Puncak

Puncak (literally Peak or Summit) or the Puncak Pass is a mountain pass in the Bogor Raya region of Western Java, Indonesia. The designation 'Puncak' is also used for the wider mountain region around the pass, which is a popular tourism destination.

Understand
The region around the Puncak Pass has been developed for its tea plantations during the Dutch colonial time. After the construction of the Great Post Road in the early 19th century, the area became more easily accessible from the cities of Buitenzorg (present-day Bogor) and Batavia (Jakarta) and the upper class, that was looking for the cooler mountain air, started to built Swiss-type chalets in the area.

Also after Indonesian independence the Puncak region has remained a popular tourism destination, and it is especially a popular weekend getaway for the citizens of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. The region therefore has an abundance of hotels, villas, and mountain resorts. During weekends and holidays the roads of Puncak, as well as the highway from Jakarta via Bogor to Puncak, are very congested. A large number of foreign tourists come from the Middle East. Many of them stay for months with its big families, so many people, mainly in Cisarua on the western side of the pass, can speak Arabic. Arabic signs on hotels and money changers' shops and also Arab restaurants with Arabic-language menus can be found easily in Cisarua which nowadays is known as 'Arab Village'. For Middle East tourists visiting Indonesia, Puncak is a must and the popularity of Puncak leads Bali.

The mountains on the south side of the pass are the Gede and Pangrango volcanoes. Since 1980, the mountain area has been designated a nature reserve as Mount Gede Pangrango National Park. There are various options for recreation in the national park area.

By car
Puncak is a two- to three-hour drive from Jakarta via the Jagorawi toll road. There is usually heavy inbound traffic on weekends, and especially long holiday weekends. When heavy traffic jams occur, police often make the main road into Puncak a one-way street for one to two hours, and then reverse the direction. This is safe, because a police car guides the one-way flow, but it can result in very significant delays. Don't take guidance on alternative routes from young men along the road, as the alternative routes are usually not faster, and people in villages along such routes may require the driver to give them money, or scratch the car.

From the eastern side, from Bandung via Cianjur, the drive to Puncak takes usually about 3-3½ hours.

By public transport
Most people go to Puncak with a private vehicle, but it is also possible to travel by public transport. There are frequent 'L300' minibuses that travel between Baranangsiang terminal in Bogor and Cianjur. There are no fixed bus stops on the way, but you can ask the driver to drop you off anywhere along the road on the mountain pass. There are also various bus companies (on routes such as Bogor-Bandung) that traverse the Puncak pass, and you can ask to get off in Puncak. Most buses however take the detour via the tolled motorways, so make sure you take a bus that takes the Puncak route.

Get around
Getting around in the Puncak area is easiest if you have your own vehicle. However, keep in mind that Indonesian driving habits are daunting and chaotic, and traffic rules are often ignored. Frequently, the entire main road over the Puncak pass is congested. In times that it is not congested, overtaking habits of many drivers are very dangerous (overtaking in blind corners, for example). Especially if it is your first time in Indonesia, it is advisable to rent a car with a driver, rather than to drive by yourself. The additional cost of hiring a driver is usually about Rp100,000 to 150,000 per day. When heavy traffic jams occur (mainly during weekends and holidays), police often make the main road into Puncak (on the western side) a one-way street for one to two hours, and then reverse the direction.

Public transport is mainly available along the main road (from Bogor via the Puncak pass to Cianjur). There are various angkot (public minivan) routes, such as from the pass to Cipanas, and from Cipanas to Cibodas. The angkots do not follow a fixed schedule, and there are no fixed stops (to get on, simply raise your hand to the driver). In case of traffic congestion, angkot drivers often try to overtake by using the roadside shoulder or parking places. This makes angkots generally quicker than other vehicles, but only slightly.

A good way (or the only way) to get off the main road if you don't have your own vehicle is hiring an ojek (motorcycle taxi). Ojek riders are usually waiting in groups at major street corners. You will have to negotiate a price, but for a short trip (a few km) by ojek a price of Rp10,000-20,000 is common. In case of heavy traffic congestion, prices of ojek rides increase, as people may use their services to get out of the mountain region. Ojek can nowadays also be hired through an app on your phone, popular on-demand ojek services include Go-Jek and GrabBike.

See

 * Palace Cipanas.JPG

Do




Buy
Along Jalan Raya Cipanas, the main road on the eastern side of the mountain pass, there are lots of nurseries offering flowers and other decorative plants. They are generally cheap, but you will need to negotiate with the vendor for a good price. In addition, there are several factory outlet stores selling branded clothes for discounted prices.

Eat


Moreover, some of the hotels listed in Sleep below have restaurants.

Drink
Cafés that sell alcoholic drinks are not common, but usually you can buy a Bintang beer at least in the larger hotels and resorts.

Sleep
Puncak is a popular area for Jakarta residents to hang out. Finding very cheap (backpacker-style) accommodation with room prices of less than Rp100,000 is difficult. It's a popular option among locals, however, to rent a villa in Puncak. If you have a group of friends, this could end up not so expensive per person.

Splurge
The high-end hotels often have a standard full rate for the rooms (as listed below), but offer significant discount when rooms are booked online in advance.

Private villas
The following are private, individual villas which only take a single group of customers at a time.

Go next

 * Mount Gede Pangrango National Park — conservation area around two volcanoes.
 * Bogor — the nearest city on the western side of the mountain pass, famous for its botanical gardens.
 * Cianjur — the nearest city on the eastern side.