Ujung Genteng: an Adventure!

Ujung Genteng, again! (this time, with updated information)

Kali ini saya bertualang bersama sahabat-sahabat saya, para wanita-wanita gahar dan tentengannya masing-masing, dalam rangka liburan 17agustus-an. Teman-teman Bogor sayangnya gak bisa ikutan.

Seru ga? Ya SERU lah. Wong kita berletih-letih ria beriringan naik motor dari Jakarta/Karawaci - Bogor - Ujung Genteng. Ck & Rb, Z & Alx, saya & Ari. Maklum lah, cuma saya dan Ari yang masih single dan tidak berhasil membawa tentengan :P Modal NEKAT pokoknya! Saya gak bisa naek motor, jadilah Ari yang jadi sang pengendara. Acungi jempol buat Ari! TOP MARKOTOP! Lala & Jose menyusul kami sehari kemudian dengan mobil. Jose juga mantaf saat harus naik motor :D

ck - lala - val - ari - zee
with those silly headbands we girls look like
farmers going fishing LOL

Jakarta - Ujung Genteng is approximately 200km away (one-way trip), with a crazy landscape: the road goes up and down, lots of twist and turns, blind turning points, cliff on the side of the road, and the thick morning fog will limit your eyesight till only 1-2 meters before you.

Interesting, right?

I suggest you to go there (if you go from Jakarta/Bogor) by midnight - either by car, or by bikes. So then you will find the road less crowded, less buses and big trucks - they often slow down your journey a lot. Then you will get there around 6-7 am. Well, that arrival time depends on your speed, your breaks(you should rest - and eat/drink, and pee - sometimes), and your willingness to ride in the dark cold night! ;)

The sooner you get to UGe, the merrier will you become... since the shinning sun and the glimpse of the blue sea will drawn you to forget your rest and go straight to the beach!

Since UGe is getting more and more commercial for local tourists and also for photographers (believe me, the place has great landscapes), the local people start charging for entrance fees. We need to, at least, give 2 times entrance fee. Anyway, it's not that much. The lodging and the "ojek" fee are also higher than last year. Pfff... tourists also need to be aware that the shops (warungs) sometimes charge you even more.

* Entrance fee = 3000-5000 IDR per person/bike/car.
Depends on how big your group is.

* Transportation = 120,000 IDR per 1x "OJEK" (guide + bike) ride to Ombak Tujuh.
You NEED guide to go there. Even my friends who have been to UGe 20x still need to use that guide. They are nice people and they come in very handy.

* Accomodation = free (if you sleep on your tent/car), 450,000 IDR per night (local people's house, depend on how big the house) - 1,000,000 IDR or more (they have villas, too).
If you travel with a big group and want some new experience, try living in local people's houses. Usually, the place is clean, have several beds, and the owner does not bother how many people should fit in one house.
Example: your group consist 10 people. If all stay in one house, then it's only 45,000 IDR per person per night. Dude, that's cheap.

* Attractions = BEACHES! for FREE!
There are lots of nice beaches there. Start from Cibuaya, Pangumbahan, Panarikan, Cikepuh, and of course Ombak Tujuh ("Seven Waves" beach). Why does it being called Ombak Tujuh? I shall not spoil the details here. You should see it for yourself.
UGe is also a home for sea turtles. You can see them mostly on full moon period. To get into the sea turtle are, you will need to give a little entrance fee.
If you love fishing, then bring your fishing equipments along ;)

* Apparels = Swim suit and summery clothes!
Remember to bring your swim suit and goggle. Well, at least me and my friends always go around swimming, not only taking pictures. I also recommend to bring one-piece clothes that's thin and easy to dry, short pants and tank tops, hat or whatever to cover your head from the heat (heat can make you go dizzy the whole day, not good). Forget not to use sunblock. Have yourself a nice evenly applied tanned skin :)

but...

Why you SHOULDN'T GO to Ujung Genteng?

* Because you (I refer to girls with pretty hairs and pretty skins and pretty faces) will get soooo TANNED (FYI, being tan is not popular for Indonesian girls) . and sometimes, excruciating SUNBURNS! I mean, if you go to the beach, you should go home with beautiful tanned skin. If you use you big hat and long sleeves shirt all the time, you better be at home watching tv.

* Because you will get CUTS! Lots of CUTS! On your hands, your fingers, your feet, your thighs, your calves, your arms, and sometimes - when you get lucky - your face. The road to Ombak Tujuh is not only a bumpy ride, it shall also be a dry-branches-and-trees-and-reeds-sweeping-your-body-all-the-time ride :) i love it! The CUTS can also caused by corals. You know, when-you-swim-and-the-wave-sweeps-you-and-you-hit-the-coral kind of cuts :)
Hehe.. One should at least have 1 bleeding cut as a solid proof that he/she has been to UGe! Well, that's only my opinion.

* Because you will be super exhausted! Cmon, going there is exhausting enough (this only applies to those who rides by themselves). Then going to the beaches. Then not having enough sleep. If you sweat all the little things, you better be on your bed with your air co.

For me and my friends? We don't care. The sunburns, the cuts, the exhaustions - it's all worthy! Hopefully we can go to UGe at least once a year.

More pictures? Soon!!

Read my previous UGe trip:
UGe: The After-Effect