My First Blog :-)

Okay guys, first is first…EID MUBARAK EVERYONE! :-D

This year I explored a City called Surakarta with my family, it is also known as Solo. But before I write about my activities at Solo, we will rewind a little bit to the part about the Journey to Yogjakarta from Ciater.

Solo is ± an hour drive from Yogjakarta. And Yogjakarta is ±8 hour drive from Ciater. But since it was nearly Eid, the traffic jam was terrible, instead of an 8 hour drive; it was a 12 hour drive!

Ciater is the place I currently live in when I’m in Indonesia but not in Jakarta; let’s just say it’s mine and my family’s holiday home. 

Ciater is a village (Indonesians call it “Desa”) it is in the sub-district Ciater, Subang, Jawa Barat, Indonesia. It is pretty little place in the middle of huge tea estate. The place also has a tea factory. Although it’s a village, many tourists come here to visit. It is 185 km from Indonesia’s Capital City, Jakarta. I don’t recommend visiting here on a weekend, unless you’re one reaaally patient person! And at night, the weather usually gets cooler, so bringing a jacket is a must. The view of tea-gardens and mountains is just simply breath-taking! 

One of Ciater’s famous Tourist Destination is Gunung Tangkuban Perahu (Volcano Tangkuban Perahu.)

 It is an active volcano 30 km north of the city of Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java, with the height of 2.084 meter. It is a popular tourist attraction where tourists can hike or ride to the edge of the crater to view the hot water springs up close.

Legend said that Tangkuban Perahu was made by Sangkuriang from a boat. It explains why this mountain has a flat top, looked from far away. But if we go to the top, there are three craters out there, and the scenic around them is so beautiful.

“The legend of "Dayang Sumbi" is a story about a beautiful woman who lived in West Java. She cast away her son, Sangkuriang for disobedience and in her sadness was granted the power of eternal youth by the gods.

 After many years in exile, Sangkuriang decided to return to his home, the two had forgotten and failed to recognize each other. Sangkuriang fell in love with Dayang Sumbi and planned to marry her. Just when Sangkuriang was about to go hunting, Dayang Sumbi recognized his birthmark.

In order to prevent the marriage from taking place, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to build a dam on the river Citarum and build a large boat to cross the river, both before the sunrise.

Sangkuriang meditated and summoned mythical ogre-like creatures called “buta hejo” (green giant) to do his bidding. Dayang Sumbi saw that the tasks were almost completed and called on her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of impending sunrise. Sangkuriang was fooled, and upon believing that he had failed, kicked the dam and the unfinished boat, resulting in severe flooding and the creation of Tangkuban perahu from the hull of the boat.”

.:How To Get There:. 

We can go to Tangkuban Perahu with low budget. We can take a public transportation such as angkot –common public transportation in Indonesia-  directly to go there. Travel from train station to the Lembang costs Rp 3,000 - Rp 5,000. After arriving at Lembang, we should continue to take a public transportation to Subang, and then we have to pay the cost up to RP 5,000. We have to continue and move to special transport vehicle to go to the summit. Then we have to pay admission ticket and insurance RP 12,500 and we still have to pay transportation costs for RP 5,000. But if you do not want to be bothered, it is advisable to take a package tour and travel, this will help us on holiday to Tangkuban Perahu without taking a public transportation.

If we are from Jakarta, we have to take Cipularang toll road first or you can take any travel / public buses which go to Bandung.

.:Entrance Fee:.

Local Visitor Tickets:
Tickets per person - Rp. 13.000 / person
Two Wheel Vehicles - Rp. 5,000 / vehicle
Four Wheel Vehicles - Rp. 10,000 / vehicle
Six Wheel Vehicles - Rp. 20,000 / vehicle

Foreign Tourist Visitor Tickets:
Tickets per person - Rp. 50,000 / person
Two Wheel Vehicles - Rp. 7.500 / vehicle
Four Wheel Vehicles - Rp. 15,000 / vehicle
Six Wheel Vehicles -  Rp. 25,000 / vehicle

Another Tourist Destination is Ciater Hot Spring Water. It is 8 Km from Tangkuban Perahu, it should take around 30minutes drive to reach.

It is a nice park with small pools in which we can enjoy sitting or swimming in warm sulfurous water pools that is good for healing skin problems. The pools are fed by warm mineral springs, which are created by the heat from nearby volcanoes.
For more information about this Destination, you may visit its official site:
http://www.sariater-hotel.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=54

Interested? Need a break from your every day’s life? 
You should  d e f i a n t l y  find some time to visit Ciater’s Tourist Destinations! :-D