Kebumen is a regency in Central Java, Indonesia. It offers beautiful beaches, historic places, hills and caves. Kebumen has an ancient geological national geopark site that stretches from Karangsambung to Karangbolong.

Understand

History

The word Kebumen is taken from the name Kyai Pangeran Bumidirja. He was an Islamic scholar and nobleman from the Mataram sultanate. He was in exile in Panjer (today's Kebumen) and changed his name to Kyai Bumi. He settled in Panjer and established an Islamic school. People started calling the place Ki-Bumi-An which referred to the Islamic school. Later, it became simply Kebumen. During the Mataram Sultanate, Kebumen was used by the ruler, Sultan Agung, to provide logistical support in his attempt to conquer Batavia (today's Jakarta).

People

Kebumen regency has a population of about one million in an area of approximately 1,300km². Therefore, it is not densely populated. The majority are Javanese and are able to speak Javanese and Indonesian. English is not widely spoken. Many people use the Banyumas and Yogyakarta dialects of Javanese. Many people work in the agriculture or fishing sectors.

Climate

The lowest average annual temperature is 20.6°C, while the highest temperature is about 34°C.

Visitor information

• 1 Kebumen Regency Tourism Office (Dinas Pariwisata dan Kebudayaan Kabupaten Kebumen), Jl Pahlawan 136, ☏ +62 287 381988. 07:00–16:00. (updated Jul 2016)

Get in

By plane

The closest airport is New Yogyakarta International Airport in Yogyakarta. From there, you can get to Kebumen by train from Yogyakarta station or Lempuyangan station, or by bus from Giwangan terminal.

By train

There are two main train stations:

• 1 Kebumen Station, Jl Stasiun. On the east side of Kebumen. (updated Jul 2016)
• 2 Gombong Station, Jl Stasiun II, Gombong. To the west of Kebumen town. (updated Jul 2016)

There are also two minor train stations:

• 3 Karanganyar Station, Jl Stasiun, Karanganyar. (updated Jul 2016)
• 4 Prembun Station, Jl Stasiun, Prembun. This station only serves the Prambanan Ekspres (Prameks) train that passes through Jogja and terminates at Solo's Balapan Station until July 2015. (updated Jul 2020)

By bus

There are two main bus terminals:

• 5 Kebumen Bus Terminal, Jl Raya Alternatif Luar Kota. On the east side of town. (updated Jul 2016)
• 6 Gombong Bus Terminal, Jl Tentara Pelajar, Semanding, Gombong. In the western part of Kebumen regency. (updated Jul 2016)

There is also one mini terminal that is used by Efisiensi Bus in 7 Wonosari Rest Area, Jl Nasional III (In front of Wonosari train station). (updated Jul 2016). The Efisiensi bus serves Cilacap, Purwokerto, Yogjakarta city, and New Yogyakarta International Airport.

Other destinations

• Gombong
• Karangsambung-Karangbolong

Get around

Kebumen is relatively small, travelling around town should not be too expensive. You could jog around it in about 40 minutes.

By trishaw

Traditional three-wheeled pedal-powered rickshaws known as becak can be found in most parts of Kebumen. Haggle furiously.

By minivan

• Angkot — battered minibuses, derived from the words angkutan kota, or city transport have fixed routes but pick up and drop off anywhere along that route. Sometimes they can be crowded, but it's a great way to meet the locals. Costs Rp 2,500 per passenger, paid when you alight.

By car

There are two taxi companies in Kebumen :

• Puri Kencana Taksi, ☏ +62 819 15008855. (updated Nov 2018)
• Menganti Trans Abadi, ☏ +62 822 44499997. (updated Nov 2018)

See

• 1 Horse racing, Tegalrejo, Desa Ambalresmi, Ambal. 10:00-16:00. Horse racing is held annually, three days after Idul Fitri for four days. Crowds of up to 4,000 people are expected. From Rp 10,000. (updated Jul 2016)
• 2 Tugu Lawet, Jl Pahlawan. The icon of Kebumen (updated Jul 2016)

Alun-alun Kebumen, the city park

• 3 Alun-alun Kebumen, Jl Pahlawan, Bumirejo. The large grassed square found in the centre of all Javanese towns, the focus of local government and always popular for recreation. (updated Jul 2016)
• 4 Taman Kota Jenderal HM Sarbini Kebumen, Jl Indrakila or Jl Ahmadyani. A city park. (updated Jul 2016)

