Kota Wisata Batu (English)

DE KLEIN SWITSZERLAND

The name of Batu will directly come to your mind when you think about apples, cool air, and excellent scenery. Those icons make Batu differ from other country in Indonesia. Geographically, Batu is located in East Java, for about 19 Km in the west of Malang. It is placed on 680 – 1700 meters above the sea level, and its temperature is 15o-19o Celsius. It takes 2 hours drive from Surabaya.

Dutchmen call Batu as De Klein Switzerland (the Small Switzerland in Java). They love to visit it when they miss Swiss, the most beautiful city in the world. However, Batu lacks of snow.

There are many things you can find in this city. You can take your children to Jatim Park when you want to accompany them to enjoy their holiday while doing fun-learning. After visiting Jatim Park, you can continue your trip to Selecta. It provides play ground, swimming pool, water cycling, and ecotourism of pine forest.

Satisfied exploring those two interesting places, you need to refresh yourself. No need to be confused, Batu provides many kinds of accommodations starting from villa until four-star hotel with a reasonable rate. Don’t forget to spend your night in Payung while drinking hot coffee and roasted corn. Before going to Payung, you can take your family to explore a unique amusement facilities in Batu Night Spectacular (BNS) such as Lampion garden and challenging facilities. Also, you can enjoy the fantastic view of Batu at night from the high land.

After satisfied travelling around the city, you can continue your vacation to urban area to enjoy the cool breeze of mountain atmosphere. They are Songgoriti and Cangar Hot Spring Water, Coban Talun and Coban Rais waterfalls. There are also historical tourisms that you can visit, such as Renggo temple. Ganesha Statue, and archaeological sites in Junggo. If you want extreme activities, you can do hiking in Panderman, Banyak, and Arjuno Mountains.

It is easy to get to Batu. You can take both land transportation and air transportation, such as train, bus, airplane, and vehicles. If you take public transportation, bus for instance, you will end your trip in Arjosari, or Gadang stations. Next, to go to Batu you have to take taxi or public transportation. There are many kinds of public transportation in Malang based on the destination. You have to choose the one that will go to Landungsari station, for example AL-Arjosari Landungsari, GL-Gadang Landungsari, LG, GML, ADL, etc. After that, you can take other public transportation to get to Batu or take a bus. If your bus is from Kediri area, you don’t need to end in Landungsari station. You can directly go to your destination in Batu.

It is the same when you take a train. You have to end in Malang railway station and take a taxi or a public transportation, such as AL, ADL. If you are travelling by plane, from Abdulrahman Saleh airport, your choice is just taking a taxi to get to Batu. Arriving in Batu, you can directly choose your destination as the sign and map of tourism destinations are available on every corner of Batu area. Another choice is you can call Batu Tourism Center to have more information. Also, you can ask for a guide to accompany you exploring Batu.

Waterfall Sensation

One of tourism destination in Batu is waterfall Sensation. Coban Talun and Coban Rais waterfalls are not only beautiful from a distance but also more exotic when we look at it closely near the place where it drops the water. Both are located in the height of 75 meters in Junggo of Tulungrejo, Bumiaji area. Thundering sound of the waterfall and the rocks arouses the splash sensation on your body. This sensation also can be felt when you are a little bit farther from the site. The farther you are the slower the thundering sound.

You need to be more patient to enjoy the splash sensation. You have to wait the wind blows bringing the drops around the location. When you look at around the site closely, you will find rainbows adding the exotic of the waterfall. They will be in every corner of the waterfalls.

It is not easy to reach this location. Not only you have to be careful, but also you need an extra power to get there. You have to pass the river and hills. The path to the site is very narrow, slippery and abrupt. You have to help yourself by holding the branch or grass around the path.

Cangar Hot Spring Water

The tourists will feel at home during their vacation in spring water of Taman Hutan Raya (Tahura) R. Soerjo Cangar. It is located in Tulungrejo, Bumiaji area. By paying Rp 2.700,00 for entrance ticket, you can enjoy bathing in the in the warm pool as long as you want.

The ticket is not only for enjoying the spring, but also enjoying all site around it. You can feel the natural sensation by seeing monkeys freely living in the forest. That view completes the excitement of Cangar.

Besides enjoying Coban Talun, Coban Rais, and Cangar, you can try the wilderness of Tahura R. Soeryo by camping in this area. From the camping area you can see Arboretum, a natural sources used by 14 cities in East Java. You can see the collection of many scarce plants and the wide Lalijiwo savannah.

