Tanjung Lesung 3

After cancelling our plan travel to Pangandaran due to limited time, we reroute our destination to our favorite exotic beach at Tanjung Lesung. Started at 7PM from Jakarta, we arrived and looking for rest at Tanjung Lesung resort at 12PM.
This my third trip actually, and one of my friend has been there fir the ninth time. Some reason why we visit this beach several times are because this beach is close from Jakarta, clean, not many human touchable specially in our secret theatre, and always gives us new natural scene along the beach path which is very good for my photography practice.
When we woke up at 5AM, again we found the sky cloudy and rainy, but it didn't broke our spirit to explore. This time we explored the beach around the resort.

Sail beach, Tanjung Lesung resort

First spot is the sail beach which located on small creek, the green sea with small ripple on it. I tried to focus on the sunrise and waiting its appear with camera on and attached on my new Manfrotto tripod, but in fact I cannot see it at all, only it flame shining between the dark stratus loud.

Wood dock at Sail Beach

Explore another side of Sail beach, we founded the wood dock and  the path goes to resort cluster. The air is really fresh, very quite, clean and its a good place for family vacation. This resort has more than 50 cottages on its area, and the price is vary.

Sembrono Team

After finish with Sail boat area, we back to our cottage and got breakfast on 9AM. Chit-chat and clean up our gear, we prepare ourselves then checkout from the cottage and continue to theatre 1 :)

Theatre 1

Colour of Tanjung Lesung

Different with sail boat, the waves is big enough in theatre 1 and also rain. We need to clean up our filter from water maany times to get a clean pictures. That's why I didn't take many pictures on it and more to enjoy the surroundings. Hmm..., I start to think to have a land on this area someday :)

Coughing Krakatau

Before we went out this area, we saw the smoke suddenly coming from mount Krakatau which recently active. Krakatau is one active volcanos across Indonesia and known as 'Ring of Fire'.


View Tanjung Lesung - Anyer in a larger map

In our way to go home, we tried to used another path via Anyer, many resort and traditional restaurant across the coast, but unfortunatelly cannot found many interesting spot on this area.

Ujung Genteng

It takes about 3 hours from Sawarna village to Ujung Genteng beach. We arrived at 1AM and cannot found any motel, but lucky after pak Fitri talked to 'pak Ujang' motel staff, they allowed us to use their office to take a rest and their bathroom, and bout 4.30AM we started again the trip to catch the sunset at Ujung Genteng beach.

Around the beach, we saw some boats and fisherman back and forth, some fisherman would start to sail and some others just returned from the sea.

The 'go sailing' and 'beach boys' was taken by mbak Vipia when she tried my 550D before she buy one :D

Selayar Beach - Sawarna Village

As planned, this trip was include Pelabuhan Ratu and it surrounding areas. Started at 7AM in Christmas day, we went directly to Pelabuhan Ratu city. It took more time than expected since we got
traffic jam at Cicurug village for more than 1 hour.

Pelabuhan Ratu

Pelabuhan Ratu dock

After refueled the gasoline and took a lunch at Saridona restaurant on Pelabuhan Ratu beach at 2PM, we continued our trip to Sawarna village, the gateway to Selayar beach.
The trip to Sawarna village takes about 50 mins with some road damaged from Pelabuhan Ratu. Having arrived on Sawarna village (3.30PM), we parked our cars and continue with ojek/motorcycle taxi (cost: Rp 20-25K/person, vise versa) to the beach.
Took around 5 mins to reach the Selayar beach by ojek, where we were greeted by 2 big corals taht look like the giant sailboat. Like the other beach on southern area, Selayar beach has amazing shape of coral and a very interesting object for photography.

Not only amazing coral, there are a many colourful creatures on the water which trapped on coral as apart of this beauty environment, and also we saw some people who were fishing. Trying to make a composition between the rock, ripple and cloud below, but the cloud is too white, the water so blue but the ripple movement not too clear.

Selayar Beach Surface

But at least I can capture how unique Selayar beach with hard waves and amazing giant coral.

