JP\/18\/KETEP<\/p>\n
Ketep Pass offers volcano-based tourism<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Magelang<\/p>\n
Few people actually get to watch a live volcano erupt, which,
\nfrom a safe distance away, is an amazing experience.<\/p>\n
At Ketep Pass -- a relatively new resort located in Ketep,
\nSawangan, here, some 35 kilometers south of the regental capital,
\nMagelang -- this exciting spectacle can be experienced from some
\n1,200 meters above sea level.
\n Lava is clearly visible as it is emitted from the peak of the
\nneighboring 2,911-meter Mount Merapi, one of the most active
\nvolcanoes in the world.<\/p>\n
At night, the descending lava is a dramatic display of
\nnatural fireworks, which can be witnessed with the naked eye.<\/p>\n
Separated only by a valley, Mount Merapi seems but a stone's
\nthrow away from Ketep to the north. Even without a telescope,
\nvisitors can observe the peak of Mount Merapi clearly in daylight
\nhours from Ketep.<\/p>\n
Such is the proximity that the thunderous sound of the volcano
\nexpelling lava can also be heard sometimes in Ketep.<\/p>\n
Yet, visitors need not worry as, even in a major eruption, the
\nvalley would prevent the lava from reaching the site.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, experience also shows that the lava has never
\ntraveled toward the north: It has always moved either southward
\nor westward,\" Ketep Pass manager M. Hariadi told The Jakarta Post
\nrecently.<\/p>\n
Viewing Mount Merapi from a distance is not the only
\nattraction that Ketep offers tourists. Officially opened by then
\npresident Megawati Soekarnoputri on Oct. 17, 2002, Ketep was
\ndesigned as a volcano-based tourist destination.<\/p>\n
As such, the resort also has other attractions. Among these
\nare a volcano center, volcano theater and the Pelataran Panca
\nArga (Panca Arga plain).<\/p>\n
From the parking lot in, the venue is an attractive one.
\nStepping onto an open field, visitors can enjoy the magnificence
\nand beauty of both the slopes and the peak of Mount Merapi.<\/p>\n
If they wish to use a telescope, they can rent one from local
\nchildren at Rp 1,000, with no time limit.<\/p>\n
Tourists hoping to enjoy this particular attraction, however,
\nare at the mercy of the weather. If they are lucky, no clouds
\nwill obscure the volcano. If not, they must wait for the clouds
\nto clear.<\/p>\n
\"Merapi is quite unpredictable in the sense that sometimes it
\ncan be seen very clearly while at other times clouds cover it all
\nday long. It seems that it decides for itself whether to show or
\nhide itself from visitors,\" said a villager selling grilled baby
\ncorn at Ketep.<\/p>\n
While waiting for the clouds to clear, however, tourists may
\nvisit the volcano center, which is built right next to the
\nparking area. Entry tickets are Rp 3,500.<\/p>\n
Here tourists can find out about volcanoes in general and
\nMount Merapi in particular, including how they were formed over
\nthousands of years through natural processes.<\/p>\n
Information is available in the form of pictures, diagrams, a
\ncomputerized database, multimedia presentations, photos, and
\nthree-dimensional models, including a miniature of Mount Merapi.<\/p>\n
A diorama of what is called the Puncak Garuda (Garuda Peak) --
\nthe highest part of which is Mount Merapi -- is also attached to
\none of the walls of the center for tourists to take a picture,
\nusing it as the backdrop. This will create the impression that
\nyou are being photographed on the peak of the volcano.<\/p>\n
From the volcano center, tourists may continue to the Puncak
\nPanca Arga, which literally means the peak of five volcanoes. It
\nwas named so because, from this site, tourists can see the peaks
\nof Java's five highest volcanoes.<\/p>\n
They are: Mount Merapi (2,911 meters) on the Central Java-
\nYogyakarta border, Mount Merbabu (3,142), Kabupaten Magelang
\n(Central Java), Mount Sindoro (3,135), Temanggung (Central Java),
\nMount Sumbing (3,321), also in Temanggung, and Mount Slamet
\n(3,428), Banyumas, Central Java.<\/p>\n
There are, of course, other, smaller mountains or mountain
\nranges to see from there. They include Mount Telomoyo, Mount
\nAndong, the Dieng Plateau and the Menoreh mountain range.<\/p>\n
An observation telescope is also installed there for visitors
\nto take a closer look, both at the peak of Mount Merapi and other
\nobjects around it. Tokens to operate the telescope are sold for
\nRp 2,500 apiece for three minutes' viewing.<\/p>\n
The central part of the Pelataran also functions as a helipad.<\/p>\n
\"This is one of the ideal places from which to take good
\npictures, with this beautiful scenery in the background,\"
\nSarwidi, a lecturer at Yogyakarta-based Indonesian Islamic
\nUniversity (UII) and a regular visitor to the resort, told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Also worth a visit in Ketep is the volcano theater, a mini-
\ntheater that is located right next to the Pelataran Panca Arga.<\/p>\n
Officially opened in 2003, it offers a 20-minute movie that
\nexplains much about Mount Merapi, including its deadly hot
\nclouds, known locally as wedhus gembel, which have claimed many
\nlives during major eruptions.<\/p>\n
Ketep is accessible from Magelang, Surakarta, or even
\nYogyakarta by public or private transportation.<\/p>\n
All means of transportation can directly reach Ketep. No
\nwalking is necessary.<\/p>\n
Tourists can also combine visits to Prambanan temple,
\nYogyakarta Palace, Borobudur temple, and Ketep Pass, as they are
\nrelatively close to each other.<\/p>\n
Ketep is about only 30 kilometers to 35 km away from
\nPrambanan, Yogyakarta and Borobudur.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp18ketep-1447899208",
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