Sukabumi

Sukabumi is a region in Western Java, Indonesia. It has a plethora of tourist locations, from mountain national parks to waterfalls, beaches, viewing hills and a UNESCO geopark.

Understand

The city of Sukabumi is located in the southwest of the province of West Java, about 75 km south of national capital Jakarta and 75 km west of provincial capital Bandung, as the crow flies. The independent city (kota) of Sukabumi is surrounded by the regency (kabupaten) of Sukabumi. The capital of the regency is Pelabuhan Ratu on the south coast.

The history of the city of Sukabumi and the surrounding region is closely related to the development of plantations for coffee, tea, and rubber during the colonial time. The city is just south of the volcano Mount Gede and the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park.

Sukabumi Regency is the second largest regency in Java, after Banyuwangi Regency.

Get in

The nearest airports to Sukabumi are in Jakarta and Bandung. From both these cities, travelling to Sukabumi usually takes more than 3 hours.

By car

Sukabumi is along National Road 3, also known as the Southern Java Route, between Pelabuhan Ratu to the west and Cianjur to the east. To get to Sukabumi from Jakarta, you can take the toll road to Bogor and then the trunk road further south to the town of Cibadak, where this road connects to the aforementioned National Road 3. Driving from Jakarta to Sukabumi takes 2h 30m if traffic conditions are good, but often much longer because of major traffic congestion, especially in the Greater Jakarta area. From the other side, from Bandung, the drive (via Cianjur) takes at least 2 hours, but usually about 3 hours.

By bus

🌍 Sukabumi bus terminal serves a range of buses from various destinations. There are frequent buses to and from various terminals in Jakarta, including Kampung Rambutan terminal in East Jakarta. A one-way ticket is commonly Rp25,000 for an economy class bus with airconditioning. The journey will take about 3-5 hours, depending on traffic conditions. During weekends and holidays, there is usually significant traffic congestion, and the journey may take longer.

If you travel from Bogor, the most common and practical transport is a Colt (referring to a Mitsubishi L300/Colt minibus). These minibuses exclusively serve the Bogor-Sukabumi route. You can hop on to a Colt either at Baranangsiang Terminal or at the Botani Square shopping mall (which is where the DAMRI buses from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport arrive). A one-way ticket Bogor-Sukabumi with a Colt is Rp20,000. The journey will take about 2 hours.

From Bandung, there are highly frequent buses from several bus companies from Bandung's Leuwi Panjang bus terminal (usually with a stop in Cianjur). The bus will cost you about Rp30,000. The journey will take about 2-3 hours.

There are also frequent buses to and from Pelabuhan Ratu at the Indian Ocean coast (Rp25,000). From other cities the buses are not as frequent. However, there are at least two buses per day from major cities in Central Java such as Semarang, Solo, and Yogyakarta. One-way tickets on these long-distance services are about Rp150,000. Travel times are commonly in the range of 10 to 15 hours (depending on traffic and number of stops on the way).

By train

In the middle of the city is 🌍 Sukabumi railway station. The station is served by three daily trains to and from Bogor (about 2 hr 15 min, economy and executive class), and three daily trains to and from Cianjur (about 1 hr 30 min, economy class only). In Bogor, trains to Sukabumi depart from Bogor Paledang railway station, which is about 200 metres from the central Bogor railway station (where trains from Jakarta arrive).

Get around

Mostly poibts of interest are natural, but several locations can only be accessed easily by car. The rest should be accessed by motorcycle or on foot.

A common way to get around in Sukabumi is by angkot (public minivan). Angkots follow a fixed route (there are various routes throughout the city and surrounding areas), but there is no fixed schedule and there are no fixed stops. To get on, simply raise your hand. To get off, simply shout "Kiri!" to the driver, so he will pull over on the left (Indonesian: kiri) side of the road. The price of an angkot ride within the city is usually about Rp2,000 to 5,000. It is best to ask a local which angkot route to take, and how to recognise the location you want to get off.

Other options to get around include ojek (motorcycle taxi) and delman (horse carriage).

See
  • 🌍 Pondok Halimun (plantations area), Mount Gede Pangrango National Park (about 10 km north of Sukabumi). At the mountainside of Mount Pangrango, you can find panoramic views of tea farms, with Sukabumi city as the background. You may stop at a local traditional coffee or tea cafe to enjoy the fresh and natural mountain breeze, or do jogging around the tea plantations. There are also several other plantations in the area, such as for tomatoes and chilli peppers. (updated Sep 2016)
  • 🌍 Sawer Waterfall (Curug Sawer). 08:00-17:00. Rp2,500. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 🌍 Situ Gunung Suspension Bridge (Jembatan Gantung Situ Gunung) (in the conservation area of Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park). Situ Gunung Resort. About 240 m long, this suspension bridge is claimed to be the longest in Asia. (updated Nov 2022)

Buy
  • 🌍 Citimall Sukabumi, Jl. Ahmad Yani No.121-127. Daily 10:00 – 22:00. Basically the only mall in Sukabumi. Hence it's always crowded. (updated Apr 2022)

Eat

Sukabumi culinary culture is not that different from other cities in West Java. It is mostly of a Sundanese style, but there are several typical traditional dishes in Sukabumi which are very famous, such as Mochi, Bangket, Pavinder cake, Martabak Bandung and nutmeg candy. Sukabumi Chinese food such as Mie goreng is also worth a taste.

  • 🌍 Mochi Lampion, Jalan Bhayangkara No. 19, ☏ +62 266 221 850. M-F 09:00-20:00. Sukabumi-style 'mochi', Japanese rice cake. There are several variants including Kitkat Greentea, Nutella, and Ovaltine. (updated Apr 2022)

Drink

You can't find drink easily in this area, and you are not allowed to drink in public, otherwise you'll get arrested by Police. You can get drink in some modern hotels, bars, and cafes in the city.

Sleep

In Sukabumi city

If you need to stop overnight in Sukabumi town, there are some cheap places available not far from the bus terminal, just ask the people around, or ojek drivers near the bus station who will be happy to transport you there for Rp5,000-10,000. Expect to pay around Rp50,000 for room with a basic fan (air conditioning is not needed anyway, as nights in Sukabumi may be quite cold).

In the surrounding mountains
  • 🌍 Kampoeng Padi Boutique Villa, Desa Pawenang, Nagrak, ☏ +62 815 9104 286. Covering three hectares of land, including lush paddy fields, Kampoeng Padi Resort overlooks Mount Gede. Private villa accommodations with resort-like ambience complemented by traditional Sundanese and Balinese decor. (updated Sep 2016)

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