Tour to Bali (2000)

Yogya to Pacitan

This was the first and easiest leg of the entire trip, taking us only about 120 kilometers to the southeast to the small seaside town of Pacitan. After having crammed all our stuff into the saddlebags and having secured them to the bike we said goodbye and left at about 10 o’clock in the morning.

The first bit of the trip, through and out of Yogya, was pretty crowded and was not very much fun. A small distance out of Yogya the road led up a ridge which would have been a great drive if there weren’t so many buses around. Still, it was nice to ride because there were great corners and nice views. The heavy traffic held on for another ten kilometers after we passed the ridge, until we got to Wonosari.

Wonosari was the destination for all the buses and trucks and after Wonosari the road was deserted. The next twenty kilometers led us through small villages, but there was nothing really to see and overall it was a pretty average drive.

In Baran we turned off onto the road towards Wonogiri for about 5 km, and from here on the drive was absolutely great. The whole way from Pracimantoro, where we turned off onto the road to Pacitan, to Punung consisted of tiny hills only about 75 meters high but incredibly steep. There were no houses or villages here, just barren, dry sandstone hills.

After Punung the final 20 km led over another small ridge that was really nice because we were driving through beautiful forest and this time there was no traffic. The road led out onto a small promontory before coming back in towards the bay, and from there you had a great view of the bay and Pacitan itself.

It took us another 20 minutes to find a hotel here, but finally we got a room in a small beachside hotel. We had to get a member of the hotel staff to change the 5 watt light bulb in our room for a30 watt bulb so that we could read, but otherwise it was quite all right.

Tour highlights: (Oct. 2001 Suzuki 250) Tour Pictures and Map

Yogya - Pacitan along the Southern Coast

If you only plan to go to Pacitan on the first lag, try one of my favourite trips south of Yogya: drive straight south to Parangtritis, then turn east and take the small road to Baron, Kukup and Krakal beach, and then further on to Pacitan. It's a narrow, twisting road going up and down through the limestone cliffs along the coast. Very remote and dry with no traffic at all. Unfortunately, you can't see the ocean very often despite the fact that it is only a couple of hundred meters away. So, take your time and drive down to the beaches and fishing villages whenever there is a chance.

WARNING!

Swimming is very dangerous all along the southern coast of Java, due to strong undercurrents. Ask the lokal people to find out the few safe spots, or wait, until you are in Bali.