Skip to main content

Yogyakarta - A new found place for advetures! Part 2

We had a wonderful time exploring the temples at Jogjia and now it's time for fun and adventure.

1. Tubing @ Pindul Cave
Trust me, if you are planning for a visit at this cave, come early as the crowd is lesser and you will have the whole cave to yourself. Pindul cave is formed by karst with underground river located concerning 7km south of the city center Wonosaru, Gunung Kidul. Wading throughout a river using Cano/Kayak is something common, yet if the stream is located inside a cave, of course it will be a satisfying yet difficult encounter. 





Upon entering the premise, the guide briefed us about the cave and the route. Soon we put on our life vest, grabbed a big tube and headed to the cave which is quite a distance from the main entrance. Luckily, the drive to the cave is included in the ticket price. 






Soon, we saw the crystal clear emerald lake and a tiny entrance to the cave. The water was cooling and soon we were drifting into darkness. Inside the cave, it was filled with bats, hanging upside down and sleeping soundly. The guide knew the way so well that even in darkness, he was able to point out the location of huge rock or protruding sharp edges to prevent us from bumping against it. 



Towards the end of the cave, we were allowed to climb onto a rock and jumped into the water. This was so fun and we spent quite sometime swimming in the lake cave. 

2. The Pine Forest 

Another attraction which is relatively unknown to foreign tourist is the pine tree forest, made famous with an art installation in the form of a giant hand against the backdrop of a panoramic view of the city of Yogyakarta. Random photo spots litter the pine tree forest, each conveying a deep massage from the artist behind the sculptures.  





However, the area is quite small and can be completed within 30 mins. It's best to go in the morning where the weather is cooling and misty. As we were there close to noon time, it was quite hot and we had to find a cooling spot to rest and have some coconut drinks which by the way is super cheap at $0.50 for a huge one. 






3. Jeeping @ Mt Merapi 

Mount Merapi is an active volcano in Yogyakarta which by the way erupted recently in May 2019. The last massive eruption was in Oct 2010 which killed over 300 people. People living around the volcano believe that Mount Merapi is a holy mountain and this resulted in several versions of myths.  



Anyway, the volcano has become quite a tourist attraction where traveler can enjoy a bumpy jeep ride to view this majestic mountain and toured the open-air museum of the remains of the villages destroyed during the eruption in 2010. 

The ride was super bumpy. As the weather was clear and cloudless, Mount Merapi was in full view. Our first stop was the Kaiadem bunker where voluteers and villagers were trapped and died during the 2010 eruption. Although it is situated 3m underground and layered with 25cm thick iron, it couldn't withold the hot volcanic lava. 







Soon, we were driven through the forests and arrived at the village museum. This museum serves to inform visitors about the impacts of the 2010 Merapi eruption. We could see the extent of the destruction from the burnt and damaged items kept in the houses. Quite an insightful educational trip.

To end off, we were then driven across river with water splashing all over us. Exhilarating! 




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mauritius, An Island of Emotion

Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of the African continent. Together with my Diva friend, we travelled to Mauritius in 2014 for our first ever girls trip or what we called as our "Elephant & Hippo Honeymoon". Although Mauritius is an island, the entire island is at least twice bigger than Singapore. Flights to Mauritius are somewhat limited. The airlines that flew to Mauritius include Air Mauritius, Emirates, British Airway and Air France. From Singapore, it took about 10 hours to reach Mauritius, including an hour transit at KL. Despite the long haul flight, I would say Mauritius is worth the visit at least once in your lifetime. I'm glad to have traveled with my Diva friend to this exotic place.   Having some photo fun at Changi Airport    Having some photo fun at Changi Airport  The air ticket for Air Mauritius wasn't cheap. In fact for the air ticket price paid, we could have...

Enchanting Tasmania @ Alice Cottage Launceston

I was extremely delighted to chance upon this lovely Welsh cottage located in Launceston and I knew that I've got to book this cottage for a night.  Nestled away on a quiet Launceston Street are the heritage cottages, each uniquely and tastefully themed with just a right touch of nostalgic old-world charm. There are various cottages to choose from - The English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish. As suggested by the names, each cottage has its charm and amenities.   It was hard to locate the cottage at first and the GPS kept leading us in the same street for a few rounds until we spotted a little sign board "Alice Cottage" at a corner drive though lane. The drive though entrance was quite narrow but with the excellent driving skill of my husband, we managed to maneuver our vehicle in and thereafter, slowing driving through a small beautiful rose garden. The roses were in full bloom and the air was thick with the sweet scent of the roses. We've finally arrived at our Welsh Cot...

Day 6: Grindelwald and Jungfraujoch Top of Europe

We woke up to a pleasant day with perfect weather. It was no longer rainy and instead rays of sunshine brightened up the entire  town of Grindelwald. The view was perfect right from the moment I opened my room's window. Before I continue with my blog on our journey for the day, let me introduce you to our cosy accommodation in Grindelwald, Hotel Lauberhorn, located within a short distance from the main train station. If you are too lazy to walk, fret not because there are buses available from the train station to reach the hotel. What I really like about this hotel is the bright and cheery exterior, well decorated outdoor garden and lounge, lift in the hotel to reach your rooms (this was indeed a surprise) and lastly very nice view of the mountain coupled with yummy croissants for breakfast. We had a corner room to ourselves without any balcony because the hotel was fully booked during our visit. The room was sparkly clean with modern bathroom facilities and even a heater....