Candirejo tourist village offers unique scenery

Candirejo tourist village offers unique scenery

Bambang M and Gigin W Utomo
Contributors
Magelang, Central Java

It is six in the morning in Candirejo, Magelang, Central Java.
The thick mist is lifting and the air is getting warmer. The
beautiful surroundings are beginning to appear.

In the distance, four volcanoes -- Mount Merapi, Mount
Merbabu, Mount Sindoro and Mount Sumbing, are visible. In the
foreground the majestic Borobudur Temple stands out above lush
green ricefields. Progo River and Sileng River cross the village
of Candirejo like giant snakes.

This view can be savored from one of many hills in the Menoreh
Mountain range, some 800 meters above sea level in Butuh,
Candirejo.

Just three kilometers southeast of the Borobudur Temple, the
village is famous for its natural scenery and culture.

Along with the beautiful scenery, tourists can also find large
oddly shaped stones on the hills. The stones are named according
to their appearance and many of them resemble household goods, so
are given names like Watu Kendil (Pitcher Stone) or Watu Dandang
(Steamer Stone).

According to local beliefs, if Watu Kendil topples, it will be
a bad sign for the lowland areas around Borobudur Temple.
According to local superstition the area will be threatened by
floods.

Lying so close to Borobudur, many tourists spend the night at
the village and then watch the sunrise from the temple.

"The residents are aware of the village's potential, and have
agreed to make Candirejo a tourist village," said Slamet
Tugiyanto, the head of Candirejo's village.

The village was officially named a tourist village by Minister
of Culture and Tourism I Gde Ardika in April this year.

"The development of Candirejo as a tourist village is also
meant to avoid the concentration of tourism activities only at
Borobudur Temple," said Satya Hermawan of Patra-Pala Institute
for Social Ecology and Ecotourism. Patra-Pala Institute is a non-
governmental organization that helped develop Candirejo as a
tourist village with the financial support of the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Interestingly ecotourism in Candirejo is managed completely by
local residents who have prepared everything tourists need,
including 10 Javanese-style houses for homestays, and local
tourist guides.

Covering an area of nearly 49,000 square kilometers, the
Menoreh Mountan range surrounds the Borobudur Temple. A change in
either the cultural or physical landscape therefore, would effect
the preservation of the temple. If the area is deforested, for
example, Borobodur could be flooded.

Visiting tourists can enjoy the morning views from the
mountains and then go trekking through the Menoreh range where a
variety of birds and animals can be seen. Locals believe rare
Javanese tigers live in the area.

Trekkers can go to the pandanus cave, so called because of the
thick pandanus trees found along the trail between Butuh and
Wonosari.

During harvest time, tourists can pick fruit and vegetables
with the local people.

"Many foreign tourists love trekking along the riverside,"
said a local guide Imam Taufik, referring to the beautiful
landscape along Progo or Sileng river where tourists can watch
local fishermen at work.

Other interesting places to visit include the bamboo and
pandanus handicraft centers, where tourists can learn how these
crafts are made.

At certain times, tourists can watch nyadran , a ritual held
every Ruwah month according to the Javanese calendar to offer
prayers for the villagers' ancestors. The Candirejo village also
holds cleansing rituals the 15th of every Sapar month according
to the Javanese calendar.

The village is also home to traditional performances like
jathilan dance, shadow puppet shows and traditional dances like
Gatholoco/Wulangsunu and Kubrosiswo.

Touring the village offers guests the opportunity to refresh
their mind while at the same time helping to preserve Borobudur,
one of the world's most famous historical sites.