Jakarta may be a big messy, crowded metropolis but for the outdoor activity lovers, you can reconnect with nature just outside of the city.
Contents:
Where?
Sentul hills, just one hour away from Jakarta. Simply take the Jagorawi toll road in the direction of Bogor and exit at Sentul.
How?
It is highly recommended to use a guide. I have personal experience with idGuides: they offer guided hiking tours for all experience levels. From 2 hour fun hikes for kids near the capital to multi-day path-finding treks through the jungle all over Indonesia.
One the 3 occasions I hiked with them, I picked the 1/2 day Easy Escape trail which costs Rp 350,000 per person. It is beginner friendly and you can create your own group.
After meeting our guide at 7.30am at the Sentul freeway exit, we followed him by car to the beginning of the trail. What follows then is a 3 hourish hike through paddy fields, local villages, across rivers, up and down the hills.
The path the guide will take will depend on the conditions on the ground that day but also your tastes and fitness levels. If you would like an easy stroll, your guide will go through a less challenging path at an easy pace. But if you would like a challenge, you better be prepared because these guides are professionals and they will make you break a sweat to say the least!
Another benefit to using idguides is that, as an ecotourism venture, they deeply care for the local community:
- They are respectful of the environment
- Participate in community development programs (education, access to electricity, etc)
- Train and employ locals as guides to international standards
I want to learn more!
I wrote a more in-depth report of my experience with idguides on Expat Indo Forum which you can read here.
Or you can also visit idguides.net to learn all the details of their various packages and expeditions as well as book online.
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