Jomblang Cave is one of the most
beautiful caves in the cave complex of Gunung Kidul. There are hundreds of
caves in Gunung Kidul, and they are all beautiful. However, Jomblang is among
the caves that have been developed into challenging natural tourism. Jomblang
has its own natural characteristics, and it is unique. It is a vertical, and
dense ancient forests grow around the cave.
Because of its uniqueness,
Jombang was included in Amazing Race America Program in 2011. The program was
an exploration of caves in the range of caves along the karst hills in the
southern coastal stretching from Gombang, Central Java to Sewu Mountain,
Pacitan, East Java. The cave was forms from a geological process when all
vegetation along with the land vanished into the earth’s bowel thousands years
ago.
Location
Jomblang Cave
is situated in Jetis Village,
Semanu District, Gunungkidul
Regency of Yogyakarta Special Province. It lies about 50 km from the downtown of Yogyakarta, and about 10 km from Wonosari, the capital town of
Gunungkidul Regency. To reach the
cave, you can join the trip arranged by a travel agent in Yogyakarta. However,
you can go by public transportation as well.
You can
go from Giwangan bus station towards Wonosari bus station. Then, you can
continue the journey by local minibus towards Semanu District. From Semanu, you
can get off Jetis Village, and go by ojek
(motorcycle taxi). It takes about 2 to 3 hours driving from Yogyakarta, and the
total cost is less than Rp50, 000 (US$5.00). You can also rent a car from
Yogyakarta, it will take faster time to reach the cave.
Activities
You
can do a challenging activity by exploring Jomblang Cave. Although the activity
may be exhausting, it is fun and exciting. The important is that you bring
adequate equipment and prepare the exploration carefully. You should bring a
headlamp or torch, socks, gloves, sport shoes, bath equipment, first aid and
camera.
The exploration to the
bottom of the cave is so exciting as you can see the most beautiful nature. It
takes bravery to explore all of the caves. You must be careful when exploring
the cave. The cave itself has 50 m side and vertical sides ranging from 60 to
80 meters. The sunlight is abundant entering into the cave, making some trees
grow well inside the cave. You can see underground shrubs and forest in the
cave.
Accommodations
You
can set a tent around the cave when you decide to spend the night at Jomblang
Cave. However, setting a tent requires careful planning. You must bring
adequate equipment as spending the night at the cave will be quite dangerous.
The safer is that you stay in the local people’s house, like at the head of
Jetis Village. However, spending the night at a tent will leave you an
unforgettable memory.
Jomblang
Cave has its own beauty and uniqueness. It is worth visiting as you can earn
many things from the cave. Spend your holiday by exploring the cave. This will be a fun and challenging activity
for you.
