Last year, I took a 2-day, 1-night trip to Situ Gunung, Sukabumi, West Java. It is a natural tourist destination located within Mount Gede Pangrango National Park. Since it is relatively close to Jakarta, Situ Gunung is a great choice for a short getaway or even a one-day trip. Most visitors come to see the area’s most famous attraction, the Suspension Bridge.

From Jakarta, I took the commuter line to Bogor Station. From there, I continued to Cisaat Station by the Pangrango Train, which took about one and a half hours. Finally, I took an online taxi to the Situ Gunung area.

There are many interesting places to explore in Situ Gunung. Here are five fun activities I did during my trip:

1. Passing the Suspension Bridge

The Situ Gunung Suspension Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in Southeast Asia. It was built in 2017 and is 243 meters long and 1.8 meters wide, with the bridge suspended 121 meters above the ground.

Interestingly, because it is a suspension bridge, I could feel my body swaying as I walked across it. What an exciting experience! But don’t worry. All visitors crossing the bridge are required to wear a safety harness, so you can enjoy the experience safely.

Standing at 35 meters high, Sawer Waterfall has a powerful flow of water. When I visited, the current was quite strong, and the water was a little turbid because it had rained earlier.

Because of the heavy flow, the water splashed around and got my clothes wet. Nevertheless, seeing the waterfall and listening to the sound of the rushing water made me feel relaxed and refreshed.

The Situ Gunung area has a rocky river, and there are several ways to enjoy the view of the river. One of them is riding the Keranjang Sultan. I sat in a rattan chair that had been modified to look like a cable car. Then, the chair moved along the river, giving me a unique view of the surrounding scenery.

It was a fun experience, but I felt that the ride was too short.

4. Riding Keranjang Sultan Langit

I really liked the height! In Situ Gunung, there are many attractions that can give you an adrenaline rush, and one of them is Keranjang Sultan Langit.

While Keranjang Sultan takes you along the rocky river, Keranjang Sultan Langit takes you across the Purba Situ Gunung Valley. It is a rattan chair that moves above the valley, offering an amazing view from high above the ground. The attraction is approximately 100 to 160 meters above the ground.

I would not recommend riding Keranjang Sultan Langit to people with acrophobia or a fear of heights. When I sat in the rattan chair and it started to move, I felt like I was flying in slow motion. It was both thrilling and a little scary, but I really enjoyed it!

5. Riding the Flying Fox

Riding the Flying Fox in Situ Gunung was my favorite activity. I could see Situ Gunung Lake from above while riding along the 733-meter-long Flying Fox track. It sounds like a long track, but the ride only lasted about one minute.

I would love to ride it again, but the ticket was quite pricey at Rp150,000 per person. Besides the Flying Fox, I also bought a package that included a 360-degree camera, which allowed me to capture the experience from a unique perspective.

Exploring Situ Gunung can actually be done in one day. However, I decided to stay for one night to enjoy the area at a more relaxed pace. I booked Halimun Tent, a glamping tent with a capacity of up to four people.

One of the benefits of staying here was that the room rate included access to several attractions, except for the Flying Fox. The tent also had complete facilities, including an indoor bathroom with a wooden bathtub, a water heater, and breakfast.

At night, I ordered dinner, which came with free roasted corn for guests. The dining area was located in the center of the tent, with a campfire to keep the guests warm. It was a cozy way to end the day in the middle of nature.

Visiting Situ Gunung was a memorable journey for me. I was able to relieve my stress by exploring nature and enjoying exciting attractions. The convenient access and complete facilities also made my trip more comfortable and enjoyable.

Overall, Situ Gunung is a great destination for anyone looking for a short getaway from Jakarta, especially for those who want to combine nature, adventure, and a relaxing stay in one trip.

Bali is a well-known island in Indonesia. In fact, many people around the world know Bali better than Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city. The number of direct flights to Bali from many countries shows the high international demand for this destination. Bali is not only a popular holiday destination, but it is also often chosen as a venue for business events such as international conferences or some multilateral meetings.

