Baturraden

Baturraden sits at around six hundred and forty metres on the southern flank of Slamet, the second highest volcano in Java, close enough to Purwokerto that it became the town's hill retreat in the Dutch period and remains a domestic weekend destination. The site is a developed recreation area rather than a wild one: sulphur hot springs at Pancuran Pitu and Pancuran Telu with seven and three spouts respectively, the Telaga Sunyi pool, several waterfalls including Curug Gede and Curug Cipendok further round the mountain, a botanical area, cable car and playgrounds, all within a landscaped park under forest. Slamet rises above, climbed from Bambangan on the other side. Banyumas has its own Javanese dialect and its own version of wayang, banyumasan, distinct from the court traditions.

History

The name joins the Javanese batur, "servant", and raden, "noble", from a legend of a king's daughter who fell in love with a young man who worked in the stables and eloped with him. Between 1994 and 2009 the area averaged 10,000 tourists a year, and by 2014 about 3,000 visitors came every weekend (Wikipedia, Baturraden).

Highlights

• Sulphur spouts - Pancuran Pitu and Pancuran Telu with seven and three falls of hot water.
• Waterfalls and pools - Curug Gede, Telaga Sunyi and others through the park.
• A Dutch-era hill resort - developed as Purwokerto's retreat and still used as one.
• Slamet above - Java's second highest volcano over the whole site.

When to go

May to September; weekdays for space. A day.

What to expect

It is a developed park with entry gates and separate charges, not a wild forest. Weekends and holidays are packed. The sulphur smell at the springs is strong. Cloud closes in most afternoons.

Nearby

Purwokerto is below; Slamet's climbing routes start on the far side.

Key facts