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Jakarta Post

Wander Lust: Rafting in Citarik, a weekend getaway

WORDS RIYADI SUPARNO PHOTOS ARUS LIARAri Franciskus, a Jakartan, took along his extended family and friends for an alternative year-end holiday outing: white-water rafting on Citarik River in West Java

The Jakarta Post
Sat, January 7, 2017 Published on Jan. 7, 2017 Published on 2017-01-07T01:10:34+07:00

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WORDS RIYADI SUPARNO PHOTOS ARUS LIAR

Ari Franciskus, a Jakartan, took along his extended family and friends for an alternative year-end holiday outing: white-water rafting on Citarik River in West Java.

“New Year celebrations in Jakarta are becoming average for us. But here, it is different. No pollution, no noise, no fireworks. It’s silent here,” said Ari, who was joined by 17 members of his family and friends, of whom 12 went rafting.

They chose the 13-kilometer package, which took around three hours to finish. They were split into three boats, each with four passengers and one guide. The operator provided one additional rescue boat.

“Rafting is a lot of fun — getting wet, laughing and shouting out loud many times while getting over the rapids,” Ari said, adding that he would come back to do rafting in future once he had a free weekend.

Indeed, white water rafting is a good choice for anyone who loves to be outdoors on their weekends. Moreover, rafting during the rainy season like now makes the rapids stronger, and therefore will give more thrills.

For Jakartans, to go rafting is easy. They have many rivers to choose from for rafting reachable by land from Jakarta. They include the Cianten and Cisadane rivers in Bogor, West Java, which are close to Jakarta. Other choices include the Citatih and Citarik rivers in Sukabumi, also in West Java.

Among the four rivers, Citarik is the most popular as it is one of the first rivers in the country to offer rafting. Compared to other rivers, Citarik has more operators to choose from.

Citarik has six operators: Arus Liar — the oldest — Caldera, Kaki Langit, Selaras, Bravo and Citarik Camp.

Also, the International Rafting Federation (IRF) chose Citarik as the location of the 15th World Rafting Championships in 2015.

“The fact that it was chosen as the location of the World Rafting Championships 2015, it means Citarik is the best [place for rafting],” said Nanang Suryana, an international-accredited rafting trainer at Arus Liar.

Arus Liar campsite manager Asep Kunang Gunawan explains that rafting is fun and safe. Arus Liar and other rafting providers in Citarik use international-standard equipment, and its trainers are all certified, some internationally certified.

Arus Liar even offers a night rafting package for those who seek an even greater adrenalin rush. The package also includes a night’s accommodation.

Weekends, especially long weekends, are typically the busiest times for each of the operators at Citarik. Arus Liar alone could handle up to 200 people on a Saturday or Sunday.

“Weekends are always the busiest, especially long weekends like this one. So, I would advise people to book their rafting plans ahead, especially if they want to do it on a weekend,” Kunang said.

So it is best to plan your weekend, and book your rafting adventure with your preferred provider.

How to get there

Citarik is easy to access from Jakarta. It takes around three to four hours by car, depending on traffic, especially along the main road from Bogor to Sukabumi. Off the main road, the scenery along the Cibadak to Citarik route is especially scenic, with oil palm plantations and other greeneries along the route.

If you don’t want to drive, you can go by train. Take the Pangrango train at Paledang station in Bogor and stop at Cibadak station. From Cibadak, take public transportation or rent a car to the rafting providers at Citarik. Or, ask your rafting provider to arrange your travel to Citarik.

Pricing

Using Arus Liar rates, prices to do white water rafting on Citarik River range from Rp 225,000 (US$17) per person for five kilometers to Rp 585,000 for 17 kilometers. The prices already include renting of equipment, a rafting guide, lunch and insurance.

If you want to try night rafting, the price is Rp 655,000 per person. That includes one-night accommodation.

Where to Stay

Rafting at Citarik can actually be done as a single day trip, leaving Jakarta in the morning, do the rafting, and come back to Jakarta in the afternoon. But that would be tiring, so it is advisable to stay overnight.

All rafting providers in Citarik provide accommodation, whose prices already include breakfast and dinner. You can chose lodging by the river or on higher land. You can also choose to stay inside a camp. And please keep in mind, accommodation in Citarik is mostly charged per person.

Another option is that you can go to Pelabuhan Ratu to stay overnight, as it is only a 30-minute drive away. Pelabuhan Ratu offers a wider range of accommodation, including the three-star Inna Samudra Beach Hotel. Pelabuhan Ratu also offers a wider range of eateries along its beach.

Best time to visit


The best time to do rafting is during the rainy season from November to March, when the water debit is high, making rafting easier and a lot more fun. During the dry season, when the water is low, rafting usually takes a longer time to finish as boats take less passengers and cannot be maneuvered as easily.

Other activities


All providers at Citarik offer other fun activities for families or corporations. If you stay overnight in Citarik, it’s always good to do other fun activities, including fish catching, paint-ball game, trekking and high-rope activities such as a spider web and flying fox.

Or you can continue your travels to Pelabuhan Ratu, where you can enjoy the beach.

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