Do

Beaches

• 1 Suwuk Beach (Pantai Suwuk), Tambakmulyo, Puring (Minibus from Kebumen bus terminal to Suwuk), ☏ +62 878 3793-8000. Suwuk beach is about 3 km long. Swimming is forbidden because of the strong current. It is surrounded by limestone hills. There is also a small water park. Rp 3,000 (adult), 2,000 (child). (updated Jul 2016)
• 2 Petanahan Beach (Pantai Petanahan), Karangrejo, Petanahan (take a minibus to Petanahan from Kebumen bus terminal), ☏ +62 821-3355-29364. One of Kebumen's famous long beaches. Close to Suwuk beach. There are people who offer boat rides. It is forbidden to swim because of the strong current. Rp3,000 (adult), Rp2,000 (child). (updated Jul 2016)
• Menganti Beach (Pantai Menganti), Karangduwur, Kecamatan Ayah, Kabupaten Kebumen, Jawa Tengah. (updated Sep 2022)

Caves

• 3 Jatijajar Cave, Jatijajar, Ayah (Take a minibus to Jatijajar from Gombong), ☏ +62 813 2764-2775. 08:00-18:00. Famous limestone cave discovered in 1802 by Jayamenawi, close to Logending beach. People can enter the cave to see the stalagmites and stalactites. It is 50 meters above sea level, and 250 meters in length. It is named Jatijajar because when it was discovered, there were two teak trees (jati) in a row (jajar). Inside the cave there are two natural springs, Sendang Kantil and Sendang Mawar. It is said that if you wash your face using water from Sendang Mawar, you will stay young. If you wash your face at Sendang Kantil, your dreams will come true. There are two more natural springs, but access is difficult. There is also a diorama of Lutung Kasarung, a story from Indonesian folklore. Rp 7,000 (adult), Rp 4,000 (child). (updated Jul 2016)

Dams

• 4 Sempor Dam, Tunjungseto, Sempor (Take a minibus bound to Sempor from Gombong bus terminal), ☏ +62 821 3413-2112. 24 hours. An embankment dam on the Sempor River. It is used for irrigating paddy fields, flood control, and hydroelectric power, generating 1MW of electricity. It was built in 1967, but was breached in the same year, causing a flood that killed a thousand people. It was rebuilt in 1978. It is possible to go fishing and to explore the dam by boat. Rp4,000 (adult), Rp2,000 (child). (updated Sep 2022)
• 5 Wadaslintang Dam, Sendangdalem, Padureso, ☏ +62 813 2827-9525. Completed in 1988 after six years of building, the dam is used to generate hydroelectric power. It is surrounded by many hills. Rp3,000 for adults, Rp2,000 for children. (updated Jul 2016)

Other

• 6 Krakal Hot Spring, Krakal, Alian, ☏ +62 813 5954-1980. 07:09-17:00. A natural hot spring with water temperatures 39°C–42°C (86°F–104°F). There are VIP rooms for private use. Rp3,000 (adult), Rp2,000 (child), Rp7,500 (to bathe). (updated Jul 2016)
• 7 Jembangan Wisata Alam, Jembangan, Poncowarno. 07:00-15:00. A lake and forest. To explore the lake, you can cross a bridge or take a boat. There is also a zoo, Jembangan Fantasy Zoo and a park for kids. Rp3,000 (lake), Rp5,000 (zoo), Rp15,000 (boat). (updated Sep 2022)
• 8 Kedungdowo Adventure Park, Kedungdowo, Poncowarno, ☏ +62 812 2998-0074. 08:00-18:00. A nature park with outbound activities (e.g. flying fox). Close to Jembangan Wisata Alam. Rp20,000 (for the flying fox). (updated Jul 2016)

Buy

Traditional markets

The biggest traditional market is Pasar Tumenggungan. Second is Pasar Wonokriyo. There are also several small traditional markets, such as Pasar Selang and Pasar Wonosari.

Boutiques

There are a number of boutiques and newer outlets along Jl Pahlawan and Jl Ahmad Yani, in the middle part of the city. They're popular with monied youths and college students.

Shopping malls

• Trio Mall Kebumen - The first lifestyle shopping mall in Kebumen. It is combined with 4 stars hotel.
• Toserba Jadi Baru — the biggest department store chain in Kebumen.
• Rita Pasaraya — the first department store chain in Kebumen. It is located in Jl Pahlawan.
• Affa Supermarket — the supermarket in the middle-east of Kebumen city.
• Pusaka Indah Swalayan

Handicrafts

There are plenty of handicraft and souvenir stands in nearby Goa Jatijajar, a cave & resort-town just 33 km (21 mi) to the west.