Bali is located east of Java island. This time, I had the opportunity to spend around two days in the Kuta area, southern Bali. I stayed at The Anvaya Beach Resort, which is approximately 2 km from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

One of the most remarkable things about Kuta, Bali, is its beautiful sunset. Watching the golden sky as the sun slowly sinks into the sea is a must-do experienceand the sun sinking into the sea is a must thing that should be watched. Luckily, The Anvaya Beach Resort has direct access to the beach, so I could enjoy the sunset without even leaving the hotel.

The golden sky

The Anvaya Brach Resort room facilities

The main lobby

The hustle and bustle of my daily routine made me feel bored. So, I needed some fresh air to clear my mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any public holidays left for the rest of the year. Therefore, I looked for a day-trip destination near Jakarta that could be reached easily while avoiding heavy traffic. This time, I chose Jatiluhur Reservoir, Purwakarta, West Java. The roads were well maintained and directly connected to the toll road. It took around two and a half hours to get there.

Jembatan Viral Parang Gombong

On the way to the main destination, Parang Gombong, I stopped by a striking red bridge overlooking the emerald-with green water and beautiful scenery. Near the bridge, there was a small parking area for visitors. Some street food sellers such as telur gulung (rolled fried egg on a skewer), tahu gejrot (fried tofu served with a sweet and spicy sauce) and cilok (chewy tapioca balls with peanut sauce) were setting up their stalls on that area. Many visitors stopped to take photos before grabbing some local snacks from the nearby stalls. I think it is a great way to support the local economy.

View from Jembatan Red Bridge Parang Gombong

Waduk Jatiliuhur, Parang Gombong

After taking a few photos and enjoying some local street food, we continued to Parang Gombong, one of the tourist attractions around Waduk Jatilihur. The entrance fee was Rp20.000 per car, with an additional parking fee of Rp5.000. The entrance gate looked a little bit poorly maintained, and the pathway was not well maintained. The reservoir also covered with water hyacinth, which was quite disappointing.

Waduk Jatiluhur from Parang Gombong

Sate Maranggi Bah Use

Exploring Parang Gombong made me hungry, perhaps because I arrived around lunch time. So I headed to Sate Maranggi Bah Use, one of the most famous Sate Maranggi restaurants in Purwakarta. Sate Maranggi is one of Purwakarta’s signature dishes. Before being grilled, the meat is marinated by coriander, brown sugar, and tamarind. Unlike most Indonesian satays, Sate Maranggi is usually served without peanut sauce, allowing its sweet and savoury marinade to stand out.

I usually stop by Sate Maranggi Hj Yetty whenever I’m on my way to Bandung. This time, I wanted to try a different Sate Maranggi restaurant. The well-known chef Renatta Moeloek once recommended Sate Maranggi Bah Use as her favourite Sate Maranggi restaurant in Purwakarta. That’s why I decided to give it a try.

Sate Maranggi Bah Use

Overall, Sate Maranggi at Bah Use was more tender than the one at Hj Yetty. However, Bah Use is located a little farther from the toll exit and has limited parking space. Its grilling area is also much smaller than Hj Yetty’s. As a result, during peak hours the food takes longer to arrive because customer demand exceeds the restaurant’s grilling capacity.

Salbeans Park

The delicious lunch left me feeling full and sleepy. Before heading home, we needed some caffeine to keep us awake, boost our mind, especially my husband, who did all the driving on this trip. Alhamdulillah, we found a highly rated café called Salbeans Park, located not far from Sate Maranggi Bah Use. The manual brew coffee was excellent. My favourite drink, however, was the matcha latte. It tasted great and was very affordable.

A one-day trip to Purwakarta is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of Jakarta. Unlike larger cities such as Bogor and Bandung, Purwakarta offers plenty of peaceful places to unwind without having to deal with heavy traffic.