Mountain Biking / Motorcross Rides
This is a seemingly natural activity for adventure seekers in Puncak but is not yet available on a commercial basis. Generally the ride starts right below the Rindu Alam restaurant and drive down through tea plantations and villages on a 25 km run to the start of the Puncak road at Ciawi.
If you are keen for such an adventure, we will recommend that you contact United Adventures to help with the arrangements, or take your own mountain bike and ride with the Indonesian Mountain Biking Association on their many rides through the area. Alternatively, if you’ve got your own bike, you can also ride through the Ciliwung tea plantation with a small cover charge.
On the chance that they’ve got some motocross bikes (they usually have 4 or 5) or a 4x4 old green army jeep for rental, give Pak Tedja a call at the Ciliwung Agro Tourism or call United Adventures and they’ll make the arrangements. On a side note, if you like horseback riding, Pak Tedja can also arrange a couple of horses for you and your pals.
Paragliding
If adventures are what you seek; this mountain resort town has a few hidden secrets.Do you dream of being a bird, flying free, without the simulation effect on a plane with its propeller and gasoline? Drive up along the windy tea plantation road towards Rindu Alam and you’ll often catch glimpses of paragliders – brave souls jumping off ledges attached to parachutes. You can take lessons in Sentul, which is on the way to Puncak, and then jump yourself to glide above the tea plantations, or you can do a tandem introductory jump with a professional.
The feeling is exhilarating, and the view is stunning. Handgliding is one of the world’s most dangerous sports, but paragliding is surprisingly safe – especially on tandem jumps. Paragliding up at Puncak Pass is good all year, but to ensure weather conditions and availability of someone to take you up, try Pak Gendon of the Merapi Paragliding Club. If you’d rather stick to the ground, explore the Cibodas national gardens or venture up to the Gunung Gede Panggrano national park.
Tea Plantations
As early as 1728 AD, Japanese teas were planted on the slopes of Gede-Panggrano – and have since changed the landscape of the area permanently. The rolling green hills have been associated with Puncak for centuries, and they’re a pleasant sight along the way up. The two major ones in the area are the Gunung Mas and the Ciliwung plantations.
At Gunung Mas, whose entrance gate resides further below Ciliwung at the base of the climb, one can go on a variety of ‘tea walks’ and witness the whole process of making tea. They also have accommodations, guest houses, and camp grounds on the premises, although we haven’t surveyed these. The launch pad for paragliding resides within their estate, and the view from here is spectacular.
To walk to this point, keep an eye out on the right hand side as you ride up, before Ciliwung and the Rindu Alam restaurant, and look for a small steep road up to some stalls and a small sign for the Paragliding Association. A small road from these shops winds around the hill and the launching spot is about 700 meters from the main road.
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