Gunung Malabar, Stratovolcano in West Java, Indonesia

Gunung Malabar is a broad stratovolcano of basaltic andesite immediately south of Bandung, West Java. Its summit, Puncak Besar, reaches 2,343 metres and forms part of the Malabar mountain complex with Gunung Puntang and Gunung Haruman. The mountain is known for tea plantations established by Bosscha.

The volcano was active during the Pleistocene epoch, with its final eruption occurring between 4.4 and 2.6 million years ago. Since then, the mountain has evolved into a stable geological formation shaped by ongoing erosion processes.

The name Malabar appears in Sundanese sources long before it named the mountain: the Rajya-rajya i Bhumi Nusantara, compiled under Prince Wangsakerta of Cirebon in 1677, lists a Kingdom of Malabar (4th–5th century) among the 46 territories under Tarumanagara. The 15th-century Sundanese monk Bujangga Manik called the peak Bukit Malabar in his account of his travels across Java and Bali. Philologist Jonathan Rigg (1862) linked the word to Sundanese labar-lébér, "overflowing, spreading in all directions", describing the mountain's broad slopes.

The mountain displays four different forest zones depending on elevation, from tropical rainforest to mountain forest types. When exploring the slopes, you will notice distinct changes in vegetation as you move upward, each zone offering different hiking conditions and views.

The Malabar name appears in the Rajya-rajya i Bhumi Nusantara, a 1677 Cirebon court compilation listing Malabar as one of 46 kingdoms under Tarumanagara, though its site has never been located. The 15th-century Sundanese monk Bujangga Manik called the peak Bukit Malabar in his travel account. Jonathan Rigg (1862) linked the name to Sundanese labar-lébér, meaning spreading out in all directions.