Kebumen

Kebumen is a regency in Central Java, Indonesia. It offers beautiful beaches, historic places, hills and caves. Kebumen has an ancient geological national geopark site that stretches from Karangsambung to Karangbolong.

History
The word Kebumen is taken from the name Kyai Pangeran Bumidirja. He was an Islamic scholar and nobleman from the Mataram sultanate. He was in exile in Panjer (today's Kebumen) and changed his name to Kyai Bumi. He settled in Panjer and established an Islamic school. People started calling the place Ki-Bumi-An which referred to the Islamic school. Later, it became simply Kebumen. During the Mataram Sultanate, Kebumen was used by the ruler, Sultan Agung, to provide logistical support in his attempt to conquer Batavia (today's Jakarta).

People
Kebumen regency has a population of about one million in an area of approximately 1,300km². Therefore, it is not densely populated. The majority are Javanese and are able to speak Javanese and Indonesian. English is not widely spoken. Many people use the Banyumas and Yogyakarta dialects of Javanese. Many people work in the agriculture or fishing sectors.

Climate
The lowest average annual temperature is 20.6°C, while the highest temperature is about 34°C.

By plane
The closest airport is New Yogyakarta International Airport in Yogyakarta. From there, you can get to Kebumen by train from Yogyakarta station or Lempuyangan station, or by bus from Giwangan terminal.

By train
There are two main train stations: There are also two minor train stations:

By bus
There are two main bus terminals: There is also one mini terminal that is used by Efisiensi Bus in . The Efisiensi bus serves Cilacap, Purwokerto, Yogjakarta city, and New Yogyakarta International Airport.

Other destinations

 * Gombong
 * Karangsambung-Karangbolong

Get around
Kebumen is relatively small, travelling around town should not be too expensive. You could jog around it in about 40 minutes.

By trishaw
Traditional three-wheeled pedal-powered rickshaws known as becak can be found in most parts of Kebumen. Haggle furiously.

By minivan

 * Angkot &mdash; battered minibuses, derived from the words angkutan kota, or city transport have fixed routes but pick up and drop off anywhere along that route. Sometimes they can be crowded, but it's a great way to meet the locals. Costs Rp 2,500 per passenger, paid when you alight.

By car
There are two taxi companies in Kebumen :

Traditional markets
The biggest traditional market is Pasar Tumenggungan. Second is Pasar Wonokriyo. There are also several small traditional markets, such as Pasar Selang and Pasar Wonosari.

Boutiques
There are a number of boutiques and newer outlets along Jl Pahlawan and Jl Ahmad Yani, in the middle part of the city. They're popular with monied youths and college students.

Shopping malls

 * Trio Mall Kebumen - The first lifestyle shopping mall in Kebumen. It is combined with 4 stars hotel.
 * Toserba Jadi Baru — the biggest department store chain in Kebumen.
 * Rita Pasaraya — the first department store chain in Kebumen. It is located in Jl Pahlawan.
 * Affa Supermarket — the supermarket in the middle-east of Kebumen city.
 * Pusaka Indah Swalayan

Handicrafts
There are plenty of handicraft and souvenir stands in nearby Goa Jatijajar, a cave & resort-town just to the west.

Eat

 * Sate ambal is chicken satay, with tempeh as the main ingredient for the dipping sauce. It is the only satay in Indonesia with this kind of sauce. It tastes spicy, salty, and umami.
 * Lanthing is a traditional snack made from cassava. Its shape is like numbers such as 0 or 8. It tastes a little bit salty. However, there is a wide range variants of seasoning used in Lanthing including chicken onion, spicy and barbecue.

Drink

 * Kebumen Coffee: Coffee in Kebumen is grown near the shores which is only 5 m above sea level. Both arabica and robusta are produced. There are two local coffee brands: kopi bubuk Cap Djempol and Yum Roasted Coffee. Both are available in market across Kebumen.

Sleep
There are a wide range of hotels in Kebumen. It is quite easy to find a hotel along the Jalan National III and at the centre of Kebumen. The price starts from Rp40,000/night to Rp2,500,000/night. Only a few hotels accepts credit card, therefore, it is better to contact the hotel first. In addition, it is also possible to book some hotels from mainstream web booking services.

Camping
Some camping spots are Brujul Adventure Park in Karangsambung, Bukit Langit, Sempor dam, up to the hill at Menganti Beach.

Emergency

 * Ambulance: 118
 * Police: 110

North

 * Banjarnegara, the regency and sleepy small town near the Dieng Plateau.

East

 * Purworejo, the regency and small town which borders the province of DIY.

West

 * Cilacap on the south coast is a growing industrial city, with oil refinery, power station and cement factory. The adventurous can hop off to the south coast beaches of West Java by taking a boat through the Segara Anakan bay.