Sulfur content declining in Cipanas Indah hot springs

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Garut

Sophie, 24, a tourist from Saudi Arabia looked bewildered when she came out of a soaking cubicle at the Cipanas Indah hot springs in the Cipanas tourist area, about five kilometers from Garut town, West Java.

She was surprised that the sulfur content of the water in which she had been soaking herself for the last 15 minutes was lower than on her previous visit.

"Just look, the sulfur doesn't mix with the water and just forms a sediment on the bottom of the pool, turning green like moss," said the interpreter in a mixture of Indonesian and Arabic, while pointing to the pool in front of the rows of soaking rooms.

A worker who happened to be nearby concurred. Sophie then conversed with her eight relatives who had exited from three different cubicles.

They all appeared confused while looking at the pool, as they had hoped that soaking in the hot sulfuric water would help them retain the beauty of their skin.

A pool worker, Joko, speaking with a Javanese accent, said that the sulfur content of the hot spring water, originating from Mount Guntur, had been declining steadily over the past five years.

As a result, he added, its healing powers had thus diminished. "Previously, the water could heal various skin ailments, but now, it can only heal joint and muscle problems like rheumatism and arthritis," said Joko.

Visitors are usually told about the change before they start soaking themselves in the fully-covered rooms, which are charged at the rate of Rp 8,000 (90 U.S. cents) for every 15-minutes.

Visitors wishing to heal skin ailments are advised to go to the Ciater hot springs in Subang where the sulfur content is higher.

Even though the sulfur content has decreased in the Cipanas hot springs, there is still a small amount remaining. Water in the ablution room to the left of the small mosque still tastes a little acidic, but there is no pungent sulfur smell.

The drop in sulfur content, however, has not affected the number of visitors to the public hot springs managed by the Garut Tourism Office.

The supervisor at Cipanas Indah, Toni Suwandi, said that the number of visitors had increased significantly over the past two years.

He said that before 2002, there was a average of 200 visitors per day, but now the figure has doubled to an average of 400 people per day. Visitors come not only from Garut and surrounding areas, but from as far as Bandung and Jakarta.

"Most visitors come on the weekends and on holidays. During the recent one-week Idul Fitri holiday we had around 4,000 visitors ," said Toni proudly.

The tourist destination, which is run by 50 employees working in two shifts around the clock, contributes around Rp 16 million (US$1,770) to Garut administration coffers every month.

The sulfur in the Cipanas hot springs is not the only selling point for the cottage, hotel and hot spring operators there.

Managing director of Kampung Sumber Alam, Rahmat Syukur, said that the main selling points for tourists in the area were the hot springs, the cool breezes and the village atmosphere. The drop in the water's sulfur content was not a major matter, he said.

"The natural countryside, the green paddies, crystal clear water, serenity and the ambience of village life make this the right place for city folks to unwind from their hectic daily activities, traffic jams, pollution and noise," said Rahmat, better known as Mang Ukun.

Mang Ukun said that he had retained many loyal customers since 1980 who had stayed and enjoyed the natural atmosphere at the resort, some coming back up to 50 times.

The cottages, built of traditional materials such as wood, bamboo and thatch are set in a kampong format with fish ponds surrounding the buildings.

"Since the resort was built in 1971, we have had 374 repeat customers who come during every holiday season," he said.

The major selling point of the hotel is its function as a psycho-therapy resort. Mang Ukun has developed it from only 14 rooms when it was first established, to 21 rooms by 1990.

The venture has flourished and he has successfully attracted investors to add 68 more rooms since 1990. Room rates range from Rp 200,000 to Rp 800,000 per night.

Eventually, it might not be the healing powers of sulfur that people seek, but the uniqueness of the ever-flowing hot spring water and the natural beauty of the village that relieves the tensions of city dwellers.

There has been no official investigation so far as to why the sulfur content of the water has decreased.