Adventurous tour hits Yogyakarta

Adventurous tour hits Yogyakarta

By Bambang Trisno and Anis Suryani

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Have you had enough of "conventional" touring
for your holidays? Turn to an adventurous picnic. It lifts up
your spirit and doesn't cost that much money.

Look at what some local travel agents have to offer.

Kartika Trekking charges a mere Rp 20,000 to Rp 40,000 per
person, depending on the number of participants, for a 30
kilometer fun walk. The breathtaking route starts in Samigaluh,
some 20 km west of here, and ends at Borobudur.

"The beautiful scenery is enticing right from the starting
point (in Samigaluh). The walk through the hilly areas allows you
to enjoy the distant view of Borobudur Temple and five volcanoes
in Yogyakarta and Central Java," said Landung Prawoto, 60, owner
of Kartika Trekking.

A trip to Cerme Cave in Selopamioro, Imogiri, some 30
kilometers south of here, is another program Kartika Trekking
offers. With Rp 25,000 per tour per person, you can enjoy the
most beautiful cave in the province.

The fare includes return bus ticket and meals consisting of
sandwiches, drinks, bananas and young coconuts.

Landung, father of four children and grandfather of two,
usually escorts tourists traveling to Yogyakarta, Central Java
and outer islands.

Before the economic crisis hit the country in July 1997,
Landung used to take from 10 to 20 guests to Mt. Merapi every
day, but the number has dropped to an average of only two a day
now.

The bright prospects for the adventure tourism business have
lured a French citizen, Dominique Clarisse, to open Azimuth, a
tour agency, with his wife Puji Clarisse Widyarsanti. The agency
specializes in trekking.

To be launched next month, Azimuth offers various trekking
packages for up to three weeks. Destinations include volcanoes in
Yogyakarta and Central Java: Mt. Slamet, Mt. Sindoro, Mt.
Sumbing, Mt. Merapi and Mt. Merbabu. It also organizes
adventurous travels to Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, and Sulawesi.

Dominique said his company also offers cultural tours in the
villages he calls Borobudur Hike, Prambanan Biking, Dieng Plateau
Hike, and Erotic Sukuh (Temple) Hike.

"I don't have any intention of directly competing with other
local tour agencies," Dominique said, adding that he would
directly market the packages to European nature lovers. Every
group will be limited to a maximum of 12 people.

Dominique chose Yogyakarta as his base because of the low
living and operational costs.

"I would have to set higher fares for the tour packages if I
chose Bali or Jakarta instead," said Dominique. He declined to
mention fees until the company is officially open.

There are at least seven companies in Yogyakarta and Central
Java offering adventure touring. Besides those, there are many
individuals also running such businesses. They mostly offer
trekking, white water rafting, caving, and rock climbing. Travel
agencies and hotels offering the same tour packages support most
of their marketing activities.

Yogyakarta, along with neighboring Central Java, boasts lots
of places for adventurous travels. To the north, lies the
legendary Mt. Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes.
It is haven for trekkers and nature lovers. Its popularity is
comparable to Mt. Vesuvius in Italy.

To the south is the gorgeous Pegunungan Sewu (Thousand
Mountains) plateau which boasts breathtaking valleys and caves.
It is a popular site for caving and rock climbing.

While Progo river in Kulonprogo and Elo river in Magelang are
excellent places for white water rafting.

Travel further to the west, to the Central Java town of
Banjarnegara and you will find another fascinating place for
rafting on the Serayu river.