SELAMAT SORE – good afternoon!
In class we were given the task to describe any place we have
been to. As I have been to Indonesia in summer 2013, I decided to write about
Pacitan. Allthough I also visited beautiful and popular destinations such as
Bali or Jogjakarta, I chose to write about Pacitan in this post. In comparison
with the other two mentioned places, Pacitan is a non-touristy place, which
makes it more interesting for me and for you! :)
THE HIDDEN SURFING PARADISE
The most captivating place I have ever been to was Pacitan. The
regency, which is located in the south of Java, one of the four main islands of
Indonesia, has much to offer in terms of activities.
Firstly, surfing rates of course as the most popular local
kind of sport. Not only in Pacitan both natives and tourists enjoy surfing, but
also this acivity is generalised throughout the country. A great number of
Indonesian inhabitans have started to ride waves from an early age. It is little
wonder that so many Indonesians surf considering all their wonderful beaches
and surf spots.
I had also got the chance to surf at the Pancer Beach, which
was near to our accommodation in Pacitan. This is how the Pancer Beach looks
like:
Surfing in the middle of paradise was such a great
experience, even if I am definitely not the best surfer! Nevertheless, it was a
lot of fun, especially due to the local pro surfers who taught me how to ride a
wave. After many fails – believe me, at first, it is really hard to stay stable
on the board. Once you lose control and plummet your body into the wave, it
really feels like you are in a washing machine. – I finally made it to ride
a wave!
That is a pro surfer at the Pancer Beach:
Another lovely beach
which I have visited was the Srau Beach. This remote area is the most beautiful
place I have ever been to. You will not
find any crowd in this beach and you cannot expect any hotel or restaurant in
Srau, but you can enjoy the quiet and the wonderful landscape around you. Hiking
on the cliffs, and the wonderful view over the sea and its Mushrooms are breathtaking.
Now you may ask yourself: What? Mushrooms in the sea? – Well, there really are
mushrooms in the water, maybe a few hundred meters away from the beach.
Actually, they are small islands which look like mushrooms, so that is
how they gained their name.
If heaven were a place on earth, this would be it. It is definitely a surfer paradise!
If heaven were a place on earth, this would be it. It is definitely a surfer paradise!
Me, my friend and the Mushrooms:
Tall Palm Trees in Srau:
The Beach in Srau:
The second great thing to do in Pacitan is to explore caves,
the Gong Cave and the Tabuh Cave. In those chambers you can admire amazing
stalactites and stalagmites, limestone ornaments and even some of
archaeological excavations which have been fenced. Both caves are really huge
and one special thing about them is that pre-historic men and women lived there.
Tabuh Cave:
Gong Cave:
There are a lot more activities to do in Pacitan, such as
snorkeling or fishing which I did not try out, but I will, next time. :)
HARRY’S OCEAN HOUSE
Due to lack of tourists, there are few accommodations in
Pacitan. We stayed in Harry’s Ocean House. It actually consists of a few
delightful bungalows made of bamboo or palmwood. They are the best choice for
nature-loving people. I would always prefer these bungalows over a luxury
hotel. You only pay about five dollars per night for one of these bungalows and
you are in the middle of the paradise!
FOOD
Indonesian food is sooo delicious. It mainly consists of
rise, fresh vegetables and fish or chicken. My favourite Indonesian dish was
Nasi Goreng which usually consists of rise, vegetables and chicken. It is so
good, yummy… In addition, Indonesia has a great variety of fruits you probably
do not know. Have you ever heard of Pitaya,
Rambutan or Salak which is my
favourite one? It is also known as the Snake Fruit because of its red brown,
scaly skin. The taste of all of these fruits is so intense. You cannot compare
them to fruits in Europe. Even Indonesian mangos taste so much better than
those which we can buy in our super markets. They taste so good, so fresh, juicy
and intense. It was like I have never ate a real mango before I came to
Indonesia. Especially Pacitan is known for its fruits. Local people even told
me that Pacitan means fruit in Indonesian. Well, it is not far-fetched! If you
are interested in how these fruits look like, here is the link to some
pictures:
All in all, Indonesia and its lovely people, culture and food
is worth seeing and experiencing. All places in Indonesia I have been to are
fantastic and I can only recommend to visit non-touristy places. Particularly
these places turn out to be paradises!
Who knows, maybe tomorrow you will sit on the Srau Beach and watch the beautiful sunset behind the Mushrooms!
Who knows, maybe tomorrow you will sit on the Srau Beach and watch the beautiful sunset behind the Mushrooms!
SELAMAT TINGGAL – good bye! :)
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