Magelang, Mount Andong, and Rain

My First Hike and How to Spend the Weekend with Your Favorite Person

It’s been quite a while since I last traveled far by motorcycle. The trip from Yogyakarta to Magelang actually doesn’t take long because the distance isn’t too far. The trip takes about an hour and a half from the center of Yogyakarta to the Sawit base camp at the foot of Mount Andong in Magelang. Along the way to Andong, there were many urban views until we finally entered the foothills, which were full of trees and vegetable fields belonging to the locals; we also passed a beautiful flower garden. The highway to Andong via Sawit is more or less similar to the journey from Jombang to Malang the road is winding with steep and rugged turns.

We arrived at the Sawit Base Camp around 8 a.m. We still had to walk a little further to reach the trailhead. It took about 10 minutes to get to the trailhead from the initial parking lot. Upon entry, there’s a 15,000 IDR fee, which includes parking. Make sure to wear comfortable clothing because the trail is quite challenging, especially for those who’ve never climbed a mountain before. FYI, this was my very first time climbing a mountain in my life; usually, I only go hiking on hills that aren’t too steep and have more flat paths.

Before reaching the first checkpoint, we’re immediately challenged by a steep staircase that’s very difficult to climb its nearly 90-degree incline makes it feel like a staircase leading to heaven. Once you reach checkpoint one, the landscape is dominated by stone steps and roots that are quite steep and slippery likely because it had rained here the night before. After successfully passing checkpoint two, the area remains largely surrounded by green trees on both sides, with the path still quite slippery, so you must ensure your footing is secure.

Just as we reached checkpoint 3, the landscape began to open up and change. Now you can see the beauty of the sky and the city of Magelang from above. Just a little further, and we finally reached the summit at around 1,720 meters above sea level. The view was breathtaking. I’m so grateful to have been able to enjoy Andong with someone special and meaningful to me.

At the summit of Andong, there’s a small shop offering meals, snacks, and iced tea. It’s quite luxurious, it seems other mountains don’t have facilities like this. Without missing the chance, my girlfriend and I ordered fried noodles with an egg and iced tea. A perfect combination right in the midst of Andong’s chilly summit. We also saw fog rolling down the trail from the summit a few times.

After spending 30 minutes resting up there, taking photos, and enjoying the surrounding scenery, we finally decided to head down because it was starting to get cloudy. We were worried it might rain soon. Fun fact: going down turned out to be easier than going up or hiking. The descent was quite enjoyable thanks to gravity, but we still had to be careful because there was more vegetation in front of our feet. Additionally, we had to balance our steps because the path was quite slippery due to the rain that had fallen the previous night.

Some paths I still remember include a dirt path made of quite slippery soil, then a path with limestone rocks arranged to form steps. The last one was a path made of tree roots arranged like steps. The total time we spent on this Mount Andong hike was around 3 hours.

After successfully descending, we arrived at the base, rested, showered, and cleaned up first before continuing to our next destination. After that, just before 3 PM, we decided to head down toward the city, but unfortunately, it started raining heavily, so we decided to stop by a café first to rest for a moment while eating since our stomachs were empty again after the hike down the mountain.

The café we chose happened to be unique because it offered a family-friendly restaurant concept, so it was pretty crowded with families. Some of the food items were a bit pricey, but it was worth it since it offered a beautiful setting and a stunning view directly facing Mount Andong.

Look at how delicious this picture is.

After resting there for a bit, we decided to continue our journey down to Magelang City since it seemed the rain would keep falling steadily all the way to the city. After checking out a few café recommendations, we finally decided to go to Jhons Roastery and Café in Magelang. The café has a skena vibe with a great atmosphere.

We ordered coffee specifically the Magic and Cold Brew Apple, which were quite refreshing and delicious. It was more than enough to recharge our energy for the journey back to Jogja. After chatting and enjoying the atmosphere at this café, we decided to continue our journey.

But first, we stopped for dinner at the legendary Nasi Goreng Pak Yatno in Magelang. If you plan to eat and order here, be prepared to wait it’s always packed and there’s a long line. After waiting for about 45 minutes, our food finally arrived. It was quite tasty and not too spicy for fried rice, with a very large portion guaranteed to leave you completely full.

After finishing our meal, we continued our descent all the way to the city of Jogja, accompanied by rain the entire way. I’ll remember this experience because it was my first time hiking Mount Tektok and my first trip out of town with my girlfriend.

Thank you :)