Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine April 2018 | Page 105

Travel | Pacitan
1 Kasap beach, Pacitan.
2 The beautiful pool at the peak
of Watu Karung.
3 Paddling at Cokel River.
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I experienced the ease of getting around when I explored
various beaches south of Pacitan. Almost all the beaches
are connected by a smooth asphalt road.
4 Cokel River near Kasap and
Watu Karung beach.
to be serious about building smooth roads to
make it easier for tourists to enjoy Pacitan.
I experienced the ease of getting around when
I explored various beaches south of Pacitan.
Almost all the beaches are connected by a smooth
asphalt road. Riding a rental motorcycle, I began
to explore, visiting one beach after another, as
much as was possible. I started at Klayar beach,
one of the most popular beaches for tourists.
Upon arrival, I saw that Klayar beach was being
done up; the government was building rooms and
public facilities, while many of the local residents
were transforming their coconut plantations or
houses into bungalows and homestays. The view
was totally different from when I had last visited
nearly a decade earlier.
5 Senses – Taste
LOCAL CUISINE
While visiting Pacitan, it is worth
trying local specialities such as grilled
sticky rice (jadah bakar), enjoyed
as a snack, and cassava rice (sego
tiwul) served with grilled fish.
As a culinary souvenir, tuna tofu
is an interesting choice.
Selama berada di Pacitan,
silakan mencoba berbagai kuliner
lokal seperti camilan jadah bakar
dan sego tiwul yang disajikan dengan
lauk ikan bakar. Sebagai buah tangan,
tahu tuna dapat menjadi sebuah
pilihan menarik.
After checking out the developments on
Klayar beach I moved on to the other beaches:
Buyutan beach, Srau beach, Kasap beach,
passing Kali Waron and stopping off at
Ngiroboyo beach. There were many new
beaches that I had never visited before, and it
seemed like the tourist industry in Pacitan was
moving forward. In the near future, perhaps
these beaches will be as popular as those south
of Yogyakarta. Furthermore, these two regions
are connected by the South Java Traffic Route,
so the distance between them can be travelled
in around two hours.
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Several groups of residents have launched
initiatives to manage Pacitan’s tourist
attractions. I found this out when I visited
Banyutibo beach, which has recently become
popular thanks to visitors sharing their photos
on social media. This tourist attraction is indeed
unique because there is a small beach alcove
with a waterfall that is fed by a spring. The beach
is managed by local youths from the village,
and any profits are donated towards village
development. I was impressed with the
independent management of tourist sites
like this. Apart from relieving the burden
from the local government, this practice
also places local people as primary actors
in the management of tourist sites.
Then I had the opportunity to visit Watukarung
beach, which has become a hotspot for surfers
over the past few years. When I arrived, I could
immediately feel the surfer village atmosphere.
I parked my motorcycle at the edge of the beach,
and went to find somewhere to get a drink. I sat
down and ordered a mug of hot coffee. While
waiting for my order to arrive, I looked along the
coastline. In the distance I could see four surfers
paddling towards the surf break.
Over several days in Pacitan, not only did I visit
beaches; I also satisfied my curiosity about
wayang beber, a traditional Pacitan art form,
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