Ciamis
Ciamis is a city in the East Parahyangan region of Western Java, Indonesia.
Get in
By car
Ciamis is along the main road of the Southern Java Route that runs from Bandung to Yogyakarta. To get to Ciamis from Bandung, you will need to take the road over the Nagreg mountain pass. The journey takes about 3 hours if traffic conditions are good. However, serious traffic congestion is common on the mountain pass road. The larger city of Tasikmalaya is just west of Ciamis, and by car the journey from Tasik's city centre to Ciamis takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
By train
1 Ciamis railway station is in the city centre. There are four daily economy class trains to the west (to Bandung and Jakarta) and four to the east (2 to Purwokerto, 1 to Surabaya and 1 to Kediri). In addition, there is one daily business class train to Surabaya that also calls at Yogyakarta and Solo.
By bus
Many buses on the Southern Java Route drop off and pick up passengers in Ciamis. 2 Ciamis bus terminal is on the southern side of the city. However, as the terminal is a bit off the main road, bus drivers do not always stop there but sometimes just let passengers get off along the main road. From Jakarta, most buses that call at Ciamis depart at Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta (mostly buses with destination Cilacap or Pangandaran). There are also very frequent buses during daytime from the Cicaheum terminal in East Bandung. In Bandung, it is also an option to wait for buses at the Cileunyi toll gate, as all buses from Jakarta towards Ciamis pass there. From other destinations, such as Cirebon, it is usually easier to get on a bus to the city of Tasikmalaya first, and then get on another bus or minibus (or hire an ojek motorcycle taxi) to Ciamis.
Get around
There are also small size public transportation which reach almost every corner of the town. These transportation are differentiated with route number, each route number serves a particular places. People can use an ojek (motorcycle taxi) to go to places outside the public transportation routes.
See
- 1 Astana Gede inscription (Kawali inscription), Kawali (20 km north of Ciamis city). Inscriptions that are believed to be from the 14th century, when Kawali (in Ciamis regency) was the capital of the Hindu kingdom of Galuh. It is believed that the inscriptions have been made to honour the greatness of the king of Galuh.
- 2 Cirahong Bridge (Jembatan Cirahong). Combined railway and road bridge, built during the Dutch colonial time in 1893. The 202 metres long bridge has a unique design, with trains riding on top of the bridge, and road traffic below. As the bridge is narrow, cars can only pass the bridge from one direction at a time.
Do
The town itself is pretty quiet, the business activities are not much. People usually come to the central park (Alun-alun) with their family to rest and enjoy the park. There are several tourist places outside Ciamis that are worth a visit. One of the possibilities of attraction is to visit or spend a night/two at local village such as Desa Jelat. They are offering experiences of village life along with the delicious traditional meals. Walking and biking tracks are available at the village, along with its scenery.
- 1 Mount Sawal. Volcano on the northern side of Ciamis, that is designated a wildlife refuge. Animal species in the area include the critically endangered Javan leopard. The volcano is about 1,750 metres high, and relatively easy to climb. From the summit you can see other volcanoes, such as the Ciremai.
- 2 [dead link] Mega Wisata Indonesia Icakan, Dusun Cikacang (8 km north of the town centre), ☏ +62 822 4065 7777. Daily 8:00-17:00. The largest recreation park of the East Parahyangan region, with an extensive water park and other attractions, such as flying fox, pedalo, 3D cinema, horse-riding, tourist trains, etc. Entrance Rp5,000, additional fees per attraction.
Buy
There are no special store for souvenirs in town selling traditional items. It is possible to find ordinary farmers hat, or bamboo matrasses but nothing special.
Eat
There are many small restaurants that sell local food. A typical snack from Ciamis is galendo. Galendo is a sweet snack that was originally a byproduct of the coconut oil production process. Coconut milk is boiled until dry, and then the oil is separated from the pulp. The pulp is often mixed with other flavours, such as chocolate or strawberry. Nowadays, the galendo is more expensive than the coconut oil, so it is no longer a byproduct.
- 1 Bebek Goreng H. Slamet, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No.77, ☏ +62 851 0215 1585. Daily 10:00-22:00. Simple restaurant along the main road, serving fried duck as a specialty. Other dishes include fried chicken, tofu and tempeh, and various types of duck and chicken offals.
- 2 Rumah Makan Batu Hitam, Jembatan Cirahong, ☏ +62 813 2235 6568. Daily 8:00-18:00. Sundanese restaurant, with a view of the Cirahong bridge.
Drink
Sleep
Hotels in Ciamis are usually full during weekends, as many domestic tourists stay here when they want to go to Pangandaran beach.
- 1 Tyara Plaza Hotel, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No.185, ☏ +62 265 771 235. Simple hotel with outdoor swimming pool.
- 2 The Priangan Hotel, Jl. Yos Sudarso No.92, ☏ +62 265 771 208.
- 3 Hotel Karang Manis, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, ☏ +62 265 774 583.
- 4 Hotel Putra Yudha, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No. 244, ☏ +62 265 773 121. From Rpp440,000 per night.
- 5 Hotel Nukita, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No.172B, ☏ +62 265 2751619.
- 6 Hotel La Rissa, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No. 25, ☏ +62 265 772 511.
- 7 Green Hotel, Jl. K.H. Ahmad Dahlan No. 93. Budget hotel with a small café.
- 8 Arinda Grand Hotel, Jl. Kapten Murod Idrus, ☏ +62 265 275 0308.
- 9 Hotel Sentosa, Jl. Ahmad Yani No.68, ☏ +62 265 636 116. Budget hotel in the town centre.
Connect
Go next
- Tasikmalaya — the largest city in the region, just 15 km from Ciamis.
- Pangandaran — the nearest beach town, popular among both locals and foreign tourists.
- Kuningan — small town north of Ciamis, from where you can visit Mount Ciremai National Park.