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| Kebun Teh Cianten |
Here is another weekend bike tour I did in the hills around
Bogor, away from the weekend tourists and the crazy weekend traffic Bogor is
famous for. It was a much-needed trip after being stuck in my small apartment
in Jakarta for three weeks and it helped me to feel free, inspired, and truly
alive again after that difficult time.
This is the route I recommend taking to Kebun Teh Cianten,
after learning from my own mistakes following Google maps and several times
getting completely lost on my way there, or as I rather call it, “exploring the
area with Google”. Click here for the detailed route.
The main access road to Kebun Teh Cianten is via Leuwiliang.
The first stretch leads through the town and then some small villages. A bit
further up it turns into a beautiful road leading up into the hills with
stunning views over terraced rice fields and Gunung Salak in the
background. I love driving small winding mountain roads like this with my motorbike.
Most parts of the road are in pretty good condition but prepare yourself for
driving over a few stretches of unpaved or very broken paved road. If you don’t
mind a bit of shaking when driving, it’s however not really a problem. I saw
several city cars driving up the hill and I also had no issues getting there.
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| The view on the way to the tea plantation |
There are several small Warungs selling the typical dishes such as Mie Goreng and Bakso on the way to the tea plantation. If you’re however in the mood for something different, I can recommend stopping at Warung Paragi Niis. It’s a great place to relax and try some of the delicious Indonesian dishes while enjoying the view over the mountains. And don’t worry about the price. Even though it’s the only restaurant in the area, their prices are fair and affordable. Just to give an example, the fish with sambal matah was just 20.000Rp.
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| Delicious and veggies with view |
A bit further up in the hills, I was surprised when I suddenly found myself in a stretch of rainforest. That’s also where it started pouring down on me, so yeah, perfect timing I would say.
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| A stretch of rainforest right before the tea plantation |
This is the first part of Kebun Teh Cianten. When I got there the atmosphere was surreal and a bit spooky with the thick fog over the tea fields but just a bit later it all cleared up. So, don’t let the weather stop you from exploring.
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| When I got there |
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| On my way back |
Tea plantations as far as the eye can see, stretching over hills with the mountains as a backdrop await you. It’s such a mind-blowing sight.
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| The old tea factory |
Where can I go from there?
From here you have three options on how to continue your ride.
You can continue on the same road and head towards Sukabumi.
I have not tried that route yet, so better check with some of the locals about
the road condition if you’re worried.
You can also head to Desa Wisata Malasari, which is
another stunning, even larger tea plantation. I did that trip a few years ago. It
was beautiful but I still remember how challenging it was riding that route on
a bike. For hours we were riding through the plantation on a road made from
small, slippery rocks. So, make sure you are well prepared and have enough time.
Back then we were able to spend the night at a homestay at the plantation, so
that might be another option.
The last option is to ride back on the same road for a bit
and then turn into one of the side roads and explore the area some more. There
are several small connecting roads along the side of the mountain that will
bring you to some of the main roads leading back down to Leuwiliang. I
enjoyed riding those little mountain roads and somehow ended up on Bukit
Menir. It is another stunning viewpoint with some friendly local sellers.
From there you can either loop back to the main road through a small village on
a narrow path or continue to explore some of the waterfalls further up the same
road.
Close to Bukit Menir I passed by Kopi Tubing, which looks like a great place to hang out at and relax with a drink for a while. Just a few hundred meters from the coffee shop you can take Jalan Raya Gunung Salak Endah which will bring you back down to the main road between Leuwiliang and Ciampea.,
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| One of the many beautiful spots I passed while driving around |
It is possible to do this tour from Jakarta in a day. I left
Jakarta in the morning and then decided that I will spend the night at GSV
Cottages in Cikarawang. I got there at around 5:30 pm so I could have
easily made it back to Jakarta in the evening. But to be honest, I was happy to
spend the night surrounded by nature in a room made out of a shipping
container.
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| A very comfortable shipping container |
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| My little garden just outside the room |
Staying for a night also gave me the chance to visit Rumah Kopi Ranin again.
It’s an open-air coffee shop set in a Joglo building surrounded by a large
garden. I like their coffee and the relaxed atmosphere.
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| Coffee shop surrounded by nature |
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| Rumah Kopi Ranin |
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