overlaying stones with a touch of sulfur, some hot springs, and a boiling volcanic dirt pool.

Thankfully, we are not required to find our way there ourselves. Whilst this crater is not tourist-friendly, it also gives us the ability to appreciate the beauty of nature. The mini-van stopped at what seemed like a old guard post. From there, we walked about 1,000m to the crater. Surprisingly, it wasn't a tiring walk upslope. We enjoyed the walk - quiet, enchanting and yet simply rustic.

We had lunch at the only eatery together with our tour guide - Mamum Rustina (ajimara@yahoo.com). Whilst he bought food for us, he brought his 'packet food' and chatted with us & the stall lady. Lunch was simple, but the thought of dining in a crater made it a different experience. To see the simpler side of life brought joy into me. Children playing soccer on a small flat area along the volcano's steep slope, a small girl wanting to play with the children, a old lady hanging clothes to dry amidst the air filled with sulfur.

Walking in the crater - was the most amazing sight I even experienced. Maybe I know that it was indeed a lifetime experience, where I smelled and touched sulfur, experienced hot springs, walked through a hot mud lake, saw a cold mountain stream merge with the hot volcanic water.