When talking about water tourism in Klaten, Central Java, the immediate image of a row of popular springs always crowded with visitors is likely to come to mind. However, amidst the hustle and bustle of these massively managed tourist destinations, lies a small, pristine spring: Umbul Kroman. Located in Mranggen Village, Jatinom District, Klaten Regency, Umbul Kroman offers a unique experience. Far from ticket booths, commercial stalls, and the throngs of tourists, this spring offers a tranquil oasis for those who manage to find it. To reach it, visitors must venture into the village's residential area. The main attraction of Umbul Kroman is its pristine beauty. The natural rocky bottom and lively swimming of small fish are visible to the naked eye. On one side of the pool, a spring constantly gushes fresh water from the earth, testifying to the purity of the water source here. The beauty doesn't stop at the pool. Right next to the spring, a small river flows with equally clear...
The Gondang Park tourist attraction, which has just opened in the Gondang Baru Klaten Sugar Factory (PG) complex on Saturday (30/12/2023), offers a very complete recreational and educational experience at an affordable entrance ticket price.
Based on information obtained during the soft opening event on Saturday, to enter the tourist area managed by The Lawu Group, visitors must pay a ticket fee of IDR 10,000 per person. The ticket price includes greenpark, agrotherapy, playground, and maze. As for certain rides such as Ghost Hunter or haunted houses, visitors are charged IDR 10,000 per person. Flying fox rides also require another ticket worth IDR 20,000 per person and IDR 10,000 per person to enter the Sugar Museum.
However, visitors can also buy a pass for Rp25,000 per person for all rides, except flying fox. While the outbound package offered at The Gondang Park starts from Rp65,000 per person. The outbound area at The Gondang Park, Klaten, can accommodate up to 400 people.
From observations on the Instagram account @thegondangpark, the tourist attraction which is located on the Jogja-Solo highway, Plawikan Village, Jogonalan District, Klaten, claims to be the largest educational tour in Klaten. The Gondang Park occupies an area of about 2 hectares (ha) ranging from the restaurant area to tourist rides.
The Gondang Park green park offers agrotherapy rides, waterpark, waterslide, highrope or suspension bridge, flyingfox, to kids zone. Then the water park is a swimming pool vehicle consisting of children's and adult swimming pools. The depth of the children's pool starts from 50-100 centimeters (cm) while the adult pool is 100-180 cm deep. The agrotherapy ride at The Gondang Park Klaten is an educational vehicle to get to know various herbal plants. Visitors can do reflexology, fish therapy, and stroke therapy with massage, cupping, and herbal medicine.
Mystery Story
Another ride is the Ghost Hunter or haunted house. As an old factory area that has existed since the Dutch colonial period, to be precise around the beginning of the 19th century, the Gondang Winangoen Sugar Factory (PG) area, which later turned into PG Gondang Baru, cannot be separated from the mystery stories of the supernatural world that developed and surrounded it. This is certainly an attraction for those who like mystical stories and experiences.
Some of the mystery stories that developed in the PG Gondang Baru area, quoting gudangmisteri.com, are the sightings of men in Dutch uniforms, Dutch ladies, human figures with incomplete limbs, tall black figures like genderuwo. Other supernatural events, namely the frequent sounds of machines and workers at night, grinding machines moving by themselves, and many supernatural phenomena that occur at the Gondang Baru Sugar Factory in Klaten.
As for education, at The Gondang Park Klaten there is also a sugar museum which is the only one in Indonesia. Visitors can see various collections related to the process of making sugar, starting from the process of growing sugar cane to becoming sugar. In addition, there are collections of pests and weeds, various types of sugar cane, and sugar laboratory equipment. Documentation of factory activities also hangs on the walls of the museum.
The Gondang Park also provides a restaurant with the main menu of grilled chicken and satai Gondang to various Nusantara specialties. President Director of PT Lawu Group, Parmin Sastro, said The Gondang Park Klaten is a development of Gondang Winangoen Agrotourism which was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. "This is a reconcept of Gondang Winangoen Agrotourism which we then changed to The Gondang Park according to the name of the area and the name of the factory," Parmin said after the soft opening on Saturday.
Parmin said that the tour offers recreational and educational rides. Like the Sugar Museum, which is the only one in Indonesia, will introduce visitors to the history of sugar factories, especially PG Gondang Baru. The Gondang Park can be visited every day from 08.00 WIB until 17.00 WIB.
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