- Location: Cikahuripan, Lembang, West Bandung Regency, West Java, Indonesia
- Form of the volcano: stratovolcano
- Height above sea level: 2,084 m
- Exceedance: 707 m
- The last eruption: 2015
Currently, 30 active and 90 extinct volcanoes are concentrated on the territory of the Indonesian island of Java . Of the latter, the most famous is the Tangkuban Perahu, whose name translates from the local language as "an inverted boat".
The history of Tagkuban Perakhu
According to the research, the volcano was once part of Mount Sunda. During its eruption, the caldera disintegrated, after which three mountains were formed : Tangkuban, Burangrang and Bukit Tungul.
The results of other studies indicate that this Javanese volcano erupted at least 30 times in the past 40,000 years. Analyzes of ash indicate that the largest ones were only nine eruptions. Earlier ones were magmatic, or phreatomagmatic, and later - phreatic (thermal explosion). Despite the respectable age, Tanguban is not impressive in size, so it does not look tall and awesome.
During the period from 1826 to 1969, stratovolcano activity was observed every 3-4 years. The last eruption of the Tagkuban Perakhu volcano occurred on October 5, 2013.
The uniqueness of Tangkuban Perahu
Most of the volcanoes on the island of Java have steep and dangerous slopes. Tangkuban differs from them by a gentle slope, on which even a car can pass. Despite activity, the volcano's surroundings are buried in the evergreen mountain forest, through which the road to the peaks passes.
The volcano Tangkuban Perahu has several large craters. Some of them are open to tourists, but only accompanied by a qualified guide. The main crater is called the crater of the Queen, or Ratu. From its mouth the volcanic gases are constantly bursting.
Tourists come to the stratovolcano Tangkuban in order to:
- look at the boiling mud;
- bathe in hot springs;
- ride on the edge of the crater;
- Try eggs cooked on the hot surface of the volcano.
Here you can not only look at the bottom of the crater, but also admire the stunning views of the nearby city of Bandung . In the northern part of the stratovolcano Tangkuban lies the Valley of Death, derived from a large concentration of toxic gases.
In April 2005, an organization engaged in the study of volcanoes and geological activity, raised the alarm and forbade tourists to go down to the volcano. This was due to the fact that the sensors located on Tangkuban Perakhu recorded a rise in volcanic activity and a high concentration of toxic gases.
How to get to Tangkuban Perahu?
This active volcano is in the west of the island of Java. From the capital it is only 160 km away. From Jakarta to Tangkuban, Perahu can be reached by road. To do this, go through the city in a southerly direction through the streets of Jl. Cemp. Putih Tengah, Jl. I Gusti Ngurah Rai and Jl. Jend. Ahmad Yani. When you leave the capital, you should stick to the road Jl. Pantura (Jakarta - Cikampek). On the route there are paid plots and road works are underway, therefore the whole path can take a little over 4 hours.