White-water rafting a challenging tourist charm in Magelang
JAKARTA (JP): White-water rafting in Magelang, Central Java, is attracting growing numbers of the tourists who visit the nearby Borobudur and Prambanan temples.
One of the best white-water rafting spots in Central Java is the Elo river in Magelang's Mungkid district, about 30 kilometers northwest of Yogyakarta.
Yogyakarta itself is a common base for the foreign tourists who flock to visit Borobudur temple in Magelang and Prambanan temple in Prambanan.
The Elo flows from the foot of Mt. Merapi to the Progo river with a water-flow rate of 4.7 cubic meters per second during the rainy season and 3.5 cubic meters per second during the dry season.
Rafters generally shoot the rapids down the 9.88 km Elo river in two hours to 2.5 hours.
White-water rafting company PT Intras Tour's operations manager, Hudoro Setyobawana, said the Elo was ideal for white- water rafting because there was such as small difference in the water flow rate between seasons.
"Supported by well-preserved nature, including trees and cliffs, the river never runs dry during the dry season and is never flooded during the rainy season," he told Antara in Yogyakarta.
The Elo has 32 rapids with differently graded levels of difficulty -- from grade 1 to grade 4.
Grade 4 is considered the most difficult according to standards set by the international white-water rafting committee.
Hudoro said 12 of the rapids were classified grade 1; 10 grade 2; nine grade 3; and one grade 4.
Environmental activist and white-water rafting guide Eko Supriyatin Septa Ningrum said the river's swift currents created standing waves, reverse waves, round waves and tongue waves, which were very challenging.
"Rafters are forced to concentrate on the bends and curves of the sloping riverbanks, from the steepest to gigantic round curves, that give you a magnificent view of the mountains," he said.
Extreme caution, therefore, was needed, particularly at points where the river was narrow and the current very fast, he said.
According to press reports, Woro Sumaryani, the wife of the secretary-general of the Ministry of Social Affairs, died white- water rafting here in February.
Safety
"However, rafting in the river is, in general, quite safe because emergency facilities were available nearby," Eko said.
He recommends rafting for the adventurous and for risk-takers.
"Once you reach the other end of the river, you feel an emotion that is totally soul-satisfying.
"Every time I take the trip with tourists, there is a feeling of admiration, satisfaction, surprise and the desire to be at one with nature -- a feeling you will not forget for the rest of your life," said Eko, who studies geography at Yogyakarta's University of Gadjah Mada.
Hudoro said that the breathtaking scenery along the river was another plus-point for tourism.
"The scenery is an additional attraction for tourists since there are so many things to see.
"There are horizontal slopes up to 30 meters high, small deltas and sandy banks."
He said there were unique cultural attractions in nearby villages as well.
Tourists could enjoy watching horses being used in traditional rituals and ceremonies -- such as weddings, circumcisions and harvests.
Celebrations like these frequently include dance performances and other attractions that involve all the locals, garbed in their traditional Javanese costumes.
"Foreign tourists can grab the opportunity to take pictures and feel the rhythm of the farming way of life in villages along the river," Hudoro said.
"Most farmers still use the river water for daily necessities." (02)