Situ Cileunca

 

The sound of a motorized boat is not capable to over-stem the sound of quiet waters and a breeze on Situ Cileunca ('Lake Cileunca') in the village of Warnasari, in Pangalengan near Bandung in West Java. The wind blows through your years when you take the boat over the lake and your eyes will stare at the water and the mountains around Situ Cileunca.

Situ Cileunca is located at about 2 to 2.5 hours from the city of Bandung. You can reach it easily by car, but the bus is a cheaper alternative. Take the bus to Pangalengan in Bandung. Entrance fee per person is 2,500 Rupiah, 3,000 Rupiah for a car, 1,500 Rupiah for a motorcycle and 5,000 Rupiah for a bus.

 However this lake is regularly flooded with local tourists, it all started completely different back in 1918 when a part of the original forest was chopped down to be replaced with an irrigation system for the area. The 17-meter deep lake is very clear and the climate at some 1,400 meters is remarkably fresh. The area around the lake is frequently used as a camping site.

A strawberry garden is located just above the lake, but you can easily reach it by small boat. The trip takes some 15 minutes and will only cost 5,000 Rupiah. You can also walk or take the car to the garden, but the path is not well maintained. Bigger cars with four-wheel-drive should have no problem however. During the boat trip you can see the Wayang, Malabar and Windu mountains, located around the lake.
You can also find melosa in the gardens. This is a fruit that is known to be good for people with high blood pressure and liver problems. The melosa tastes like melon and is originally only grown at the Dieng plateau in Central Java and Europe. You can buy the strawberries and melosa by the kilo. Strawberries in Indonesia are usually small, somewhat sour and not really cheap.

 Situ Cileunca is also a good place to go fishing. There are several species of fish in the lake. Throwing out a lure is free here, outside the fee you have to pay to enter the area. Around the lake there are more facilities. There is a playground for children and people can spend the night in bungalows starting from 150.000 Rupiah per night. Nearby villa's can also be rented, prices are negotiable.