The increase in fuel prices has impacted Lava Tour Merapi tariffs in\nSleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. Tour operators have raised\nJeep package rates by an average of around Rp 50,000 per unit to cover\nthe surge in operational costs.<\/p>\n
KAS (Kaliurang Amazing Story) operator Aprin Triana said the Lava\nTour Merapi package tariff, previously around Rp 400,000 per Jeep, has\nnow risen to between Rp 450,000 and Rp 500,000. \u201cLava Tour Merapi\npackages have increased by an average of Rp 50,000. The previous rate of\naround Rp 400,000 per Jeep unit is now Rp 450,000 to Rp 500,000,\u201d Aprin\nstated.<\/p>\n
According to him, the tariff increase is inseparable from the soaring\nprice of fuel used by the tour fleet. The price of Pertamax, the primary\nfuel for most Jeeps, rose from Rp 12,300 to Rp 16,250 per litre.\nMeanwhile, diesel fuel prices also increased to a range of Rp 23,000 to\nRp 24,800 per litre.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fuel price hike greatly affects tourists\u2019 interest in visiting\nMerapi. Because the Jeeps use Pertamax, operational costs automatically\nrise,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite the increased operational costs, the appeal of Merapi Jeep\ntourism has not entirely faded. On Monday morning (15\/6\/2026), two large\nbuses with Bogor and Jakarta plates brought tourists to Merapi, not\nincluding two white medium-sized travel vehicles and dozens of private\ncars from various areas in West Java and East Java.<\/p>\n
Since 2021, Juhari has worked as a driver and tour guide on Merapi.\nHe is not only adept at handling the vehicle but also fluent in\nexplaining the various destinations visited by tourists. One stop is at\nBatu Alien, a giant boulder resulting from the 2010 Merapi eruption.\n\u201cBatu Alien is not from outer space. In Javanese, \u2018alien\u2019 means to move.\nThis rock is material ejected by Merapi that moved from the crater floor\nto this hamlet,\u201d Juhari explained. Some interpret the name as coming\nfrom the rock\u2019s shape, which resembles a human face.<\/p>\n
According to Aprin, Merapi Jeep tourism began to develop in 2012, not\nlong after the major eruption in 2010. Initially, the vehicles were used\nto assist in the evacuation of affected residents. \u201cAt that time there\nwere only two fleets and no community yet. Because many people wanted to\nsee the areas impacted by the eruption, residents eventually started\ntaking tourists using Jeeps,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
From that simple activity, Lava Tour Merapi has grown into one of the\ndrivers of the economy for communities on the slopes of the volcano.\nCurrently, there are around a thousand Jeeps with operational permits in\nthe Merapi area, spread across approximately 25 operator basecamps.\nHowever, not all operate daily as some are undergoing maintenance or\nrepairs. KAS Adventure itself has 33 Jeep fleets, with 23 units actively\noperating and the rest under repair.<\/p>\n
Despite the tariff increase, Aprin said tourist interest remains\nquite high. Interestingly, the busiest period is not during weekends.\n\u201cPeak season is usually on weekdays and in the mornings. Weekends are\nbusy, but tourists sometimes cannot enjoy the trip optimally because it\nis too crowded,\u201d he said. For tourists, the additional Rp 50,000 fee may\nbe barely noticeable compared to the sensation of traversing the\neruption\u2019s path in an old Jeep bouncing over volcanic sand and rocks.\nFor operators, however, the tariff increase is a way to keep the wheels\nof the tourism economy turning on the slopes of Merapi amid soaring\noperational costs.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/merapi-jeep-tour-tariffs-rise-following-fuel-price-hike-1781607066", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }