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Offering really fresh air, Situgunung in West Java is a
favorite place for many activities, from camping with
five-star facilities to far greater challenges!
Situgunung lies hidden in a valley between hills at 1023
meters above sea level, within the precincts of Gunung Gede
Pangrango National Park and near two inactive volcanoes
whose watershed provides the main water supply for Jakarta
and Bogor.
The word situ means "lake", referring to the lake created
by the eruption of Mount Pangrango, while gunung means
"mountain". So, based on its geographical location, it's
called Situgunung – a lake between mountains.
Situgunung can be reached by road in only three hours
(under normal conditions) from Jakarta, via Ciawi and the
main road toward Sukabumi. But you need to plan your travel
time carefully, as you pass through several congested spots
on the road to Sukabumi and in Cisaat.
Situgunung is the oldest tourism destination in West Java
and a perfect location for camping. Much of the area is full
of large trees, providing the natural cool that visitors
crave.
Part of the area is commercially managed as a tourism
site by the state-owned forestry company, Perum Perhutani.
Visitors can choose camping sites from among those provided
by Perhutani and others outside this area.
Mount Gede Pangrango National Park is a national park in
West Java, Indonesia. The park is centred on two
volcanoes—Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango— and is 150 km˛ in
area.
It evolved from already existing conservation areas, such
as Cibodas Nature Reserve, Cimungkat Nature Reseve,
Situgunung Recreational Park and Mount Gede Pangrango Nature
Reserve, and has been the site of important biological and
conservation research over the last century In 1977 UNESCO
declared it part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Visitors usually enter the park by one of the four gates
of the park: the Cibodas, Gunung Putri, and Selabintana
gates, all give access to the peaks; the Situ Gunung gate
gives entrance to a lake area set aside mainly for
family-style recreation. Cibodas gate is the most popular
entrance gate and is the site of the park's headquarters.
From Jakarta, the area is two hours drive, usually via
Cibodas Botanical Gardens. Gunung Gede-Pangrango is
inhabited by 251 of the 450 bird species found in Java.
Among these are endangered species like the Javan Hawk-eagle
and the Javan Scops Owl.
Among the endangered mammal species in the Park there are
several primates such as the Silvery Gibbon, Javan Surili
and Javan Lutung. Other mammals include Leopard, Leopard
Cat, Indian Muntjac, Java Mouse-deer, Dhole, Malayan
Porcupine, Sunda Stink Badger, and Yellow-throated Marten
Mount Gede (2,958 m) and Pangrango (3,019 m) are twin
volcanoes. The two summits are connected by a high saddle
known as Kandang Badak (2,400 m). The mountain slopes are
very steep and are cut into rapidly flowing stream, which
carve deep valleys and long ridges.
Lower and upper montane and subalpine forests are within
the park and have been well studied. To the north of Mount
Gede is a field of Javanese Edelweiss (Anaphalis javanica).
The park contains a large number of species known to occur
only within its boundaries, however, this may be a result of
the disproportionate amount of research over many years.
Gunung Gede-Pangrango National Park, designated in 1980,
is one of the first five national parks in Indonesia.
However, its unique characteristics have made it a natural
laboratory for researchers since long before this time.
In 1819, C.G.C Reinwardt was recorded as the first person
to climb Gunung (Mount) Gede, followed by F.W Junghuhn
(1839-1861), J.E Teysman (1839), A.R Wallace (1861), S.H
Koorders (1890), M. Treub (1891), W.M van Leeuen (1911), and
C.G.G.J. van Steenis in 1920 and 1952. They made a
collection of plants which formed the basis for a book
entitled "The Mountain Flora of Java", published in 1972.
UNESCO declared Gunung Gede-Pangrango National Park a
Biosphere Reserve in 1977, and it is a Sister Park to Taman
Negara Malaysia, under a cooperation signed in 1995 between
Indonesia and Malaysia.
This Park is surrounded by ancient superstitions and
beliefs. Legend has it that the spirits of Eyang
Suryakencana and Prabu Siliwangi guard Mt. Gede to keep it
from erupting. Even now, at certain times of the year,
people flock to the caves around Mt. Gede to meditate or
hold ritual ceremonies. |