Waves on the rock

After visiting some beaches, my dream is to capture the sunset with a good composition and colour. The most important thing is need to understand how the picture that can show you the story such as the interaction between rock and the ripple. When I took this picture, the sunset was not too bright. Its hard for me to get the composition between the sunset colour with rock and ripple. In fact, Need more experiences and equip my gear with filter and tripod, so then I can more focus to the drama.

Silence of Selayar

I cannot wait for our next trip next year, capturing the seascape and exploring the beauty of Indonesia with Sembrono team is always fun :)

Sunset catchers

Sembrono Team

We called our travelling team as Sembrono team, the word that usually used by pak Fitri when he saw something funny or careless in our trip.
This solid small team include as Fitri Yohanto, Wandi Hardian, Shinta Irawati, Anwar and me.

Bale Gede

Next destination is Ujung Genteng, the unplanned one, and very ambitious destination from Kawah Putih. On this trip, we passed a amazing village called Bale Gede.

A village surrounded by cliffs and hundreds waterfalls. Its so nature, the water is cold and clean, rice fields with steps terrasering system, look so harmony and peace.

Strict to the first plan, we keep this village to our next exploration, so we didnt do much exploration on this area. But unfortunately, our goal to Ujung Genteng is still far away, after reaching Cidaun village at south coast, we take a lunch at 2PM, charged our gears and decide to back to Jakarta.

As summary, here the path we took. Its a long and tired trip in 25 hours, but it was wonderful and adventurous one.

View Travelling - Patengan, Kawah Putih in a larger map

Kawah Putih (white crater)

After visited Situ Patengan, we continued to Kawah Putih. The temperature reached 8C when we arrived. Fog is everywhere and limit our visibility.

This white crater was founded by Germany explorer, Junghuhn in early 1800.

Notes:

Ticket Rp 150.000/car (14USD) and Rp 15000/person.

Ciwidey - Situ Patengan

This trip was started at 2 am from Jakarta with Sembrono team and part of 3 destinations of our trip. I will continue write the other 2 trips in next post.

In the very early morning we are arrived at Situ Patenggang to get pray and breakfast. After that, we continoue to explore the tea plantation around this area. This tea plantation are owned by PTPN VIII, they processed the tea become tea beverages which known as Walini tea.

We met some of tea pickers get ready to work

Have a chat with the tea pickers, they started their day at 5.30 am in the morning and working as a group.

Their skilled hands plucked the tea leaves and put in basket on their backs. There are some categories of leaves, but in common only the young tea leaves are good to process for tea beverages.

Carpet of tea, half of the tree part are cut to get new branch and leaves every 12 years.

In our way to the next destination, we found an eye-catching spot where there is house with some small waterfalls.., and this purely natural!

We stopped on this area and talked with some peoples who are working to create pool for fishing. They asking for this picture.., hmm how to send it?, but no worry I will back to this area soon to get more captures, feel the energy, more explore and bring them a hard-copy

Hope I’m not forget.

Tanjung Lesung 2

This my second trip to Tanjung Lesung, with my friends Wandi Hardian who always help me much in photography and Anwar. Like my first trip, its cloudy.

Fisherman village from the bridge in our way to Tanjung Lesung

.

Theatre 4

Playing with grad ND (gradutated neutral density) and CP (circular polarizer) filters.

Theatre 1

I still cannot captures the good moment in theater 1 since I was shockingly founded my bag was floating in this sea (and my 24-105mm was in there :S). Its definitely wet but its OK!!. That's the advantage of red label lenses which equips with a weather shield, and thanks GOD, its works :)


Leason learned: 
Never leave your ammo behind !!!

Tanjung Lesung

Together with some friends to Tanjung Lesung.


View Travelling - Tanjung Lesung in a larger map

Suzuki SX4 Crossroad

It takes about 5 hours before entering this wonderful area.

