As I watched dozens of crabs rush toward the mainland like soldiers ready for war, I knew I wasn’t on vacation in the wrong place.
Standing in the crevices of the coral with clear water while looking at the small marine biota who are relaxing, I feel like snorkeling without plunging into the sea.
To my right, a fat cone-shaped rock, about the height of a four-story building stood proudly. sail stone, landmarksthe village of Sawarna.
This natural carved stone formed by waves of thousands of years really amazes people who look at it. No wonder many tourists take pictures with this stone background.
“We set up a tent here,” I said to a friend. After the tent was up, I, who is also a tourist, did not want to lose taking pictures with the giant rock.
Some distance in front of me, a rumbling sound broke the silence. The place where I stand is watery calm. However, on the other side the ferocious waves of the Indian Ocean do sound terrible.
Luckily, the beaches here have coral ‘forts’ that hold the waves there, so that a calm lagoon is created behind them, Laguna Pari.
***
From Ciantir beach, the beach we first met shortly after entering the village of Sawarna, I needed to eastward about two kilometers to reach the beaches of Tanjung Layar and Pari Lagoon.
Unlike its neighboring Tanjung Layar, Ciantir is not rocky, but has white sand. Instead of walking in the forest to the cape of the sail, I chose to pass through the banks of Ciantir. I took off my shoes and started walking. Every now and then my ankles sink into the soft sand.
In Ciantir, I saw some foreigners hanging around holding surf boards.
“Person ostrali It’s really nice to be here, mas, the waves are good for surfing,” said a resident who was fishing when I asked.
Not surprisingly, besides the deserted beach, the rolling waves are also very suitable for surfing. Maybe this beach feels private island for the foreign tourists.
But, to surf, we have to be careful. Because near the beach there are lots of corals. I see foreign surfers choose waves that are a bit far from the beach. And when the waves broke toward the shore, they swam around back to the center. Very risky if the calculation is wrong.
People said there, there were several foreign surfers who were injured there, even broken bones.
***
“Still far, sis?” ask me.
“A little more, just past the suspension bridge, we have arrived,” said Kang Wawan, our guide when we headed to a cave.
I looked around, since I was walking through the village, rice fields, to the forest, there was not a single sign showing the way to Lalay cave. Without a guide, I feel, I would be lost.
Soon we arrived at the mouth of the cave. Some small children tried to offer flashlight rental, because in Lalay Cave there was no sun that could enter. Lalay cave is above a river whose water is dammed in front of it so as not to flood the mouth of the cave.
Treq. I turned on the flashlight and started walking up the river that was knee deep. With no security at all, I was actually a bit worried.
“The bottom of the river is muddy, just take off your sandals instead of missing them,” suggested Kang Wawan.
Stalactites adorn the relatively high roof of the cave. River water sometimes reaches the thighs of adults. The surface is a bit slippery, be careful if you fall here. There are also many bat nests on the roof. The further into the cave the narrower the cave space is. After entering for about a hundred meters, suddenly Kang Wawan stopped.
“Kade aya snake in dieu,” said kang Wawan in a whisper.
“What?” I said I don’t understand Sundanese.
“There’s a snake,” he said again.
“Kang, we just got here. Let’s go back,” I said weakly.
It seems that I don’t want to go back there even though Lalay cave is beautiful, when the villagers told me that there really was a cobra that was quite large living there.
***
A fresh young coconut bought from local residents accompanied me to lie on the hammock which was right in front of the stone screen. The sun was already leaning west, the reddish tinge slowly turning to orange ended the day. I wish time would stop then.
The beaches in Sawarna are a photographer’s paradise landscapes. Which photographer wants to pass the rushing water crashing against the beautiful giant coral reefs, against the backdrop of the orange tinge of the setting sun?
I’ve visited Sawarna several times, and until now I’m not bored. There is always something different about a sawarna landscape.
The journey to Sawarna is no less beautiful. The usual route is through Ratu Harbor towards Bayah and turns at Sawarna village.
My advice, continue towards bayah to turn through Malingping. If we pass there, we will pass the coast of southern Banten which is very pleasing to the eye. Do not be surprised if we will stop a lot to just take pictures.
I also named Sawarna beach as my personal version of the most photogenic beach in Banten. Hands down.
Thanks for reading!
@ipadguides – Sawarna is still the best slow shuttered-able beach.
Travel Tips
- The normal route to Sawarna (smooth road) is Sukabumi – Pelabuhan Ratu – Bayah – Sawarna. If you use public transportation, it’s better to arrive at Ratu Harbor before 12 o’clock. Because only one elf goes to Sawarna directly and leaves around 12 o’clock. If not, then we have to take the elf to Bayah to connect to an Ojek, which is of course more expensive. .
- The route via Serang – Pandeglang – Malingping – Bayah – Sawarna is closer, but the coastal scenery is much more interesting.
- Sawarna has a lot of homestays that vary from a fairly affordable price because usually the houses of the residents themselves. The price is an average of 100 thousand already eaten 3 times. Choose the one near the beach to walk closer
- If you want to camp with your tent on the rock, there are toilet facilities on the rock so you don’t have to ‘dig a hole’.
- We recommend using a local guide if you want to explore interesting places in Sawarna, because the road is a bit difficult.
All photos are private collections. ©ipadguides.com
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