Jolong Garden Valley, a Dutch Heritage All in One Tourist Attraction

Written by: Adha Tasya K.N.

 

source of image: Instagram/@lukitaayun

Spend your best time in the best place!. Jolong Garden Valley offers various activities in one tourist attraction with the total area of 572 hectares. 

Pati is well known for its nature-based tourism and Jolong Garden Valley is one of them. This tourist attraction is located in Sitiluhur village, Gembong distric, the regency of Pati, Central Java. Only about ten kilometres from Pati Square or around 45 minutes of driving, making this tourist attraction quite easy to reach. However, you have to pass a winding and uphill road to get there due to its location in the highlands, precisely on the slopes of Mount Muria. You can only reach this place by private vehicles such as cars and motorbikes because there are no public transportation routes yet.

Historically, the district of Gembong was one of the largest coffee-producing areas in Indonesia during the colonial era. Previously, the whole area of Jolong Garden Valley was a coffee plantation which was built during the Dutch colonial period (1895). The former coffee processing factory that was once victorious at that time as well as several ancient buildings that were functioned as official guest rooms are still being maintained there. Now, Some of the land has been converted into a park with all the additional facilities and a dragon fruit garden in a higher area of it.

The iconic cup monument

Once you arrived in Jolong, you will find an iconic cup monument right after entering the gate. As for the entrance ticket, you only need to dig your pocket for IDR 15.000, but to enter the dragon fruit garden, there is an additional cost of IDR 8000. And for the parking, you have to pay IDR 3000 per motorcycle and IDR 4000 per car. 

With a total area of 572 hectares, Jolong Garden Valley offers various tourist activities in one place which is divided into two sectors named Jolong I and Jolong II. Jolong I is the main area in which the coffee plantation, ancient coffee-processing factory, and some old Dutch buildings take place. There are also pamelo orange gardens, playgrounds for kids, pounds with small fish for therapy, outbound such as flying fox and net bridge, and some family activities such as fishing and cake decorating practice in this section. Meanwhile in Jolong II, we can find the expanse of dragon fruit garden with an area of ten hectares!. Besides, there are other attractions such as flower gardens, family parks, and some instagramable photo spots; a tree house made of wood and thatch, house on stilts, dragon fruit shaped tunnel and viewing post to see the surrounding scenery from a height. 

The expanse of dragon fruit garden

Located in an altitude, the dragon fruit garden is made of steps with a  step path in the middle. So, on the right and left, as far as the eye can see, you will be treated to the green dragon fruit trees and its fresh reddish fruits. Even more fun, when it is a harvest season, you are allowed to pick the dragon fruit and eat it on place or bring it home. The perfect time to visit the Garden is on Juni and July since the harvest season occurs around those months. Other that that, visitors can also learn dragon fruit cultivation and bring the plant seeds to be planted in their own garden.

While enjoying the fruit, you can also enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature through the viewing post. From here, visitors will be spoiled with the wonderful views of the two reservoirs (Mountain Rowo reservoir and Seloromo reservoir) and the expanse of the city of Pati from above. Especially if the fog starts to fall, it will add to its beauty and charm.

If Jolong II is recommended for dragon fruits enthusiastic, Jolong I is perfect for coffee lovers!. You can enjoy Jolong coffee that is well known for its robusta with a unique heavy flavour; bitter and slightly sour. Still want to continue the journey after sipping a cup of coffee? sure! you can also tour the coffee and pamelo orange gardens. You may walk or rent a jeep to explore the plantation which is provided by the garden manager at a cost of IDR 300,000 for one car.

The facilities in Jolong Garden Valley is quite complete and can support tourist activities. There are basic needs such as bathrooms, mosques, and some food stalls with a reasonable price. There is even a camping site for those who would like to stay overnight, of course with applicable terms and conditions. For visitors from outside town who need a lodging, the nearest one from the area is Hotel Sartika and Convention Hall which located at Kol. Sunandar street, Winong, Pati.

Not too far from Jolong II, there is an exotic waterfall called Niagara Grenjengan. To get in this attraction, you have to through a quite  challenging journey of winding and steep dirt roads with many sharp turns and descents. However, you can still enjoy the view that is dominated by the pine forests and mountains. As you get closer to the attraction, you will see a meandering river with water and rocks on the left side of the road and towering cliffs filled with groves of coffee trees on the right side. Despite the arduous and tiring journey, it all paid off when you arrived at Grenjengan Waterfall. You will be amazed by the terraced waterfall with rock cliffs around it, and a river flow with clear and refreshing water under it. A very enchanting natural scenery is right in front of you!.

The exotic grenjengan waterfall

Regardless of the challenging and uneasy journey, Grenjengan Waterfall always crowded by tourists every day. Like in Jolong, there are also public facilities in this area, such as bathrooms, small stalls, and mosque. The distance is only one kilometer from Jolong Garden Valley, so most tourists will stop by to enjoy the beauty of Grenjengan Waterfall as well.