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'Jammed since 1 a.m.': Tourists to Banten attraction stuck in 7-km tailback
Located three hours from Jakarta, the tourist spot boasts a fantastic view of a sea of clouds surrounding the mountain peak.
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The view of Negeri di Atas Awan Gunung Luhur in Lebak regency, Banten. (Kompas.com/Acep Nazmudin )
T
he tourist attraction of Negeri di Atas Awan Gunung Luhur (Mount Luhur Land above the Clouds) in Lebak regency, Banten, has caught the attention of many netizens since it went viral recently.
Located three hours from Jakarta, the tourist spot boasts a fantastic view of a sea of clouds surrounding the mountain peak.
However, visitors to the attraction on Sunday could only see a sea of people trying to reach the peak.
Akibat viral itu tidak semuanya berakhir baik. Contohnya ya 'Negeri diatas Awan' Citorek, Jati, Lebak, Banten ini. Kejadian kemaren Minggu 22 September. 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/8QU32Sl244
— My Name Is Luka (@akuluka) September 23, 2019
Dadan Bernadi, one of the visitors, told kompas.com that he and his family departed from their home in Bogor, West Java, at 4 a.m. thinking that they would reach the spot at around 7 a.m.
Since the clouds disappear at around 8 a.m., Dadan planned to reach the peak at the last moment, assuming that it would be less crowded by that time.
Alas, the sea of people created traffic snarl-up that forced Dadan to turn back home.
Read also: Six Indonesian mountain peaks to climb this New Year
Meanwhile, Dhani, a visitor from Rangkasbitung, Banten, and his friends were stuck in a traffic jam 3 kilometers from the peak.
He said the traffic jam had built up since 1 a.m., which led many visitors to stop and roll out their mats on the road.
“We rolled out our mats together with other drivers. [We were] stuck and could not move anywhere. We heard the same thing happened at [the peak]; there was no parking space,” said Dhani.
Mt. Luhur manager Sukmadi said the number of visitors to the site created a new record of 30,000 people in two days last weekend, adding that they previously only welcomed 10,000 visitors per month.
He said that the number of visitors caused 7-km traffic congestion on Sunday.
“On Saturday morning, the traffic jam was 5 km long, but [on Sunday] it created a 7-km tailback. That never happened before,” he said.
Sukmadi said it took them six hours to clear the traffic. (jes/kes)
