It’s a long overdue story that I’ve been keeping for a while but since I am on a streak talking about my adventures, here it is! This happened a few months ago, when I was visiting Yogyakarta just to get away from the crushing gravity of life. At the time, I was still heavily adjusting to my life in East Java and I craved Yogyakarta just because that is the place all I ever knew since a decade ago. Now that I am moving to the East and have found my footing here, I feel like those cravings will be replaced with new adventures somewhere in the east which you will see soon!

Ledok Sambi Ecopark

But Yogyakarta will always have a special place for me and there are never ending places to visit. A few months ago, I discovered this Ledok Sambi Ecopark. This park is located in the foothills of Mt. Merapi, an active volcano mountain in the province. Ledok in local language means a lowland and in this case, this riverside area. What makes Ledok Sambi Ecopark special is the view that during some days, Mt Merapi can be seen as a beautiful backdrop of the place.

To get into the area, you have to go down a few stairs to reach the riverside where the sound of gentle trickling streams greet you to explore the area. But if you want to save your energy, you can go downstairs through the flying fox by paying an extra $1.5 to be carried downstairs in such a thrilling way. So, what would you pick?

Things to see in the area

Since this is an ecopark, the activities mostly focus on low impact recreational activities such as nature trails, bird watching and even just a simple stroll around the area. However, in this ecopark, there are some activities like tubing and even archery lessons are offered around the area.

So, for those who want to try something new, this place has those too. There are camping grounds for those who want to camp around the area and wake up to this beautiful scenery and to the sound of a babbling water. Quite a deal isn’t it?

I explored the area on my own and found some interesting photo spots. Fortunately, that time I didn’t forget to bring my camera with me.So, I got to have some interesting shots and close ups. Since at that time I hadn't seen nature in a while, it was quite a refreshing experience to be there. Just look at these beautiful sceneries!

If you’re hungry while being in the place, don’t worry about it. There are two affordable eateries and you can have a meal either like a picnic style or next to the riverside where you can peacefully eat and enjoy the meal. My friend and I ordered some local snacks and simple meals along with Indonesian styled coffee that I ordered. Apparently, this coffee is also grown in the area and it's a must-try in the area.

You could say that when it comes to nature, I am not so much into it. I am happy to actually visit but my excitement lasts for only 2 hours haha as for the rest, I just like to chill down somewhere around the area without being too ambitious.

Unlike my mom and friends who love taking pictures, I don’t really do that so once I circled the place, that was it for me 😀and sometimes I get annoyed when my mom takes so much time just to take pictures. So, that’s why I actually rarely visit any natural sights and would rather check out urban attractions and coffee shops.

You’ll most likely find me having such a great time over coffee shops rather than natural sights. But this one, in Ledok Sambi, since they have coffee too, it was a trip that’s well-worth it, considering I also tasted a coffee grown from the area.

Will I recommend this for anyone who enjoys being in nature? Certainly! It’s a must visit if you’re traveling to Yogyakarta and want to experience its natural attractions.

More pictures from the area!