Theatre 2

Waves and rocks on theatre 2

Theatre 3

Amazing sunset on theatre 3. This is my second time I try to capture the sunset. With some suggestion and borrow the good filter from my friends. Its getting better :)

Where is theatre 1?, dont have much time to go there in our exploration, but we will be back.

Birdwatching Trip - Pulau Seribu

Perjalanan ini merupakan perjalanan adventurir saya yang pertama sejak perjalan yang saya pikir cukup adventurir yaitu ke Bromo sekitar tahun 1997. Hmm.., ngapain aja ya saya selama ini, padahal saya seneng sekali jalan2. Jalan2 ini diprakarsai oleh teman saya Suwandi Ahmad yang aktif di LSM dalam hal observasi alam dan pelestarian lingkungan.


Muara Angke
Perjalanan ini dimulai di Dunkin Donuts Citraland jam 6.30 pagi..., tempat yang dulu sering saya singgahi. Sesampainya disana saya bertemu dengan beberapa teman saya, beberapa teman baru dan EO dari acara ini tentunya.

Dari Citraland kita menuju suaka margatsatwa Muara Angke (SMMA). Saya baru tau, bahwa di Jakarta ini ada suaka margasatwa. SMMA yang berfungsi sebagai serapan air dan reservasi alam ini kini hanya seluas 25 hektar, dan merupakan suaka margastwa terkecil di Indonesia. Sebagian besar lahan SMMA kini telah digunakan untuk pemukiman dan areal bisnis.


Sesampainya di SMMA kita mendapatkan sarapan pagi berupa teh hangat dan kue2 kampung yang enak. Sambil sarapan dan ngobrol2 dengan beberapa teman baru, saya mencoba memoto beberapa monyet ekor panjang di deket dermaga kecil SMMA. Setelah itu kita berjalan menyusuri jembatan kayu yang membelah rawa SMMA

Di SMMA kita menunggu agak lama karena boat yang akan kita tumpangi tersangkut sampah, sehingga kita berangkat dari SMMA menggunakan kapal kecil seukuran sekoci menuju boat. Selama di dalam sekoci, saya kaget sekali melihat sampah bertebaran, beberapa diantaranya sudah berubah menjadi bukit sampah. Menurut teman kami, sekitar tahun 1980an kedalaman sungan Muara Angke sekitar 23m, namun kini hanya 1,5-2m selebihnya sampah.

Sungai Muara Angke merupakan pertemuan dari 13 sungai di Jakarta, jadi tau kan kemana sampah2 yang bejibun di sungai2 itu berujung?. Sungguh tragis, seharusnya warga Jakarta melihat keadaan ini dan siap2 untuk banjir yang semakin parah!.


Pulau Onrust
Sekeluarnya kami dari sungai Muara Angke, kami menuju ke pulau Onrust, pulau terdekat. Pulau Onrust (bahasa Belanda) diartikan sebagai un-rest dalam bahasa Inggrisnya. Sesuai dengan namanya, pulau ini menyimpang banyak sekali sejarah. 



Mulai dari benteng pertahan di jaman kolonial Belanda, tempat penyiksaan orang Indonesia di penjajahan Jepang, asrama Haji sebelum berlayar ke Mekkah diawal tahun 1900an dan tempat pembuangan penderita lepra/gelandangan di jaman bapak Ali Sadikin sebagai gubernur Jakarta. Namun sayang pulau Onrust yang menyimpan banyak sejarah itu kini sangatlah kotor, dermaganya kini dipenuhi sampah yang hanyut dari Muara Angke.

Pulau Untung Jawa
Pulau ini tempat kita makan siang, jalan sedikit dari dermaga, mentok belok kiri trus ketemu deh warung ibu haji, makan nasi anget2, ikan bakar yang maknyus dan segar, sayur asem dan sambel yang muanteb.

Di pulau kecil ini terdapat sebuat kampung yang cukup padat, dimana penduduknya hidup dari turis2 lokal yang biasanya datang dari areal Tanggerang Selatan. Oleh karena itu di sebalah sisi pantainya terdapat tenda2 yang menjual makanan dan menyewakan ban dalam untuk berenang. Disisi tengahnya terdapat rumah2 yang menjual bereneka makan seafood, sayangnya penjual jauh lebih banyak daripada pengunjung, sehingga sebagian besar tidak ada pengunjungnya sama sekali.


