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Published: December 29th 2020
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Land of Waterfall, Ciletuh Geopark It’s another hidden gem of Indonesia located in Sukabumi, West Java, about five hours drive from Jakarta. Recognized by UNESCO in 2015 as a National Geopark, it covers an area of 128,000 hectares over 8 subdistricts and 74 villages. Ciletuh Pelaburah Ratu was awarded as a Geopark not only because of its geological component but also because of its culture and scenery.
One thing unique about Ciletuh Geopark was its combination of lush green mountainous landscape, surrounded by paddy field and located along the Southern coastal of Indian Ocean. Interestingly, little is known about this Geopark even among the locals like I. The drive from Jakarta was painless as one third of the journey was on a toll road. Before reaching our destination, we stopped by at Pelabuhan Ratu, where we had delicious seafood for lunch.
It took about an hour to reach Ciletuh Geopark from Pelabuhan Ratu, and our first destination was Bukit Darma, from which we could have an aerial view of Ciletuh. From a distance, we could see the brownish caramel color of the river, merging into the sea down below. We came at the heaviest rain season
without much expectation, as weeks before, there were a few landslides happened in the area. We were lucky to have the place to ourselves!
Our next stop was a 50-meter Cimarinjung Waterfall at Ciwaru Village, which was only 15-minute drive from Puncak Darma. The water came from Cimarinjung River which flew through rice field and merged into the sea at Palangpang beach. There are 22 waterfalls in Ciletuh Geopark, all of which are at least 10 meters high. It took five minutes to reach Cimarinjung Waterfall from the parking area. Given the high debris of water, visitors were not allowed to swim, and within 10 minutes of standing near the waterfall, we became wet. During rainy season, the color of the water was caramel brown, while it turned turquoise green during dry season. On our way back to our accommodation, we stopped at a rice field, from which we could see the waterfall from afar. Our accommodation was a simple, but clean hut, spacious enough for 6 people at Palangpang Beach. There were plenty of small restaurants nearby that you could visit for dinner.
The next day, we left early to visit Sodong Waterfall, which took about 45
minutes by car from our accommodation. This 20-meter twin waterfall is also located at Ciwaru Village. From parking area, we could see the magnificent waterfall pouring water into the river below. The water flow was so heavy that in no time we got wet. It is called Ciletuh Mega Amphitheater as there were three waterfalls from the same river. According to the official information provided at the site, the four bedrocks of this waterfall is in the form of sedimentary rock layers, tuff type sandstones and breccia parts of the Jampang Formation of Cikarang Members of Lower Miocene Age (23-16 million years). These three waterfalls are formed by the tectonic process which also forms the Ciletuh Mega Amphitheater.
As we admired the magnificent sight of the waterfall, rain started to pour; we decided to visit Ciletuh Hills Resort nearby, which turned out to be a hidden gem. From its open space restaurant, we sipped our coffee while enjoying the scenery of three levels of waterfalls among the green lush rainforest. Ciletuh Hill Resort is a must stay as its three bungalows have breathtaking waterfall view from the bedrooms!
When rain subsided, we headed towards Cikanteh Waterfall, right above
Sodong Waterfall. The uphill and slippery trek was about half an hour. When we arrived, we rewarded by the beautiful sight of the waterfall. It was equally huge and overwhelming. During dry season, we could hike near the waterfall and even visit the cave underneath. In no time, we were all wet from the splash of water coming from above. Before heading towards our accommodation, we decided to stop by Palangpang beach and to skip visiting Kunti Island’s white sand beach, reachable by wooden boat. There was a fishing village nearby, where freshly caught fish were auctioned in the morning.
The next morning, we were discouraged by the weather; it was drizzling and the sky was grey. We left for Ujung Genteng beach, located at the border of Ciletuh and Banten province, which was a scenic beach. Little that we knew there was Turtle Beach Resort nearby, from which we could release baby turtles to the sea. Had we known, we would have visited the neighboring beach, Cimaja, famous for its swell and well known among surfers. The last destination was 80-meter Cikaso Waterfall at Ujung Genteng. Within 10 minutes boat ride, we reached the 100 meter wide waterfall.
It consists of three waterfalls: Aseupan, Menong and Aki. What a beauty! Half-hearted, we had to leave and return to Jakarta but determined to return soon! There are many places that we have missed during this trip including a traditional village of Banten Kidul whose inhabitants still hold traditional values similar to those of Bantenese. Further information on Ciletuh Geopark: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/earth-sciences/unesco-global-geoparks/list-of-unesco-global-geoparks/indonesia/ciletuh-palabuhanratu/
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gezilecek yerler
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Congratulations on your half century. Photos are excellent and self-descriptive.