Take the Train to Pangandaran – ipadguides

I haven’t been to Pangandaran in a long time.

In fact, the south coast of West Java, which borders the districts of Banjar and Ciamis, has many unique tourist attractions. Call it Pangandaran Beach, Green Canyon, Citumang River, and many others.

The reason I thought twice about returning to Pangandaran was the road conditions to get there. No, not a broken road. In fact, the condition is very smooth.

However, the ups and downs, around the ridge, and the super sharp bends make the nearly ten hour road trip from Jakarta to Pangandaran very stomach-churning.

If you take a plane for up to 10 hours, it’s almost to Europe, hehe! Oh yes, from Jakarta to Pangandaran there are also planes. But of course the price is relatively expensive, because the flight uses a small plane with a capacity of only about 10 passengers.

Well, recently I received quite fresh news from PT Kereta Api Indonesia. There will be a train to Pangandaran! And there is news that is even fresher than that: the promo price is only 1 rupiah!

For those who have never been on a train, riding the train feels very comfortable, with minimal shocks. There are no twists that make you dizzy and nauseous, the speed is almost constant.

And the most important thing is not to get stuck in traffic! In fact, if you’re on the train, you can while working, open your laptop (or watch a movie) without getting dizzy!

Without thinking, I immediately opened the Traveloka application on my cellphone and looked for trains connecting Jakarta to Pangandaran. Yup, besides plane tickets, train tickets can also be ordered through Traveloka!

But really, the price is not 1 rupiah like PT. KAI? The stated price is Rp. 100,000 for the Pangandaran train to Jakarta – Banjar. Well, what else is this, how come it only reaches Banjar instead of Pangandaran?

It turns out that only the train from Bandung to Banjar is included in the promo price. For Jakarta-Bandung, we still pay the normal price for the train as usual. And this Pangandaran train actually occupies the schedule usually used by additional Parahyangan trains.

However, because of the promo price, I immediately invited some of my friends to participate in trying this train. Without thinking, I finished the transaction on Traveloka. In less than 5 minutes the ticket was in hand.

A train ticket is the same as a plane ticket. There is information about departure and booking code to check in at the station.

But about that, you don’t need to come check in at least 45 minutes before departure. As long as the train hasn’t left, you can check in and print your boarding pass at the machine self check in in the station.

I even came 5 minutes before the train left. Not on purpose, because there was a traffic jam that caused me to be late to the station. Luckily the train hasn’t left yet!

You need to know, the train line from Bandung to Pangandaran has indeed existed since the Dutch colonial era. However, recently, the government did plan to reactivate 4 train lines in West Java. The routes are Cibatu-Garut, Bandung-Ciwidey, Bandung-Pangandaran, and Rancaekek-Tanjung Sari.

Now for the Bandung-Pangandaran route, the reactivation has just finished arriving at the Banjar station. This train will stop at Cibatu, Cipendeuy, Tasikmalaya, to Banjar stations.

For those who want to go to Garut, a shuttle bus is provided from Cibatu station. And for those going to Pangandaran, there is a shuttle bus from the Banjar end station.

The Pangandaran train series consists of eight trains. Four executive class trains and four economy class trains. There are 520 seats.

Pangandaran train departs from Gambir station at 07.50, arrived in Bandung around 11.10. Then depart again at 11.40 and arrive in Banjar around 15.30.

So to cover this 328 km distance it takes about 8 hours of travel. If only the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train existed, it would definitely cut the time in half!

Trains made by PT. INKA is very comfortable. The executive class seats are spacious, there are tables for eating and working, the windows are wide. So that we can pass this eight hour journey with ease.

I chose to open my laptop and finish some video editing for my youtube.

Several times the train stopped at a small station where the atmosphere was romantic. Call it the Cipendeuy station which is located in a small village surrounded by mountains. The air is cool too. At this station, the train technicians check the condition of the brakes because there will be many lines going downhill after Cipeundey station.

Then there is the Tasikmalaya station which is no less romantic. Seen behind the fence the families who came to pick up their relatives with joy. Most of the stations on the route to Pangandaran are still preserved old buildings from the colonial era.

Traveling by train is always fun

For some reason I feel the mood inside the train station is much more sentimental and romantic than the airport, let alone the bus terminal. Maybe because I played before sunrise and before sunset movies too often. But, you agree with me don’t you?

Anyway, I hope this train line can reach Pangandaran soon. I already miss relaxing and enjoying the sunset while drinking coconut water on the white sand beach!