The Glamor of Goa Gong Pacitan which is Worldwide, Must Be Visited!
What occurred to you first when you heard the name Pacitan? Most probably will quickly answer SBY, naturally because this city is the birthplace of Indonesia's 6th president. But in the eyes of nature lovers, the first thing that will be thought of is the Cave. That's right, Pacitan City is also known as the 1001 cave city, and the one that is famous here is the Goa Gong Pacitan tourist spot.
Pacitan is an area in East Java surrounded by limestone mountains, which makes the land in this area dry and infertile. The soil on the surface of Pacitan is indeed arid and has few nutrients, but the gift of the Almighty was not located on the surface, but below the surface of the land.
Pacitan is blessed with dazzling underground beauty in the form of limestone caves adorned with stalactites and stalagmites. The most famous and most beautiful cave is Gong Cave.
The beauty of Gong Cave is unmatched by other caves in Java, and some even say that Gong Cave is the most beautiful cave in Southeast Asia.
Entering the Gong Cave, you will be greeted by beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations. Assisted by adequate lighting you can go deeper and down the cave corridor along 256 meters.
At the end of the hall, you will find the reason why Gong Cave is called the most beautiful cave in Southeast Asia. A room that forms a monster dome along 100 m, with a width of 15 to 40 meters and a height of between 20-30 meters will make you chuckle in awe.
Stalactites and stalagmites with various shapes and sizes adorn the entire room. Some of them are even named because to capture their beauty such as Selo Jengger Bumi, Selo Pakuan Bomo, Selo Bantaran Angin, Selo Citro Cipto Agung, Selo Adi Citro Buwono, and others.
To explore the entire hallway and the inside of the cave, you need about 2 hours. But the long enough time will not be felt and tiring because you will continue to feel amazed at the beauty presented by Gong Cave.
You do not need to worry when exploring this cave, because the local government has added infrastructure in the cave such as stairs, security fences, lighting and fans to facilitate tracking (although you still have to be careful).
Inside the Gong Cave there are several rooms. These spaces are the Angel Spring Room, Angel Room, Crystal and Marble Room, Hermitage Room and the Gong Stone Room.
One room in the cave was once used as a music concert venue that was broadcast live in four countries in order to promote the potential of Gong Cave.
In addition to the beauty of the stalactites and stalagmites that adorn the cave room, there are also springs (springs) which, according to local residents, have magical powers to heal diverse for those who believe in them.
The springs include Jampi Rogo Spring, Panguripan Spring, Jiwo Spring Joint, Kamulyan Spring and Nisto Spring Joint.
Mysteries and History of Goa Gong Pacitan
According to stories from local residents, Goa Gong was discovered around the 1930s. Due to the prolonged dry season, Pacitan experiences drought and is very difficult to get water.
To overcome this condition, 2 residents named Mbah Noyo Semito and Mbah Joyo looked for springs that could be used to meet their needs.
Finally they found a hole and took the initiative to trace it. With only a torch, they entered the hole and down the aisles inside. The hole they entered turned out to be very deep, Mbah Noyo and Mbah Joyo spent as many as seven torches until both of them found a spring.
After resting and bathing in the spring, they returned home carrying water and bringing good news to residents. From then on, residents flocked to make use of the springs in the cave.
The name of Gong Cave itself is taken from a mystery that once covered and haunted the surrounding community. People around the cave revealed that at night they often heard the sound of the wasp resembling the sound of a gong (one of the gamelan instruments) coming from inside the cave.
There is also a saying that in one of the cave rooms there is a rock which when struck will emit an echoing sound like the sound of a gong.
But scientifically, the sound that emerged turned out to be explained. The sound that sounded like the sound of the gong was produced from drops of water that struck the Stalactites or stalagmites in the cave.
Coupled with the echo reflected by the rock formations in the cave the actual sound produced is quite good to be enjoyed.
Gong Cave Location
Administratively, Gua Gong is located in Pule Hamlet, Bomo Village, Punung District, Pacitan Regency, East Java.
This cave is about 37 km from downtown Pacitan to the west (Wonogiri direction).
Road Route to Location
To reach Gong Cave, visitors can go through 3 paths originating from cities around Pacitan namely Ponorogo, Wonogiri and Trenggalek.
1. The first path is a path for those who come from Yogyakarta. The route taken is Yogyakarta to Gunung Kidul. From Gunung Kidul the journey continues in the direction of Wonogiri (Pracimantoro) and continues to Pacitan. Directions to get to Gong Cave can be found before entering Pacitan City.
2. The second route is from Solo. From Solo, drive your vehicle towards Wonogiri (Baturetno), continue until Pacitan. Same with the trip from Yogyakarta, you will find directions to Gong Cave on the right before entering Pacitan.
3. The third path is a path for those who come from the Surabaya and surrounding areas. From Surabaya, the journey is directed towards Nganjuk to Madiun. From here continue to Ponorogo until Pacitan. To reach Gong Cave, continue the journey out of Pacitan towards Wonogiri. You can find the signposts of the Gong Cave on the left side of the road.
Apart from Madiun, you who are from Surabaya can also use the route through Kediri and Trenggalek. This route takes longer, but before entering Pacitan you will go through the road with the beauty of the beach on the left side of the road.
Beautiful view of the beach as you feel when heading for Denpasar from the City State in Bali. For those who want to visit using public transportation, no need to worry because there are public buses or travel that serve trips to Pacitan.
Ticket prices for Goa Gong
To explore and enjoy the beauty of Gong Cave, you don't have to spend a lot of money. Only by spending Rp. 5,000 per person, you can freely explore the charms of Gong Cave.
Other expenses you might do to rent a flashlight (IDR 5,000) as additional lighting in the cave, or rent a guide if necessary (IDR 30,000). Apart from that, you only have to pay the vehicle parking fee.
Amenities
As a famous and visited tourist attraction, Gong Cave provides adequate facilities.Spacious parking lots, prayer rooms, toilets can be easily found in this area. Stalls selling food and drinks and souvenirs are also widely spread in the tourist area of Gong Cave. What are you waiting for? Take your time and explore every inch of Gong Cave, you will never regret it.
Have a good vacation!