"The rare natural phenomenon becomes a tourist attraction, and some tourists also wait for the frozen dew to occur to document the phenomenon through picture or video," Lumajang District Tourism Office Head Yuli Harismawati stated here, Wednesday.
The drop in temperature close to zero degrees Celsius in Ranupani Village is causal to the occurrence of the frozen dew phenomenon, she remarked.
"The phenomenon always occurs every July to September because in those months, the temperature in Ranupani region will be close to zero degrees Celsius," the office head remarked.
The high location of Ranupani Village, at 2,300 meters above sea level, was another factor behind the occurrence of frozen dew, she noted.
The frozen dew can be seen in flat areas, such as around Lake Ranupani and Ranu Regulo, she added.
"The frozen dew also covered plants, thereby giving the impression of the areas in Ranupani Village at the foot of Mount Semeru being covered by snow," Harismawati expounded.
She said that residents and tourists keen to observe the frozen dew in Ranupani Village and the adjoining regions could arrive before sunrise at 5 a.m. local time (UTC +7).
"If tourists are keen to see plants covered in frozen dew, then they need not go far away to New Zealand, but they could just come to Ranupani Village in Lumajang District," the office head stated.
Despite residents being able to enjoy the frozen dew at Ranupani Village, the hiking trail in Mount Semeru remains closed to the public, as the status of the 3,676-metre volcano is still on level III (alert), as per the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency's (PVMBG's) recommendation, she noted. (*)