Eat

• Sate ambal is chicken satay, with tempeh as the main ingredient for the dipping sauce. It is the only satay in Indonesia with this kind of sauce. It tastes spicy, salty, and umami.

Lanting snack

• Lanthing is a traditional snack made from cassava. Its shape is like numbers such as 0 or 8. It tastes a little bit salty. However, there is a wide range variants of seasoning used in Lanthing including chicken onion, spicy and barbecue.

Drink

• Kebumen Coffee: Coffee in Kebumen is grown near the shores which is only 5 m above sea level. Both arabica and robusta are produced. There are two local coffee brands: kopi bubuk Cap Djempol and Yum Roasted Coffee. Both are available in market across Kebumen.

Sleep

There are a wide range of hotels in Kebumen. It is quite easy to find a hotel along the Jalan National III and at the centre of Kebumen. The price starts from Rp40,000/night to Rp2,500,000/night. Only a few hotels accepts credit card, therefore, it is better to contact the hotel first. In addition, it is also possible to book some hotels from mainstream web booking services.

• 1 Trio Azana Style Hotel, Jl. HM. Sarbini 109 Bumirejo, ☏ +62 287 3884333, info@azanastylehotelkebumen.com. On a nice city view combined with Trio Mall Kebumen. Rp450,000 - Rp2,500,000/night. (updated Nov 2022)
• 2 Meotel Kebumen by DAFAM Hotels, Jl. Ahmad Yani No.31, ☏ +62 287 381111, info@meotelkebumen.com. Rp400,000/night. (updated Jul 2020)
• 3 Hotel Patra, Jalan Pemuda No. 71, ☏ +62 287 381520, hotelpatrakebumen@gmail.com. Rp150,000/night. (updated Jul 2020)
• 4 Puri Laras Hotel & Cafe, Jl. Pemuda 109, ☏ +62 287-385589. Check-in: 06:00, check-out: 12:00. Rp300,000/night. (updated Jul 2020)
• 5 Hotel Nillo, Jl. Pemuda 7, ☏ +62 287 382068. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. (updated Jul 2020)
• 6 Mexolie Hotel & Resort, Jl. Merak II No. 8, Panjer, ☏ +62 873 881-333. On a nice street very close to the train station. Rp450,000 - 600,000/night. (updated Jul 2020)
• 7 Hotel Aman, Jl. Revolusi No. 88, Karanganyar, ☏ +62 287 551006. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. In Karanganjar, half an hour by car west of Kebumen. (updated Nov 2022)
• 8 Hotel Istana, Jl. Yos Sudarso 559 Gombong, ☏ +62 287471028. Rp100,000/night. (updated Jul 2020)
• 9 Hotel Candaka, Jl. Yos Sudarso No.72, Wero, Gombong, ☏ +62 287 471176. (updated Jul 2020)

Lodging

• 10 Teloe Logde Bed and Breakfast, Jl. Pahlawan No.70, Kebumen, ☏ +62 287 6601024. (updated Jul 2020)

Camping

Some camping spots are Brujul Adventure Park in Karangsambung, Bukit Langit, Sempor dam, up to the hill at Menganti Beach.

Cope

Emergency

• Ambulance: 118
• Police: 110
  • 2 Kebumen Police, Jl. Tentara Pelajar No.39, Panjer, ☏ +62 287 383705. (updated Jul 2016)

Hospital

• 3 Dr Soedirman Regional Public Hospital Kebumen (Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Dr. Soedirman Kebumen), Jl. Lingkar Selatan, Muktisari, ☏ +62 287 3873318, rsud@kebumenkab.go.id. The regency government hospital. (updated Jul 2016)
• 4 RS Permata Medika (RSPM), Jl. Indrakila No. 17, ☏ +62 287 6662345, permatamedikakbm@gmail.com. (updated Jul 2016)

Go next

North

• Banjarnegara, the regency and sleepy small town near the Dieng Plateau.

East

• Purworejo, the regency and small town which borders the province of DIY.

West

• Cilacap on the south coast is a growing industrial city, with oil refinery, power station and cement factory. The adventurous can hop off to the south coast beaches of West Java by taking a boat through the Segara Anakan bay.

Kebumen Regency