Top West Java Wildlife Encounters in 2026

Ratu Crater is the largest and youngest crater which is a former eruption of Mount Salak in the Cikuluwung Putri crater complex. Other craters which are part of the Ratu Crater are Paeh Crater and Hirup Crater as mentioned in 1951, now known as Paeh II Crater. Kawah Ratu, which is in the Cikuluwung Putri crater complex, is located on the west side of Mount Salak, under the management of the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation, Ministry of Forestry and its responsibility is in the hands of the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park Office. Basically, the Cikuluwung Putri crater complex is a solfatara field, in addition to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). Solfatara is easy to recognize because the surrounding air smells as the distinctive smell of sulfur oxide gases. In high concentrations, this gas emission is also dangerous for animals and humans called sulfur.