Hash

Batu also introduces Hash, jogging activities around the hills. Before introducing this activity, there are many hash groups in Malang and East Java that choose Batu as the location to do their hobbies. The route of hash is about 8 km. By jogging, the Hasher, the hash lover, can enjoy the exotic scenery and also can greet and do interaction with the local people along the route.

BATU NIGHT SPECTACULER (BNS)

Staying in Batu will be a different experience. At night you can enjoy the most spectacular spot in East Java at Batu Night Spectaculer (BNS). It is located in Oro-oro Ombo. The uniquely of BNS is its strategic location. Located in the high land, you can enjoy the great view of Malang and its surrounding at night perfectly. The sparkling lights will accompany you spending the night at café there.

It offers many facilities suitable for your family. For example, ghost gallery, slalom test, the highest air cycling, lampion garden, ghost gallery, 4-D cinema, the longest go-cart circuit, 50 meters screen in food court area, dancing fountain, and trampoline. You can also test your adrenalin by trying several facilities such as drag race, mouse coaster, etc. It also provides kids zone that offers for about 25 facilities.

Satisfied enjoying the facilities, you can go to night market to find souvenirs and hand gift. It also provides your daily needs. Near the night market, there is a food court that serves you many kinds of food and beverage. While eating and drinking, you can enjoy the show time maintained by the BNS management that present a music show. Other interesting thing is the dancing fountain in the middle of the show. The dancing fountain is followed by the sparkling lights that dance as the instrument play. After that you will have an outer journey through the laser show on the giant screen. You will feel like in outer space. Sometimes you will be surprised when you hear helicopter flying above your head. That’s fantastic!

JATIM PARK

Most people choose to visit Jatim Park because it is the best and modern place of interest in Batu. It provides a great view and many facilities. It is located on the slope of Panderman mountain, 850 dpl height, that make it suitable for people who come from a warm area.

The concept of this place is a combination between education and tourism on the same time and place. Jatim Park as the largest tourism destination in Batu, placed on 11 acres, is able to give information about science and technology represented on some facilities, for instance, learning gallery for biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. The stadium can hold 300 students.

This learning gallery equipped with student’s learning guide and visual aids for applied science both indoor and outdoor that are supported by PLN, Telkom, Rimba Raya and several foremost universities in East Java.

To enrich the cultural horizon of our nation, Jatim Park also provides national ethnics gallery and East Java Pavilion. Those concepts are like the concept of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in a small scale. Even more, you can see many kinds of floras and faunas.

Thus, the concept of Jatim Park is suitable for your family and students. They can learn everything in the education facilities in it. Jatim Park is also suitable for kindergarten because there is a wide and clean swimming pool for them. The visitors can enjoy all the facilities in Jatim Park. After that, you can go to food court trying the delicious food while taking a rest.

TIRTA NIRWANA

For those who love swimming, don’t forget to visit Tirta Nirwana Songgoriti. You will have a different experience in it. This spot is a part of Songgoriti tourism object. It offers many interesting facilities. Entering the location, you can directly choose the facilities you want first, such as swimming or trying water cycling. However, if you want to take a rest first because of exhausting after traveling around Batu, you can directly go to a garden near the swimming pool. You will see mountain and can breathe the fresh air there. This garden also completed by some animal statue that can be part of your family photographs.

If you visit Tirta Nirwana with your family, you can manage your time in enjoying the facilities. Your children can directly swim to swimming pool for kids. It would be saver for them to swim there. You just only keep an eye to them. Another alternative is you can swim in the swimming pool for adult next to your children’s pool, so that you can watch your children closely.

After swimming and trying the facilities, don’t go home right away. You can find some accessories to be hand gifts. There are also many kinds of handicraft and flowers with a reasonable price. Instead of enjoying all facilities, you can see mountain view and breathe the fresh air. The view will be very exotic from many side of it. This place is too good to be missed. Trust me!

CLIMBING TOURISM

Climbing Panderman Mountain

Batu offers not only recreational place but also climbing Panderman Mountain. This mountain has been familiar in Holland because it’s name is taken from a Dutchman, Van Der Man, who admires it. To get to Panderman from Malang, you have to take a bus and ask to get off in T-intersection of Pesanggrahan. Next, you have to walk for about 2 km to the west. While walking, you can feel the mountain atmosphere. On the weekend and holydays, there are many local and international tourists do camping in this area. They set up small tends to stay and protect them from the cold air.

