JP\/17\/NGON<\/p>\n
Ngongap Beach offers tranquility, beautiful scenery<\/p>\n
Bambang M
\nContributor\/Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Traveling along the meandering road to Ngongap Beach in
\nGunungkidul, some 80 kilometers southeast of Yogyakarta, can be a
\ntiring experience. But all of the fatigue washes away with the
\nfirst glimpse of the beach, with its beautiful scenery and
\ntranquil surroundings.<\/p>\n
Set between greenish hills, the turquoise waters of the Indian
\nOcean beckon bathers. White-stomached eagles perch on the
\nbranches of a tree, greeting visitors to this beautiful spot.<\/p>\n
Ngongap Beach is one of the most southern spots of the Asian
\ncontinent.<\/p>\n
Running for several kilometers, Ngongap Beach is different
\nfrom most of the beaches on the southern coast of Yogyakarta
\nprovince. While most beaches in the area slope slightly, Ngongap
\nis fenced in by the small hills of Gunungkidul's karst area.<\/p>\n
\"It is one of a kind. You cannot find such karst hills
\nanywhere else in the world,\" geologist ET Paripurno of the
\nNational Development University in Yogyakarta said.<\/p>\n
Standing on a hill some 90 meters above the beach, you can
\nwatch the waves lap against the foot of the hills. Sea spray arcs
\ninto the air as the waves hit the hills, and as the sun hits the
\nspray rainbows shimmer in the air.<\/p>\n
On the beach are clusters of small separated \"islands\" that
\nare home to nesting birds.<\/p>\n
\"It is really beautiful here,\" Susi, an employee at a star-
\nrated hotel in Yogyakarta, cried as she stepped onto the beach
\nfor the first time.<\/p>\n
The relative remoteness of the beach makes it more tranquil
\nand cleaner than the more frequently visited beaches. It is a
\ngood place to contemplate and escape the city's hustle and
\nbustle.<\/p>\n
It is this serenity that also attracts different species of
\nbirds, who live and nest at the beach. One is the Buntut sate
\nbird (Phaeton lepturus).<\/p>\n
From the top of the hills visitors can watch the birds
\nmaneuver above the see as they look for food. Hilly beaches like
\nNgongap are the best spots for watching birds in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Although they have nests on the hillsides, they can sleep
\nwhile floating on the surface of the sea,\" Lim Wen Sim, a bird-
\nwatcher from Yogyakarta, commented.<\/p>\n
Alap-alap sapi birds (Falco moluccensis) fly above the hills
\nlooking for food before returning to their nests, which are holes
\nin the hillsides.<\/p>\n
Other birds that live and nest in the area include the Dara
\nlaut tengkuk hitam (Sterna sumatrana), Cekakak sungai
\n(Todirhamphus chloris) and the Kutilang (pycnonotus aurigaster).<\/p>\n
There are also sea creatures in the area. Sitting on the edge
\nof a hill, if you are lucky, you can spot turtles like the Penyu
\nhijau, Chelonia mydas or Penyu lekang (Lepidochelys olivacea)
\npoke their heads above the surface of the sea, take a breath and
\nthen sink below the waters again.<\/p>\n
Such scenes are rarely found on slightly sloping beaches like
\nParangtritis or Parangkusumo, which are located in the same
\ngeneral area.<\/p>\n
\"You also sometimes see sharks swimming right below the
\nsurface of the sea here,\" Lim Wen Sim said.<\/p>\n
What is concerning is that some visitors catch the turtles,
\nwhich are protected because of their globally declining
\npopulation numbers.<\/p>\n
\"I once saw someone catch a turtle and kill it right here,\"
\nLim Wen Sim said.<\/p>\n
Up on a hill is a roomy Javanese joglo-style building where
\nlocals perform rituals before harvesting swallow nests from the
\nhillside. Visitors can now use the building to shelter from sun
\nand enjoy the scenic panorama.<\/p>\n
South of the building is a large rock from which hangs a long
\nrope ladder that leads to the caves where the swallow nests are
\nfound. Looking at the rope ladder it is easy to imagine the
\nbravery of the men who collect the nests.<\/p>\n
Without any safety equipment, they climb down the ladder into
\nthe caves below. Just one wrong step on the ladder can send you
\nsmashing into the rock or crashing into the sea below.<\/p>\n
Spending a night at Ngongap is also worth a try. To enjoy the
\nexperience, however, you have to bring a tent and camping
\nequipment because there are no hotels nearby.<\/p>\n
As the sun sets in the west, you can also do some fishing. If
\nyou manage to catch a kakap merah, you can enjoy a meal of
\ngrilled fish on the beach.<\/p>\n
There, in the quiet of the night, the sound of waves slapping
\nup against the rocks is much louder than during the day. The
\ncries of night birds accompanies you as you drift off to sleep.<\/p>\n
When the sun rises in the east early in the morning, the
\nchirping of beach birds begins to take over. The turquoise water
\nstarts to glitter as the sunshine reflects off its surface. Just
\nanother day of natural beauty waiting to be enjoyed.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp17ngon-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}