Dieng and Lonely Planet

About a year ago I had a trip to Dieng, a fantastic place where the Gods stayed. Actually this was my second trip to Dieng. The first one was an accidentall-alternative trip after failed to climb Sindoro Mountain because of heavy storm. And the second one caused by a book named Lonely Planet.

Dieng.

A traveler friend gave this book when he would leave Indonesia to US. Lucky me cause this book quite expensive for me at that time. Anyway, I opened the book and when I read about Dieng Plateu I realized there many places we could visit. From my frist trip I thought Dieng only Sikidang Crater and Telaga Warna. Damn! I must go to this place again.

And I did.

Because the distance from one spot to the other quite far and there were no public transportation, you better have your own transport or get a rent. In some places the road is very rocky and uphill, so motorbike will be a good choice.

Locals activity.

My fisrt point was Sikunir, a great place to see sunrise. If you were lucky and the sky was clear from fog, you can see mount Sindoro and Sumbing in the background. It’s a fantastic moment when we could stand above the cloud and see the sun rises. If you slept in homestay in the main street at Dieng, you should get up early cause its about half hour by motorbike and another half hour climbing the mountain. To go to Sikunir just headed to Sembungan, a village that said to be the highest village in Java at 2300 m asl. From here go to Telaga Cebong where we can park our vehicle and pay retribution.

Sunrise from Sikunir Mountain.

Telaga Cebong.

After satisfied with Sikunir I enjoyed Sikidang Crater, saw volcanic activities of bubbling mud from the ground. Sikidang maybe the main attraction of Dieng, in here many souvenir shop where we could buy sulfur or traditional handycraft. Be carefull don’t to close to the carter because the sulfuric gas quite heavy in here.

In Javanese mythology, Dieng was believed to be the place where the gods stayed therefore we could see many temple in here. Such as Bima, Gatutkaca, Dwarawati, and of course the main temple of Arjuna Complex. What made Arjuna Complex Temple awesome was it souronded by mountains, I could fell the atmosphere of this holy land there. Ohya, there a museum near Gatutkaca Temple where we could see statues and sculptures from the temple.

Sikidang Crater.

Singer in Sikidang Crater.

Arjuna Complex.

Beside crater and temple, Dieng had many of small lake or telaga in local language. Telaga Cebong near Sikunir, Telaga Merdada and Lumut near Arjuna Complex, and Telaga Dringo and Nila in far west of Dieng, and the most famous of it, Telaga Warna (Coloured Lake). Telaga Warna had its colour from the bubbling sulphur deposit around it shore so it looked from dark green, green, white, even yellow. If we climb uphill the lake, we’d come to Dieng Plateu Theatre where we could watch the history of Dieng in a movie played inside the theatre.

Telaga Warna.

Dieng Plateu Theatre.

If we go about 5 km to the west, there Sileri Crater, the most poisonous carter of all. Because of its gas, Sileri had killed many people around it for years. We could see the monument of it in the gate of Sileri Crater. Go about 7 km from the monument and you’ll find Candradimuka Carter, a crater that believe where Gatutkaca trained so he could get his powerfull body. The road was rocky and uphill but in turn we got a pleasant view of rice fields. Near Candradimuka Crater there Sumur Jalatunda, a big deep hole more about 100 m in diameter.

Sileri Crater.

Sumur Jalatunda.

Candradimuka Crater.

Beside of its fantastic scene, Dieng also famous from its culture, one thing that not mentioned in Lonely Planet. There known children that had Gimbal hair, the hair of those children coloured in red and wrinkle. If the hair cut without held a ceremony the children would sick of high fewer. It’s believed that the Gods stayed in the children body. So, the ceremony to cut the Gimbal Children is famous in Dieng and became a kind of festival that always attracted many tourist and photographer to come. (dm 250713)