To reach the top of the mountain, you need only for about two hours. For the beginner, however, it will take for about three until four hours. Although, there are many ascending paths, the distance to the top is not too far. On the top, you can enjoy the fantastic view of Batu and Malang. If you reach the top at night, you will see the sparkling light of the cities that will make you stay longer.

The first area you will pass in climbing this mountain is Latar Ombo. This area is used to be a camping area. There is also a spring that can be used to wash your face, take a bath, or cooking. In this spot, you can hear the sound of water flowing in the small stream that eases the situation. Meanwhile, the sparkling light of Batu city will impress you much.

After Latar Ombo, the second post is Watu Gede. In this area, there is a giant stone as its name. You can see the exotic view below, although, you have not been in the top yet.

For those who want take Edelweis flowers as the hand gift, you can find them on the bushes and on the slope of the mountain. If you are lucky, you will find these eternal flowers.

Outer Journey from Banyak Mountain

Banyak mountain is not only interesting for its excellent view. As it is located in the border line of Batu and Malang, you will feel as doing an outer journey. The main attraction of it is thousand lights in a scramble line that are seen as candle lights. Some of them seem to look like still and some are moving. That is the beautiful night in Banyak mountain.

Banyak mountain is located in Brau of Gunungsari, Bumiaji area. It is directly in the borderline of Pandesari village in Pujon of Malang. The height of this mountain is 1300 meters above the sea level. To enjoy the beautiful scenery, you have to wait for minutes since the fog can suddenly cover the mountain. When it happens, you will not see anything, just white of the fog and dark.

ADRENALINE TOURISM

Paragliding

Not only offers a beautiful view, Batu also be the best choice for those who love paragliding. They usually start their activities from Banyak mountain that is familiar as the aero sport. However, it is officially established as the paragliding on 20 June 2000. Since then, it is declared as the aero spot. The official announcement is at the same time of PON VI of East Java that is marked by building an epigraphy signed by Indonesian Air Marshal, Hanafi Asnan who is also the chairman of Indonesian Aero sport Federation. Paragliders usually come to this place in June up to October. There is a plan to have a paragliding show on the night. This is, of course, will be unique and interesting. If you want to see paragliding either from the landing area in Songgoriti or from the starting area in Banyak mountain, you will find many facilities such as observation station, food stalls, and shelters.

Downhill

Besides Banyak mountain, another spot used as an extreme sport is Klemuk mountain. It is located in Songgoriti of Songgokerto , Batu. Since 2004, it has been the track of downhill. The 1,2 km track is a challenging track for every rider.

The descending track is appropriate for athlete to test their adrenaline. If you are not good in riding mountain bike, don’t try this track. It will be very dangerous because there are many deep ravines in both right and left sides. However, for the beginner, there is a special track 500 m before the finished line. This track is saver as the location is a little bit far from the ravines.

Rafting

There is Rafting area in Batu instead of Paragliding and Downhill. It is Kaliwatu Rafting. It flows on Brantas River in Pandanrejo, Bumiaji area. Rafting in this area is very challenging because of its rapid stream and big rocks along the river. Rafting in this river will make your heart beating rapidly, not only because of hitting the rocks but also the sensation of rapid stream as bending and shaking.

To get to Kaliwatu Rafting is easy. It is managed by the concept of society empowerment. It is only 2 km from Batu square and 500 meters from Pandanrejo Street. You can reach the location by foot passing farm area.

AGRO TOURISM

You can enjoy agro tourism in Batu, starting from picking apples, strawberries, oranges, and vegetables. These spots can be found in Punten, Bumiaji, Sidomiulyo, and the area around it. Another alternative is agro tourism in Kusuma Agro that also serves accommodation for you. Picking apples from its tree will be a memorable think. You will learn how to pick them from the guide in the apple garden. Moreover, the guide will inform you about a good apple, which one is ripe enough to pick. This spot is the only one in Indonesia. It would be an unfortunate if you don’t visit it.

After picking apples, you can continue to buy flowers in Bumiaji area, starting from Punten and Pandanrejo villages. Beside that you can also find it in Pandanrejo in Batu sub district. In those villages you will buy the flowers from the farmers.

There is the name of Bukit Berbunga street as it is famous of flowers cultivation. Entering this street, you will see many kinds of flowers arranged beautifully along the street. If you don’t have much time, you can just drop by, choose and buy the flowers, next, continue your trip. However, if you have spare time, it is better to take a walk enjoying the beautiful flowers there. After that, you can take a rest in flowers market in Sidomulyo Village. While choosing flowers, you can enjoy the great view of flower spreading out with a mountain view as the background.

