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The Star
07-05-2025
- The Star
Drive right up to the crater's edge at this active volcano in Indonesia
Tangkuban Perahu is one of around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. — Photos: CAROLA FRENTZEN/dpa The road winds gently up the mountain from the town of Lembang on Indonesia's main island of Java. The half-hour journey takes you through forests full of giant trees rising from the fertile volcanic soil. But then, all of a sudden, the landscape changes. Upon reaching the summit of Tangkuban Perahu at an altitude of around 2,000m, breathtaking views open up into the Kawah Ratu or Ratu crater – including a bright blue lake. A bright blue mosque on the edge of the Ratu crater. Hot vapours rise from the cracks in the vegetation-free volcanic rock. The strong smell of sulphur tickles your nose. Ash and cooled lava give the slopes a moon-like appearance. This inhospitable barrenness makes the scenery all the more dramatic. What makes it so special? To experience Indonesia's spectacular mountains of fire up close, holiday makers don't always need to plan hours-long trekking tours. Sometimes you can drive to the crater's edge – as is the case with Tangkuban Perahu. An insider tip The volcano is around a three-hour drive from Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, and a one-hour drive from the city of Bandung, which is popular with tourists for its surrounding hot springs and tea plantations. The region is popular with visitors from other Asian countries, with the province of West Java remaining an insider tip for those from further afield. 'The last time the volcano experienced multiple eruptions was in 2019, but the ash barely reached the car park and it wasn't a major threat,' says Hassan, who sells souvenirs at the Ratu crater. He lives in a village about 7km away. 'People are no longer allowed to live closer due to safety concerns,' he explains. Back in 2019 the volcano was closed down for visitors for several months. Before that, the stratovolcano erupted in 2013, sending a column of ash 500m into the sky – after it had been dormant for almost 30 years. There were no fatalities or injuries. Horses and souvenir shops at the Ratu crater. A crater tour with a horse Visitors can explore the Kawah Ratu on a guided horseback tour or on foot until early afternoon. There are about a dozen other, smaller craters. Three of these are also popular tourist destinations, although they can only be reached by foot. The Domas crater, which is slightly further down, is known for its hot springs. You'll need to take a short hike to get there, but once you're there you can have a go at cooking eggs in the boiling water. The name Tangkuban Perahu (also known locally as Parahu) translates as 'upside-down boat' and refers to the shape of the volcano. Legend has it that the volcano was formed when a young man named Sangkuriang tried to build a giant boat overnight to im- press his mother, Dayang Sumbi. When this failed, he is said to have kicked the unfinished boat in frustration, causing it to tip over – and the mountain was formed. – dpa How to get there: Fly to either Jakarta or Bandung, the nearest international airports. All three of Malaysia's local airlines service the routes. From either city, hire a private car, take the bus or join a tour to get to Lembang. The visitor car park is just a few metres from the crater rim. When to go: The best time to visit is during the dry season – from May to November. Entry fees: For foreigners, access to the volcano costs IDR200,000 (RM52) per person. Other info: Indonesia, the world's largest island state, lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on Earth. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently along this belt. There are around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
The Star
22-04-2025
- The Star
A Maldivian resort is fighting plastic pollution with creativity
Sirru Fen Fushi on the Maldives, an idyllic spot with a plastic problem. — Photo: Carola Frentzen/dpa Plastic in the sea and 'ghost nets' that endanger marine life are causing a headache in the tropical Maldivian paradise. At the same time, disposing of marine debris in remote island states is no easy task. Now, hotels are coming up with new ways of protecting the environment and are even turning the debris into something beautiful and creative. Take the Sirru Fen Fushi resort on the Shaviyani Atoll, around 230km north of the main island of Male. There, environmental experts helped locals set up a sustainability laboratory for recycling plastic on site. Visitors can see first-hand how plastics are melted down and then pressed into turtle-shaped key rings or luggage tags on a state-of-the-art extrusion system. Remote atolls in the Maldives are writhing under mounds of global waste but a is giving plastic and fishing nets a new lease of life. — CAROLA FRENTZEN/dpa The choice of turtles as a motif was no coincidence. The seas off the resort are teeming with endangered species, particularly the critically endangered Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles. A marine biologist scours beaches to secure and monitor all the turtle nests. When they hatch, a team helps them reach the sea safely. 'Most of the rubbish we find was washed up from far-flung places like China or India,' says Fazir, who works in the centre. More than 4,000kg of plastic have been reused in the recycling centre so far. This has resulted in rainbow furniture, bright blue garbage cans and fascinating works of art. Countless ghost nets have also been fished out of the Indian Ocean, untangled and given a second lease of life as pretty bracelets or luggage tags. Souvenirs made from marine debris at a resort in the Maldives. — CAROLA FRENTZEN/dpa Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been lost during fishing or deliberately dumped at sea. These nets are the bane of the seas as they take hundreds of years to decompose on the seabed. Whales, seals, seabirds and turtles soon die in what become fatal traps. Since 2022, nearly 20 specimens have been rescued from the turquoise waters off Sirru Fen Fushi alone after becoming entangled in the synthetic nets. As part of the project, school classes in the area are encouraged to teach children about protecting the environment. Youngsters sometimes go to the beaches with rubbish bags in hand to remove litter. Upcycled items such as rulers and boards are donated to schools. The aim is to show children that they can be part of the solution to the growing waste problem, the hotel's website says. – dpa
