Cimaja The Perfect Weekend Trip From Jakarta! Not Today Blog 19
I knew I had to leave Jakarta to get a break from work and from people. All I needed was one weekend away. I decided to explore Cimaja.
Surfing In Bali Or Cimaja
My sister has recently relocated from Jakarta to Bali. I get jealous if think about how I could go for a surf every morning if I were living in Bali.
I needed a surf trip! Visiting my sister would require flying. Instead, I looked for a place that I could go to by car, something outside of Jakarta.
Thanks to the many expat Facebook groups I had joined when I first moved to Indonesia, I found a beautiful beach club/guest house that was three hours by car from Jakarta. “Cimaja Beach Club”. Because of internal Covid-19 measures they did not have a room for me for that same weekend, so I jumped on Airbnb and found this magnificent villa with an ocean view. Booked.
Pelabuhan Ratu Here I Come
Cimaja is at the southwest coast of Palabuhanratu Bay, West Java facing the Indian Ocean.
I left Jakarta on a Friday morning at 9 am to skip the horrible morning traffic. Everything was going smoothly until I realized only a third of the way is a highway. The rest of the way is a winding road through the mountain villages between Bogor and Sukabumi.
To my surprise, it was a scenic drive with jungle and hilly views!
Four hours later I parked my car at “House Of Belasun”. Oh my god! The view from the pool is insane. The “House Of Belasun” is an accommodation consisting of 1 private villa, 1 family villa and a rooftop apartment, situated on a hill overlooking the bay of Pelabuhanratu. It is run by a very nice couple. Both have lived all over the world and bought the land in Indonesia two years ago. From here it is a five-minute drive to the beach.
Surfing Big Waves
I should be better at surfing, considering that I have had a 3-day course and several surf sessions in Bali over the past 6 years. I am not awful, but I still surf on soft boards. Haha!
You can tell that I am always a bit terrified of throwing myself on a surfboard again and trying to avoid the sharp fins of the board for the next hour. (Btw, one hour of paddling with my arms feels to me like hanging on a pull-up bar for 126 hours)
What added to my little fear of surfing was the fact that in Cimaja there are rocks rising out of the water everywhere.
The scariest moment is always just before you start.
Stephen King
But it is all good. With Bina I had a great surf instructor who chose great surf spots and made me feel safe. It took me a whole session to find my balance again. On day three I seriously thought about going pro. I could do turns!
I paid 350.000 Rp (23 Euro) for two hours of surfing sessions including pick up, ride to great surf spots and board rental.
Restaurants And Shops
Because of Covid-19, Pelabuhan Ratu, like most tourist resorts in Indonesia, suffered from fewer visitors. Cult restaurants like Cimaja Square, famous for its wood-oven pizza, and live music bars like Nurda’s Cimaja Point are lacking customers.
On my way back from my first surf session, I stopped by at the local surf shop to buy a t-shirt. My stupid ass thought it was a good idea to go surfing without a t-shirt. My nipples were RED, haha! Luckily, they had great discounts in the store.
Back To Reality
It was the perfect weekend trip from Jakarta. The risk was low because I did not need public transportation and I had the whole accommodation for myself. 10/10 would do again.
Monday morning, I went surfing for one last time, picked up some fresh-caught fish from local fishermen and drove back to Jakarta. I finished off my trip with a barbecue back home.
Why Not Today
Global travel is for the most part still on hold. People are tired of staying at home but going on holiday can still be an option. I do not think it is necessary to search for famous destinations far away. I am sure there are places in your area that can blow you away. Take a walk in a forest you have never been to before, hike a mountain near where you live.
Why not plan your next little trip to clear your mind.
Stay healthy everybody.
D
