A Warm Hello in Hidden Heaven on Earth

28 September 2014 11:19 Rahman Hidayat No Comments!

By far this is the furthest touring I’ve ever gone on a motorcycle. My friends and I travelled ±200 km to reach a place that is known as hidden place on earth, Sawarna Beach in Bayah district, Lebak regency, Banten.

Precisely around 3 pm, we embarked on our journey from our second home (TrendReader), heading to Bogor to meet with other friends who began their journey from Pamulang area. Before we reached the halfway, heavy rainfall forced us to slow down our speed. We decided to ride through the blistering rain, with our rain coat on, to save the time.

After we met with the whole crew in Bogor around 7 pm, we took the Bogor-Sukabumi route. Another heavy rain came pouring done. We had no choice but to stop this time, considering the slippery road condition. As the rain drops began to lessen, we hit the road again. The road condition was a bit frightening that night as we rode along side big trucks and cargo trucks. Even so, we managed to maintain our motorcade.

We took the alternative Cikidang route to Pelabuhan Ratu in Sukabumi regency. Along the road, we enjoyed the view of beautiful palm and rubber plantations at night. Unfortunately, the lighting on the road was minim, making us extra cautious for potential incident. After all, the route we took was reportedly prone to criminal gangs which eye motorcycle.

Once we arrived in Pelabuhan Ratu, we rested briefly ahead of another ±20 km journey. None of us knew that the route from Pelabuhan Ratu to Sawarna was more extreme, passing through residence area, forests and ravine. Not to mention the poor road condition.

The wooden bridge marked that we have arrived in Sawarna village around 1 am. The local tour guide welcomed us into the village after we paid Rp10.000 each. As it was already late and the local residence charges their houses per night, we decided to wait until 7 am on Saturday to check in to a local resident’s home. We got a nice 2-bedroom home with 1 bath room, equipped with dispenser and fan for Rp300.000 per night. And the best part was there was no limit for check out time, as long as it doesn’t pass over night.

After placing our stuff, we hit the beach right away to play with sea water. The heat of the sun did not hamper our spirit to have fun at the beach. We hung out at the beach until 11 am before returning to our local home to eat instant noodle as lunch menu.

Our adventure time continued in the evening. We went to Tanjung Layar, where two giant coral reefs await us. The soothing waves hit the coral reefs slowly before joining the sea. The sand. The warm sunset. It was remarkable. I praised God for this breathtaking scenery. Unfortunately, the dark clouds blocked the sunset. We were disappointed that we didn’t get to witness the total sunset but we were happy enough from that day

The next day we left for Jakarta around 9 am. We spent less time, around 7 hours, on our home trip. Yes we were exhausted, but the beautiful scenery in Sawarna makes us want to come back anytime. The long trip was perfectly paid off with what was waiting for us at Sawarna Beach.