Rindu Alam Puncak: a Ride in Indonesia

There are two climbing routes the cycling community in Jakarta usually take; one is Sentul, located right outside the city, the other one is Rindu Alam Puncak which has been a favorite vacation spot for families for decades, which both are located in the province of West Java.

I had never been to Rindu Alam with my bike so I decided to take this route on a Sunday where there’s plenty of time for me to really enjoy the trip without having to rush to work after.

Rindu Alam restuarant at Puncak Pass is known for the views of tea plantations and the poffertjes (a Dutch heritage). The last time I went I was in elementary school, around 13 years ago; I knew this trip would bring back old memories to when I was just a little kid driving with my family from Jakarta to Puncak for the beautiful views and delicious food.

Then I thought who would’ve been a great ride companion for an unfamiliar route: Santia, my cycling coach, an Olympian finalist. After fueling myself with an americano and a banana, I was ready to go. We drove from Jakarta to Gadog, parked our cars and started cycling from there.

There were already many people with motorcycles who were also riding up to Puncak. Remind me, it’s a weekend. I thought maybe we should have started earlier to avoid traffic, but it’s too late now.

At 06.30 we started cycling up to Puncak; did not know what to expect, we were greeted right away with some fiery climbs. The weather was pretty chilly at 20 degree celsius, a very different feel to my usual ride in the city.

For the first half of the ride we were surrounded by traditional market and local restaurants as we rode side to side with cars, trucks, motorcycles and horses, with many mountain sightings.

15 kilometers in, we were greeted by the tea plantations and much bigger streets with very limited transportations. It was beautiful.

Many visitors stopped at the side of the streets for photos and snacks, but we decided to keep on going. I really enjoyed the climb up, it was breezy and my eyes were blessed by the views, what a good break from the city life.

We then reached the restaurant at 22.63 kilometers with a total elevation gain of 1,002 meters. This was definitely one of the most enjoyable rides I had ever been on and something I would do once every two weeks.

I closed this trip by rewarding myself with the famous poffertjes and a glass of bajigur, a traditional hot beverage from West Java which is usually a mix of ginger, brown sugar, and coconut milk. A very happy quick getaway.

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