Baturaden Offers Healing While Travelling.

Baturaden is another wonderful place in Central Java which offers unique potential. When people visit this place, they can enjoy not merely the beauty of the place but they also come for healing treatment for particular illnesses they have.

The name Baturaden historically came from a local tale which all began in Kutaliman, a regency around 10 km away from an area called Baturaden today. An Adipati (a tittle for the administrator of a regency) 's daughter living in Kutaliman had a crush on one of her father's horsemen and it developed into a secretly intimate relationship. When eventually finding out the situation which he thought was a very indecent relationship, the Adipati got furious and and exiled both from Kutaliman.

During their exile a baby was delivered near a river so that the river called Kaliputra and since then on they decided to settle at a beautiful place by Kaliputra river from generation to generation where the place now is known as Baturaden. Batur mean servant and raden means master.

Baturaden is located around 15 km away to the north of Purwokerto in the province of Central Java. Situated above 650 m from sea level, Baturaden is a favorite destination for people who want to breath fresh mountain air, enjoy the lush vegetation, and bathe spring water which gives healing effects.

Baturaden is blessed with hot springs which are spouted at the foot of Mount Slamet, flowing through the boulders of hardened lava resulted from the mountain's eruption long time ago. Some springs form two clusters of waterfalls which are called Pancuran Pitu (seven springs) and Pancuran Telu (three springs) respectively.

A group of europeans have a regular trekking activity in Baturaden areas. The natural scenery with lush greenery of the forest always become an admirable view and tired muscles after the whole day exercises will be eased when they bathe with the warm spring water there.

To get to sub district Baturaden travellers will pass the main district Purwokerto. We have to go north from the city to take a climbing, 30º elevated road at the foot of Mt Slamet.

For the accomodation there various hotels available in different classes ranging from jasmine to star-class hotels. Since Baturaden is only around 14 km away from Purwokerto, staying in Purwokerto city is a good decision too since the city also has specialties to enjoy. Trying mendoan, local food made of fermented soya and fried with flour coat, is too good to pass up. This food has been known widely in Java for its yummy-savory taste. Purwokerto also has a big state university named Universitas Jendral Sudirman which is one of favorite universities in the country. Many Senior High School graduates compete nationally to be accepted in this university every year.

Purwokerto is also known as city of crackers. Don't forget to try this specialty too when you visit this city and indeed many come to the city only to buy crackers besides for the mendoan of course.

Located at fertile area at an altitude of 640 m above sea level makes Baturaden a good place for tropical trees to grow and for that reason at Kemutuk Lor village an area has been allocated for conservation area named Baturaden Botanical Garden. According to The Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) valuable economic trees and endangered plants have been conserved in the botanical garden including Dammar (Agathis sp), Schima (Schima walii), Rasamala (Altingia excelsa), Mahogany (Swetenia macrophylla), epiphytic plants like orchids, nepenthes, etc.

Baturaden is also rich with animal diversication. Some fauna have been identified living there are among others warthog (Phacochoerus sp), Wild chicken/jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), monkeys, Indonesian mountain weasel (Mustela lutreolina), various species of snakes, wild deer, endangered Java eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi), and the most endangered feline leopard (Panthera pardus).

Besides its flora and fauna, Baturaden also has other attractive tourism resources :

- Pancuran Pitu or Seven springs. This natural hot spring flows down from Mt. Slamet through Gumawang river bringing sulfur-rich content that people use for curing skin illness which mostly like acne and bone ailment. The color made by sulfur deposits on earth makes Pancuran Pitu has vividly yellow color that makes people never stop visiting the place.

- Pancuran Telu or Three Springs. In its travel down the mountain Slamet's foot through Gumawang river, Pancuran Pitu forms another shower called Pancuran Telu. Besides enjoying its beauty, people come here to bathe and message using hot spring water from the showers which contain solfatara and believed to cure their skin and bone illnesses. Many also bring home sulfured mud in the bottle from the shower area.

-Kaloka Widya Mandala Park. Also called Wanasuka Educational Tourism is another selling point that Baturaden has. The park was open for public in 1995 and has been visited by most of Baturaden visitors for its unique zoo and functioned as an educational zoo. The zoo has unusual collections and endangered spices like elephant (Elephas maximus), Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), Crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), Phytons (Phyton reticulatus), Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Like many other plateau areas in the country, Baturaden has several places with water as main attraction. Pancuran Pitu and Pancuran Telu springs, Telaga Sunyi (Silent Lake) are some of them.

Another water attractions we can enjoy not far from Baturaden is Cipendok waterfall.

Cipendok waterfall is located in Banyumas regency and is too beautiful to pass up when we visit Purwokerto. Although the route to reach it is quiet uphill but the beauty of the waterfall will pay off your sweat and effort, that makes this challenging way to Cipendok is loved by hiking enthusiasts.

We need to bring a raincoat or umbrella to go there if you don't want to get all wet since this 92m-tall waterfall splashes its water all over the area reaching up to 500 m away from it. Some plastic bags is also necessary for wrapping cellphone and cameras to prevent them from water too.

Cipendok is easy to find from Purwokerto city. Go 15 km to the west until we find a T-junction at Cilongok subdistrict and next is just follow the guiding arrow leading us to Cipendok.

If you're lucky enough you can also see a ceremony called "Begalan", this is part of wedding procession held by local people prior to the wed. This is a unique cultural ceremony in a wedding ritual only held when the groom is the youngest or the oldest son among the children.