A. Brief Information
Your visit to Malang will be incomplete before dropping in the Jawa Timur Park or Batu agro tourism. Moreover, check your destination list now because in addition to those places, Coban Rondo is a descent place for you and your family‘s tourism destination.
Coban Rondo waterfall is located in an area of forest tourism under the management of state-run forestry company Perhutani Malang Ltd. The highest peak of Coban Rondo waterfall is at an altitude of 84 meters above the earth surface. Geographically, the waterfall is situated at an altitude of 1,135 meters above the sea level, with approximate temperature of 22°C. In the wet season, the average volume of water drop here is about 150 liters/second and 90 liters/second in the dry season (www.banyupancoro.wordpress.com).
The waterfall, which is located on the slope of mount Panderman, was first discovered in the 1990s. The word coban alone means waterfall, while rondo means a widow. Thus, Coban Rondo means the widow‘s waterfall. There is a story behind the name.
Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful woman namely Dewi Anjarwati. She married to Raden Baron Kusuma from mount Anjasmoro. After getting married, they lived in Dewi Anjarwati‘s home in mount Kawi. 36 days (selapan in the Javanese) after the marriage, Dewi Anjarwati asked her husband to visit her parents in law in mount Anjasmoro. Dewi‘s parents had forbidden but they insisted.
On the way to mount Anjasmoro, they met Joko Lelono. He was attracted to the beautiful Dewi Anjarwati and fell in love at the first sight. Though he knew that Dewi Anjarwati had already married, he insisted to take her away from Raden Baron Kusuma. Those two men were involved in a fight. Before fighting, Raden Baron Kusuma asked his punakawan (attendants) to hide Dewi Anjarwati to a place nearby a coban (waterfall). He promised to his wife that he would save her after defeating Joko Lelono. However, men proposes, God disposes. Both Raden Baron Kusuma and Joko Lelono got killed in the hard fight.
By the death of her husband, Dewi Anjarwati became a widow or “rondo”. Since the moment, people have been calling Anjarwati‘s hiding place “Coban Rondo.” They also believe that the big stone at the bottom of the waterfall was Anjarwati‘s seat while she was waiting for her husband.
B. Distinctive Features
Entering the Coban Rondo forest tourism, suites of pine and casuarina trees welcome you just like the royal guards welcoming the Majesty. Birds are twittering and butterflies flying all around cheer up, enhancing the magnificent scenery of the atmosphere. Your eyes will also be spoiled by the beauty of flowers blossom on the sides of the road. Along the road, you can peek to look at the valleys and the gorges below, which are very interesting. No wonder why many people enjoy the fresh air around, they do also enjoy having shaded beneath the leafy trees in this forest tourism.
Along the path to the waterfall, there is a nursery of the seeds of many plants in the forest, where you can also find hundreds varieties of herbs. Therefore, you can enlarge your knowledge about herbs and their functions.
The beautiful scenery you have enjoyed will be complete when you have reached the waterfall. Its fresh air and tranquil nature united in a rhythmic current of water and the bellows of zephyr are points that make Coban Rondo Waterfall a worth visiting destination. Feel the sensation of being splashed by the water falling from the crag on the waterfall‘s peak. If you love adventure, you can try to have an expedition tracing the caves – Saru and Tapan caves – on the right and left sides of the waterfall.
There is another waterfall called Coban Mantenan (1,300 meters above the sea level) in the upper stream of Coban Rondo. It is four km in distance from Coban Rondo Waterfall. You can reach this one soon as you have passed by a wide campsite.
The name “Coban Mantenan,” in the local language, means “married waterfall”. Indeed, it is because there are two contiguous waterfalls just like a couple of bride and groom sitting side by side. The waterfall is mostly visited only by the mountain climbers because of the difficult track, challenging bushes, and steeply sloping cracks.
Not far from the upper stream of Coban Mantenan, you will find a forest called Hutan Cemara Kendang on the 1,400 meters above the sea level. The indigenous people call the forest Hutan Lali Jiwo (literally means the forest of self-ignorance). Just like Coban Mantenan, most of the visitors of this place are only the mountain climbers challenged by sensation of its difficult track.
Another thing you should know about Coban Rondo is that the water flows continuously in the waterfall actually comes from a spring called Cemoro Dudo. People living around the waterfall take inti usage the water to support their living, with help fro the local government. Thus, Cemoro Dudo spring becomes very essential for the people around the waterfall, especially for those who live in Pujon Sub-district.
In addition to its function as a tourism object, the area of Coban Rondo forest tourism is also well known as a camping area. The area will be crowded during vacation and school orientation.
C. Location
Coban Rondo waterfall is located at Pandesari Village, Pujon Sub-district, the district of Malang, East Java, Indonesia.
Coban Rondo waterfall is easily accessible. You can reach the location in approximately 30 minutes from the heart of Malang City.
If you use public transport from Surabaya, take the bus leading to Malang, or at Arjosari bus station. Then, take bemo (Indian taxi) that will bring you to Landungsari. From Landungsari, you can take bus leading to Kediri via Pujon Sub-district.
When you are entering Pujon, be sure that you descend at the entrance gate of Coban Rondo, where you will see a statue of cow there. If you don‘t want to reach the waterfall by foot, you can use the service of ojek (motorcycle used for public transport) which will get you right to the waterfall.
You can get your ticket to Coban Rondo with IDR 6,000 per person. Moreover, if you bring motorcycle here, more additional charge of IDR 2,000 is a must (per February 2009).
As a well-known tourism destination, Coban Rondo has been equipped with many facilities such as food courts, wide parking area, toilet, mosque, and souvenir stalls. In addition to the facilities, there are also:
Campsite
For those who love to experience living in the wild, Coban Rondo‘s campsite is a perfect place to try. You can enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of nature under the shade of pine and eucalyptus trees. You can rent a tent for four people provided by the Coban Rondo‘s official just in case you forget to bring any tent.- Inn
Coban Rondo provides you an inn with 15 rooms facilitated with hot water, which you can rent with low price. The inn is also completed with a meeting room, with the capacity of 30 people in maximum. If you want to feel the different atmosphere, you can try to rent a room in one of the inns in the areas of Songgoriti and Kota Batu. - Playground
For visitors with children, a large, amusing playground is provided to entertain them. There is also a playground in the river near the waterfall. - Outbound Management Training
This program is a facility provided by PT PALAWI to facilitate the management-training program in the open air. The facilities include; plat form, high rope course, tracking line flying camp, and climbing wall. - Elephant Attraction
Since 1996, the official of Coban Rondo has been showing three well-trained Sumatran elephants to amuse the visitors with their fun and attractive attraction. - Off-road Cycling
For those who love adventure, Coban Rondo cycling track is a worth-trying challenge. Enjoy the sensation of riding bicycle crossing up and down tracks, going through the suites of pine and eucalyptus trees while enjoying the green scenery around. The fresh air and the green nature will calm you down after pumping up adrenaline through the challenging track. - Collection of Herbs
You can learn more about herbs in the herbs garden near to the playing ground. There are approximately 200 varieties of herbs here. This is best for you who want to deepen - knowledge on herbs.
- Nursery
In cooperation with PERHUTANI, the officials of Coban Rondo established a nursery wherein the seeds of plants in the forest are seeded. Here you can learn more about the varieties of plants in the forest. - Mini Zoo
You can also see many kinds of protected wild animals from some areas in Indonesia.