Besides picking apples and flowers, there is an impression thing you can do in this city, namely milking a cow. Having a great potential of milk-cow producer, Batu is being one of fresh milk supplier to several company, such as Nestle. There are some spot of cow husbandry in Batu. They are Toyomerto of Pesanggrahan village and Oro-oro Ombo village. In the center of this husbandry, you are not only watching how to milk the cow, but you can try it by the guiding from the breeder. This is, of course, will be a memorable experience for you.

CULINARY TOURISM

When you are tired of travelling around Batu, you don’t need to confuse to find the center of culinary. There are many culinary centers you can visit, for example in Warung Bambu. It is located in Selecta street, Punten, Bumiaji area. In this place, your tiredness will disappear when you find a relaxing situation. Warung Bambu also offers special menu for you that is roasted gurami. As the place is surrounded by a pool filled with Koi, when you sit near the pool, they are ready to give you a massage on your foot. What a wonderful sensation.

To play with those fish, you just pay Rp 1000,- to buy a small pack of fish woof. By scattering the woof on the pool, the fish will come to you. Next, put your foot on it and you will feel the massage sensation when the fish eat the woof.

This nice situation fits the need of relaxing and filling your stomach. The sound of water flowing will increase your appetite enjoying the roasted gurami. The menu of Warung Bambu is different from others because of its fresh atmosphere and also fresh fish.

Other famous culinary center in Batu is Payung. This place is a favorite place for youth to refresh. There are many cafes offering special meals, such as roasted corn, baked bread, and instant noodles. Beside that you will also find rice if the meal is not make you full.

Payung is located on the main road of Batu-Pujon, for about 3 km in the west of the city. Cafes in Payung have a special characteristic; each place is separated by partitions, so you will have your privacy. While relaxing, you can enjoy the view of Batu with its cool air and the fog that sometimes appears. There is a guarantee that you will stay longer there while enjoying roasted corn, hot coffee and milk with your friends.

There are also other culinary centers in Batu, for instance in Beji street, you will find Warung Sate Kelinci (rabbit) and Rest Ba-Be that serve you a special menu. In the city, you can find several places that are always full on holidays; they are Rumah Makan Khas Jawa, Batu Suki, and Grand Palem.

HANDYCRAFT OF BATU

Batu is well known as the center of handycraft in East Java. One of it is Batik industry in Sisir village, Batu subdistrict. There are three centers of it, namely Sanggar Butik Olive Batik, Raden Wijaya, and Semar. Batu’s Batik has a special character as the potential of its area, such as apples, vegetables, flowers, and coins.

Besides Batik, Batu also has traditional handicraft called as cobek-a kitchen equipment for blend the spice manually. Cobek is made from stone, so it is a little hard. You can find the centre of cobek in Rejoso of Junrejo village that is very familiar since the independence era.

There is onix handicraft that is located in 130 Mertojoyo St. Dadaprejo of Junrejo area. This handycraft has been exported to some foreign countries. This industry often joins a handicraft expo in Indonesia. You will find many creative design of onix, such as fruit basket, miniature of house, statue, etc.

Various earthenware vessels craft also exist in Batu, such as antique vessels, statue, etc. Those products are mainly sent to Bali, Malaysia, and Malang. Those are used for the need of traditional ceremony.

Batu has a traditional music instrument named as Gong. It is produced in Junrejo village in Munaji’s house. Although he is old enough, 81 years old, he is still able to make Gong. His gong is usually being the part of a complete java’s music instrument. Even more, his creative work has been exported to other countries.

Historically, this handicraft was set up by Munaji in 1945. Formerly, he just learns to make farm tools. Then, it is developed into gong. Now, he is famous up to Europe as his unique gong. His gong succeeds to make a harmonious tone in the production process. Beside gong, Munaji also produces gendang as the part of gamelan.

In this cool city, there is the one who is skillfully making violin. His name is Moestafidz Chaeroni. The quality of his violin can be the same as European making. He started to make violin in 1982. He went to Jakarta with his Italian friend, Alviano, to learn music deeper. Since that time, he learnt hard about piano, guitar, violin and other string instruments. Finally, he can make a good violin. He got many orders. Now, he has produced hundred of violins in various price starting from 1-3 million rupiahs.