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Waters Yogyakarta

Cave Tubing at Goa Pindul

Chilling in the tube

 

After so many days of intensive trekking and sight-seeing, all we wanted to do was something relaxing – yet something different at the same time. We settled for Cave Tubing at Goa Pindul and booked a car to take us to the Gunungkidul Region, about 45min drive away, for  @ Rp 500,000/4 pax.

 

Cave Tubing at Goa Pindul, East Java Part IV (1-3 May 2013)
Day 7: Leave from Yogyakarta City to Goa Pindul, Gunungkidul Region
Day 8: Leave for Surabaya Day
9: Home Sweet Home

 

Swimming in the caves
Swimming in the caves

 

I’ve been into a few caves before but this was my first time floating through a cave river on a rubber tube. You’ll get to spot the usual stalactites and stalagmites, as well as experience pitch black moments wherein our guide Pak Chepto had said a prayer for all those going through a period of such darkness in their lives. What I loved most of the cave tubing journey was probably when we spotted from afar the super defined sun rays shining from outside onto the river surface.

 

Goa Pindul_Sunrays
Sunrays inside Goa Pindul

 

After about 30min, we were done with Cave Tubing. And since we’ve come all the way here, we decided to just go for a second round of River Tubing.

 

The ride was beautiful – almost like an intricately designed water theme park ride, just that this time it was au naturale.

 

A very scenic river ride between the beautifully contoured rocks shaped by centuries of moving water
A very scenic river ride between the beautifully contoured rocks shaped by centuries of moving water

 

Our checkpoint at the twin waterfalls
Our checkpoint at the twin waterfalls

 

With a waterfall and deep plunge pool, how could we resist our usual cliff diving?

KT cliffdiving
KT taking the plunge

 

Although I was just about to experience one of my most horrifying encounters in my life. When it came to my turn, I stupidly decided to run off the wooden board and jump, only to slip on the edge at the very last moment and fall off…

 

The first photo may seem hilarious and even I’m laughing at it now. But my horrified heart dropped as I slipped off the cliff, landing in the water flat on my stomach. When I somehow surfaced, I was completely winded, desperately wanting to gasp for air but my windpipe was blocked. Even our guide was shocked and praying that I didn’t hit anything along the down.

 

But of course, all was fine after awhile. We continued our journey down the river and back to Yogyakarta city, where we spent our last night at a bar on Sosrowijayan recounting our trip over chilled beer and some javanese massage after that.

 

Took the Sancaka Sore next morning (train tickets can be bought at the station, but do get it a few days before because it runs out pretty quickly and the queue at the counter can be atrocious) – D0725 A1204 at Rp 160,000 – from Yogyakarta to Surabaya.

 

We spent one last day in Surabaya Tunjungan Plaza Shopping Mall to satisfy our cravings for Ayam Penyet and Kopi Lewak before we flew back to Singapore – with new perspectives and out of cash.

 

[The End]

 

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