Hi Travelers! I couple of months ago I wrote about Traveling in Java by Train.
http://writerwkamah.com/2018/07/03/traveling-in-java-by-train/
I also suggested a convenient route Jakarta-Purwokerto-Jogjakarta-Solo on the train track.
I wrote a little bit about the destinations in each city but I haven’t given description of the places. Now let me tell you the recommended places you can visit in Purwokerto. Purwokerto is not a touristic city but you feel a different atmosphere of a Central Java city. Places you can visit are as follows.
Baturraden Recreational Park
Address: Dusun I Karangmangu, Karangmangu, Baturraden, Banyumas District
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 8 am-5 pm
Entrance ticket Rp 14,000
Baturraden is about 7.5 kilometer in the north of Purwokerto city. It is on the foot of Mt. Slamet. This is favorite site for the locals to chill down. The visitors are not only from Purwokerto but also the neighboring cities. When people say Baturaden, they refer to this park. It has now become a public friendly destination. If you come on working days or weekend, you will see visitors coming in big groups by a fleet of buses.
Cobble stone paths lead you to the recreational sites once you are inside the Park. Baturaden offers natural attractions like waterfalls and rivers. The whole area is neat and clean. You also have spaces for your picnic. There is a fish massaging site where you put your feet on a small pond and the fish come to bite and massage your feet. Besides, there is a body massage service with sulfur mud. There are some playgrounds with flying fox and child’s plays as well as swimming pools. I don’t recommend you to swim there as children crowd the pool.
Local food vendor spread in some spots where you can eat on the mat. Most of them sell the same items like tempe mendoan and pecel, the popular local food. Their price actually is higher than in the outside vendor. But if you like to eat in such a relaxing place and cool temperature, it doesn’t hurt to pay more. Baturaden has a local taste where you can see how the locals spend their time on weekends. There are many vendors offering knick-knacks and local souvenirs outside the park.
Kebun Raya Baturaden
Address: Jalan Pancuran Tujuh, Desa Kemutug Lor, Baturaden, Banyumas District
Opening hours: 8 am- 4 pm
Entrance Ticket Rp 10,000
If you want to visit a less crowded place, you can go the nearby Kebun Raya Baturraden (Baturraden Park). This an ex situ conservation park. In this 143.5 hectare-park grows pine (Pinus merkusii), damar (Agathis borneensis) and rasamala (Altingia excels). The park is shady and cool. It is refreshing to walk in the park on a hot sunny day. If you like to explore the park, don’t forget to wear your walking shoes and bring your water. The park has a collection of 500 species and the road is undulating.
Telaga Sunyi
Address: Limpakuwus, Sumbang, Banyumas District
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 7 am- 5pm
The entrance ticket is Rp 10,000 per person.
Another a more natural site is Telaga Sunyi, which is only 2.5 kilometer from Baturraden. The main attraction of the site is the waterfalls and its natural swimming pond.
The tall pine trees surround the area. Most visitors are the youth who come by their motorcycles. They want to dip in the chilly and clear pond where the water is from the waterfall. It is crystal clear water where you can even see the floor of the pond. There is a man by the pond who lends the life jacket for some money.
Wearing bikinis are not proper for women in this pond. Their swimming suit should at least cover their thighs. Men better swim in their knee long swim suits. There is changing room and shower as well, which is few meter distance from the pond.
If you don’t want to swim, the waterfall and the surrounding are worth seeing as well. There is a small warung (traditional food vendor) if you want to have a cup of Indonesian coffee or tea.
