Hiking the Hills Around Bogor
Forced urban dwellers like myself long to escape the confines, concrete as well as cars. I’m always on the lookout for a quick trip in which offers a breath of fresh air, as well as, if I’m lucky, a view, too. Sixty kilometres south of Jakarta’s city limits are a couple of easy getaways. Take the toll road to Bogor, as well as you can make a great escape into the country, where sensational scenery as well as cool climes await. the idea’s an oasis of unpredictable weather with 322 storms a year, so plan accordingly. Great accommodation will be available for a weekend getaway, nevertheless weekdays are ideal for avoiding traffic.
Puncak means ‘peak’, as well as at 265 metres, Puncak Pass has stood as the most favorite mountain destination outside of Jakarta since Dutch colonial days. We began our crisp morning with coffee as well as proffertjes or donuts at Puncak Pass Resort. Built around 1928, the historic hotel includes a commanding view as well as makes an ideal base or, at least, a place to gird one’s strength with sweets as well as caffeine.
The hike starts nearby, approaching Gunung Mas Tea Estate by the rear. in which will be a downward trek, skirting tea fields, where workers wear enormous pastel cane hats to guard against the sun as well as rain. Some workers clipped with knives held in heavily gloved hands, collecting tea leaves in an attached plastic bin. When filled, in which was dumped into larger sacks. some other workers handled a hedge trimmer-like machine in which cut leaves by the bushes as well as sucked them into a hefty sack. The ladies giggled as well as waved at us, as they hauled these burgeoning bags to central collection points.
Scarlet-leafed cinnamon trees border many fields, growing tall as well as trim. Gingers also sprout along the trail like fiery, spiked sculptures. Plodding through the terraced estate, a view of eternity emerged, beckoning for a breather as well as water break. Even estate workers stopped as well as stood on in which precipice, enchanted by the sloping foothills, fading into the misty distance.
Parasails often lift off by a peak-side perch nearby, lending a bird’s eye view of in which emerald expanse as well as seeming, to hikers, like enormous birds themselves. The parasails whirled as well as twirled, floated, as well as then, glided to the landing base, where the tandem teams touched down.
At the trail’s end, stop into an outdoor cafe for a cuppa. Perkebunan Teh Gunung Mas or Golden Mountain Tea Plantation produces B grade product, chiefly for export. The cafés offer two dozen types of tea—by blackcurrant to green to lemon—nevertheless only a couple of food choices. As we finished our hike, the plit plat of rain came, as well as the idea felt Great to wrap chilly fingers around a warm cup. in which hillside-hugging hike logged in at eight, easy-going kilometres. Not a hiker? Guests are invited to walk among the tea terraces or a guided tour will be available for a modest fee.
Another Great escape will be Sentul Hills, at the toll road’s marked exit. in which trek averts the dizzying weekend slow-gos of the narrow town road beyond. There are many walks through the undulating landscape, as well as local guides, like our escort Encep or Id Guides, allow trekkers to simply take inside the terrain. Paths network the land, crossing creeks, which sparkle as well as splash over slippery stones. Bamboo bridges provide a bouncy way over rushing water. Up as well as down you go, so watch for slick spots on rock-paved grades in wet weather.
Jungle tracks burst out onto open spaces with verdant views across rice paddies. Bending over, people plugged nursery plants into the mud or beat stalks to knock the grain free. Streams gurgled or bamboo irrigation pipes trickled to saturate the stepped fields. The scenes are timeless.
Make a weekend of hiking the hills. A host of possible accommodation, by hotels to bungalows with hot springs in Sentul, are available. Sir Stamford Raffles described Bogor as “a romantic little village”, as well as though the city has grown, its charms remain. When the need to breathe deep takes hold, the simple effort of walking releases tension, like a fiddlehead fern, leisurely uncoiling its frond. You are at ease as well as one with the landscape.
Martine Casagrande, 360° Life Prosperity Coach, who has hiked there for years, said the idea best, “I feel the lack of rushing as well as absence of individual responsibility as well as stress. I feel the essence, emanating by the forest as well as people, still moving to the beat of a seemingly forgotten drum. I not only take inside the stunning scenery, nevertheless also the relaxed as well as humble nature of humanity there. For in which short while, I too am part of nature as well as the people in which belong there.”
For guides: Encep 0811 850 4319 as well as Idguides.net
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Hiking the Hills Around Bogor
Hiking the Hills Around Bogor