The Green Canyon of Cijulang - A Day Floating Through The Jungle Of Batukaras
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Sometimes you just want a little adventure. After a few days exploring relaxing and generally unwinding in Batukaras we were in the mood for some excitement beyond the surf and the beaches. Luckily for us, posters all over the town advertised just what we were looking for, a day out canyoning through the “Green Canyon”. A brief Google image search of the Green Canyon showed us an Eden-like place of hanging vines, moss rocks and clear waters. It looked impossibly pretty, we would have to find out.
A brief scooter ride away from the beachside town of Batu Karas and you cannot miss the tour operators offering Green Canyon expeditions, they line both sides of the street with large billboards.
We settled on Jelajah Green Canyon Indonesia (location) and this turned out to be a great choice. 250,000 IDR (£12.72 or $16.07) each would get us a day's canyoning with a meal, all of the gear and transport to and from the canyon.
Stylishly clad in helmets, life jackets and the latest in fashionable water shoes (we jest, they were definitely not the latest!), we jumped into the back of a flatbed 4x4 and zoomed off on our adventure.
The ride itself was great fun, bouncing through jungle tracks and going up and down ridiculously steep roads. Our group was one of a few setting off that day and our 10 strong river rapid team consisted of us, another couple from Europe and a group of excited Indonesians. We bounced and laughed our way together all the way to the launch site.
We pulled up, seemingly at random, and made our way through a gap in the foliage and down a very steep flight of stairs to the river itself. There were no steps to the water, diving board or boat, you just jumped right in! The water was crystal clear and inviting, the river was quite low and you could see every detail on the river bed. We leapt in one by one.
For the next few hours we floated down what can only be described as a jungle paradise. Birds chirped and distant monkeys crashed through the deep vibrant greenery. Vines trailed their way down towering rock faces to hang over us as we floated down the river. We bobbed through mini waterfalls that fell from above and pushed our way between river rocks as the current took us downstream.
If you look up canyoning elsewhere, it is a more extreme looking activity. Our swim downstream was nothing like the canyoning we had seen online before but it wasn't all relaxing and chillaxing. We flew down natural stone slides, linked arms and legs together to go through rapids as an ungainly snaking group. We would sometimes have to get out and traverse parts by foot, clambering over rock formations and jumping small ravines. Every so often we would stop at towering rocks and the guide would ask who wanted to climb up and jump off of them…
John unsurprisingly thought this was a great idea and volunteered immediately. It was a great idea all the way up the rock scramble and across the top of the cliff but, at the precipice, looking down, the idea seemed less than stellar. Unfortunately there was now a queue of people behind that were waiting for the jump, pride would allow no other course than forward, off of the cliff. Not learning his lesson this happened again later on down stream and resulted in a petrified wail echoing from the canyon walls and a huge, ungraceful splash.
Some say you could hear the screams all the way to the beach…
At last we rounded our final bend in the river and saw our waiting boat. It whisked us away down river and back to where we had begun that morning.
We had our late lunch in a riverside restaurant and enjoyed a great meal (included meals can be so hit and miss on these tours) with our soggy compatriots. We enjoyed curries, rice and a spicy sambal together and dried out in the Indonesian sun.
It had been a great day full of beauty and fun, with just the right amount of excitement and adrenaline thrown in!
Useful Information:
How much does the Green Canyon trip cost?
We paid 250,000 IDR each (£12.72 or $16.07). This included entrance fees, transport to and from the canyon, equipment and lunch.
We had our own scooter and made our own way to the meeting point, but our friends were picked up from their Batukaras guesthouse and dropped off at the end of the day.
Can I do the trip if I am not confident in the water?
Our guides were amazing and very accommodating. We encountered many groups of varying confidence throughout our trip down the canyon. We would say you must be able to swim (although you are mainly just floating in a life jacket) at a minimum and not have any issues with your mobility. There is rock scrambling at times but the guides were always on hand helping those less comfortable or able.
A lot of the day was spent just floating downstream, admiring the scenery.
If swimming isn't your thing there are tours available by boat in the Green Canyon. In the season when the river is low they cannot get as far in as the canyoning experience but it would still be a beautiful trip!
What should I bring?
If you have water shoes of your own bring them, the tour company has a large selection in most sizes but you would be more comfortable in shoes of your own.
The sun is also very intense so we would recommend a rash vest or old t-shirt to keep you protected!
If you have a waterproof action camera e.g. a GoPro we would definitely recommend bringing it. The canyon is beautiful and so much fun to photograph and record, just make sure you bring a grip that floats!
What about food, drink and toilets?
There are no toilets in the canyon, once you board the jeep that is it until you get off the boat at the end. So go beforehand!
For food and drink, there is a stop around halfway down the canyon where you can get tea, coffee and instant noodles at surprisingly reasonable prices - Two sets of instant noodles and tempe cost us 2400 IDR (£1.27 or $1.61).
As we mentioned the entrance price includes a yummy late lunch at the end of the tour.
How do I book a Green Canyon tour?
We booked by contacting Jelajah Green Canyon through WhatsApp. You can either do this, or arrange a tour through your accommodation. There are plenty of tour operators in the area offering Green Canyon trips, just make sure you confirm the total price in advance.
If you’re in Java and short on time, Get Your Guide offer a tour from Yogykarta that also includes the Green Canyon amongst other things. This would be a great way to maximise a short stay on Java. Book this trip here.
For those staying in Jakarta, Viator offer a 3 day excursion which also includes the Green Canyon. Check it out here.
Conclusion
The Green Canyon trip was one of our favourite activities we did on the whole of Java. Busy enough to be sociable and fun, whilst never feeling overcrowded. It was a beautiful way to spend a day, floating through lush jungle, surrounded by nature whilst also spiking your adrenaline with some rapids, jumps and rock scrambles.
Definitely give it a go!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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