Pulau Rambut/ pulau Burung.
The main destination!!.. Pulau bersarangnya ratusan jenis burung yang ada, juga merupakan satu2nya tempat yang disinggahi dalam migrasi burung di areal kepulauan seribu. Tidak pernah ada yang tau jawabannya kenapa burung2 yang bermigrasi tersebut hanya singgal di pulau burung ini, tidak ke pulau Onrust, pulau Pramuka atau pulau2 lainnya.

Pada saat mendekati pulau ini, terlihat cukup banyak bergerombol hilir mudik disekitar kami, diantaranya ada yang membentuk huruf V, formasi andalan burung yang banyak sekali arti dan makna dibaliknya. Sesampainya di pulau ini kami dikenalkan ke pak Buang yang tugasnya menjaga ekosistem di pulau tersebut mulai sekitar 30 tahun yang lalu. Untuk kerja keras yang tidak kenal lelah dalam usahanya ini, pak Buang pernah mendapatkan hadiah Kalpataru dari ibu Megawati. Namun sayangnya usahanya ini tidak disupport dengan baik pemerintah kita.

Untuk melihat burung2 lebih jelas, kami menaiki sebuh tower setinggi 30m dimana tower itu lebih tinggi dari rata2 pucuk pohon tempat burung2 bertengger, Merupakan pemandangan yang spektakuler bagi saya bisa melihat begitu banyaknya berbagai macam burung2 berterbangan. 

Banyak sekali nama burung yang dijelaskan oleh teman kami, namun saya hanya ingat burung Pecuk, Kepodang, Elang Jawa dan tentunya Christmas Frigate yang merupakan pemangsa tertinggi di area ini. Sayang sekali lensa yang saya bawa tidak bisa range jauh sehingga saya tidak bisa mencapture burung2 tersebut dari dekat (dalam hati saya merencanakan untuk kembali ke pulau ini lagi dengan membawa lensa tele jarak jauh). 




Setelah itu beberapa dari kami mencoba mengcapture sunset (salah satu moment favorite untuk take a picture).

Di pulau ini kita menginap di sebuh pendopo depan pantai dan dinnernya di kirim dari pulau Untung Jawa (seperti biasa menu khas dari ikan segar dan sambel). Bertepatan dengan trip kita ini terdapat sekitar seratus mahasiswa yang sedang mengobservasi perilaku burung, sehingga kami harus mengantri ke toilet yang cuma dua :p, namun berbincang2 dengan beberapa teman2 baru yang menarik membuat saya lupa masalah toilet tadi sampai akhirnya tidak mandi sampai subuh.


Paginya kami kembali untuk melihat burung di tower sekalian mengambil foto/moment yang lebih baik sambil mendengarkan celotehan dari kawan kami tentang burung2 disini, membuat kita tidak hanya melihat keindahan dari burung2 tersebut, tapi juga memperhatikan perilaku dan aktifitasnya seperti membuat sarang dan memberi makan anak2nya. Setelah cukup lama di tower, kamipun kembali ke pendopo yang berada sekitar 300 meter. 




Di perjalan kami melihat biawak yang cukup besar (sekitar 2meter), namun sayangnya biawak itu lari menjauh sebelum kita sempat mefotonya. Di pendopo, kamipun bersiap-siap untuk pulang dan bermalas-malasan di depan pantai semalas saya tau karena habis ini harus balik ke Jakarta dan menghadapai rutinitas esoknya. 




Di perjalanan pulang, saya sempat mengabadikan beberapa photo betapa peliknya kehidupan di daerah ini, sampah2 bertebaran di muara angke, pendangkalan sungai dan laut tanpa ada kelihatan sedikitpun untuk memperbaiki keadaan ini. 
Hmm... sebuah perjalanan yang menarik sekliagus ironis :)