West Java - best of Bali and more: green canyons, 3 summits
West Java - ala Bali beach resort, beach forest, green canyons, 3 summits, great outdoors, seafoods, adventures, waterfalls and more.
West Java has the best of Bali and more: Pandangaran in the south has been known by seasoned tourists as the Bali of the West Java; and more it has green canyons voted 6th most beautiful in Java; a national forest with the sea on both sides. Garut is surrounded by 3 summits - great for trekking, camping or just soaking in natural hot springs at the source. And Bogor is a haven on the outskirts of Jakarta. All easily accessible from cool and wonderful Bandung.
5 wonderful days in Pandangaran – Bali of West Java
Pandagaran has everything Bali has but more accessible – better seafood, better outer areas for exploration including the famous green canyon or gorges, voted 6th most beautiful natural wonders in indonesia.
Getting there
Our 4 days trip to Pandangaran began with a 4 hour car ride from Garut. We shopped and changed into cool beach wear and zoomed along the whole long stretch of beach on beach mobiles and witness a most spectacular sunset sky.
First Day
Next morning we set off at 8am to visit the home industries – first off was a hands off trial of how tempe is made, and then a tour of how the coconut flower juice was tapped and transformed into fragrant brown sugar.
Walking through the village we had the oppotunity to see first hand how male pigeons were groomed/trained as potential champions in local pigeon competition where the first male to reach/land on a female pigeon that is held over the head by the owner standing in a small open square wins the competition.
Second Day
The 2nd day was spend both on Green Canyon and Green Valley – body rafting, diving into deep green waters from diving board height, swinging from trees and checking out the canyon caves.
Third Day
The 3rd day we trekked through untouched forest from the east beach to the west beach, stopping over for lunch at waterfall overhanging the west beach. Here you could try hooking prawns with banana fibers. We walked back along the west beach and after a short break took the opportunity to learn surfing on the sea.
Fourth Day
Our last day took us to Batu Lampung to check out the green gorge for kayaking. We then made a little shopping in the market and began a 6 hour car ride back to Bandung.
West Java – has much more
SUMMIT CAMPING ON THE MOUNTAINS AROUND GARUT
The 3 mountains around Garut, Papandayan, Cikuray and Gunture, provides great outlets for trekking, camping, and exploration.
PAPANDAYAN -an active volcano can be explored by a 2 hour trek and the natural hot spring at the source is definitely worth the effort – apart from exploring the dead forest left by the eruption of 2002 and overnight camping at the summit.
CIKURAY covered by green forest is more challenging – requires a 6 hour trek with porters to camp overnight at the summit to view the beautiful sunrise the next morning.
KAMPONG NAGA – A LIVING CULTURAL LEGACY
Kampong Naga near Garut, West Java. It’s inhabited by a remnant of the Baduy tribe: a community of people with very strong tradition that they keep for centuries. They live in traditional simplicity and without using modern day facilities.
The Baduy tribe originally call kenekes was isolated in mid 1500s; they do not wear sandal, use transportation, make their homes from bamboo and wooden ropes and use no electricity.
Be amazed that in a community without any facilities: no electric, water or sanitation there are no flies and mosquitoes, at least the whole time i spend visiting the place and meeting the villagers there.
BOGOR – NATURE AT YOUR DOORSTEP
Just 1.5 hours from Jakarta, Bogor is a haven for city dwellers. The mountains around Bogor city bring rains and and with the rains, waterfalls – so numerous that the list below in alphabetical order is certainly not complete:
Balong Endah, Bidadari, Ciampea, Cibaliung, Ciberureum, Cigamea, Ciherang, Cikuwulong, Ciputri, Cilember, Ciputri, Leuwi Lieuk, Leuwi Love, Leuwi Hejo, Hordeng, Kembar Cinyenang, Kebun Jeruk, Kondang, Mount Bunder, Nangka, Seribu, Priuk, Putri Kencana, Sukaresmi.
Below are images of some ot the waterfalls in and around Bogor
Curug Nangka: A natural waterfall, located at the feet of Mt. Salak. In this area there 2 other waterfalls: Curug Daun and Curug Kawung.
Leuwi Hejo : The name is taken from the Sundanese language, “Leuwi” which means “Pool” and “Hejo” which means “Green”, since the waterfall has a charming bluish green pool under the falls.
There are 4 waterfalls in the vicinity of Leuwi Hejo: Leuwi Ciung, Leuwi Liek, Cepet, and Baliung waterfalls.
