Smoking hot

What now?

As with Songgoriti hot spring, Cangar hot spring can most easily be accessed from Batu city (East Java, above Malang). However public transport fails to make it this far up the mountain. From Batu one takes a minibus as high up the mountain as possible but at least in the direction of Sumber Brantas, which lies beyond Selecta. At the end point don’t walk. It’s still a long way up (and down).

Hiring an ojek (motorcycle with driver) seems to be the best option to continue. From here one continues up the mountain, passing apple orchards and potato fields. Eventually one passes the mountain pass and the road descends steeply.

Cangar
At the bottom of this descent are a number of competing parking areas all providing access to the hot springs. Entry is 3,000 INR (~2,75$US). From the ticket office (photo above), a trail heads down and across a small stream. Beyond the bridge are the hot spring(s?) themselves. Amenities consist of toilets and changing cubicles, 2 each for either gender.

Unfortunately one needs a long wait to be able to use these at best makeshift changing rooms, which at 1,000 INR are still not worth it.

The hot springs themselves consist of two large kidney shaped, half meter deep basins which on this Saturday (July 2010) are lined with soakers. Otherwise there is another larger cooler pool and an area where women can bathe, though this is half open to observation so why these separate facilities are required is beyond me.

The direct vicinity of the pools are far from clean, all kinds of refuse are just disbursed of with little regard to the entire situation. Most bathers are fully clothed, even males, another of this odd situations, what would men have under their singlets / shirts that need covering?


Positively, most women lay off their headscarves for the soak (see photo above), which begs the question why wear them in the first place?

Obviously I am the only foreigner and the only person with swimmers on. Though the waters are sufficiently hot, I have my doubts about the hygiene. As is common throughout Java (and Indonesia?) smoking seems to be a habit difficult to shake: many soakers while soaking are still smoking! Smoking hot?

Sharing opinions
It's not only my own opinion. Take this blogger for instance:

'Hey, you know what my first impression of Cangar was? DIRTY!! ... No need to change into swim suit, just wear our clothes (everyone do that, why shouldn't us), and enjoy the spring'.

The former answering partially my aforementioned queries (not).

The area around Batu is well-known for it's mild climate and this is already a major draw for the many tourists who visit Batu during the weekend.

Nearby Cangar are caves used by the Japanese during their occupation of the Indonesia isles. The entry on Cangar by eastjava.com describes slightly more details of these caves. Little info on the history of the hot spring itself.

On the way up from Batu, one can also visit the Selecta pool (an open air pool built by the Dutch and fed by spring water) and the Coban Talun waterfall.

Getting there: From Batu head for Selecta (north) and continue up the road and over the mountain pass. It’s at the end of the steep descent. In total it should be slightly over 20 km from Batu depending on where you start.

Soaking experience: That’s a difficult one. The pools are great, flagstone lined with a gravel bed. Water temperature is good. But my fellow soakers could do with a tip or on hygiene …

Overall impression: Despite the misgivings of the soak itself and the lack of changing facilities, the air is crisp and cool meaning a hot soak is just what’s needed. The direct surroundings are also heavily wooded and management of the site is evident (though lacking).

Followed suit

Batu city, located 25 km west of Malang, East Java is due to the natural surroundings and it’s climate a magnet for Indonesian tourism. (see also Batu's entry on wikitravel) Considering that potatoes and apples grow here, a hot soak is also a worthy pursuit.

The village of Songgoriti lies 5 km west of Batu. It is at the end of a narrowing valley just before the watershed divide. Songgoriti is well-known for it’s natural swimming pool (Tirtanirwana, but not for it's mineral water), it’s small touristy market and the developed hot spring. It also has good access to Cobanrundo waterfall just beyond the surrounding hill.

However just 300m up from the market is the Air Panas Songgoriti complex (named Pa Pa?), which seems to be a resort with overnight staying possibilities as well as place accustomed just for visiting for the hot water. The source of the hot springs itself is not obvious, but there is an kidney shaped smallish pool and indoor bath tubs (15,000 INR; with jacuzzi facilities 25,000 INR (~2,75$US)) available for rent. That seems to be it. The facilities do look well kept and there is the added attraction of an ancient Hindu statue in the front garden. Not so many visitors though.

The Air Panas Songgoriti hot spring complex. In front garden, ancient Hindu statue.

I opt out of a soak, at least until I have explored the surroundings in more detail. Just beyond the resort boundary a makeshift sign calls out once more 'Sumber Air Panas Belerang' (see lead photo), belerang implying sulphur. Down a few steps and one is besides a small stream with next to the stream a few cement protected springs. A couple of men are bathing by using the water from these bubbling springs as a mandi, i.e. they are throwing the water over themselves using a small bucket. The water itself is not as hot as one would expect. The bubbles are most probably formed by soda. The men wholeheartedly ask me to join in bathing. To my surprise one of the men is showering au-natural. I am compelled to join him.

One of the springs. Sand bags protect it from wash outs. Note mandi's on the edge.

This bathing custom though natural seems to raise eyebrows; even when sex segregated most Southeast Asians seam squeamish about undressing in each other's company. Though I did note that when I visited Bali, nudity was sometimes apparent when bathing; on the other hand tourists where often asked to refrain from such manner, at for instance Banjar hot spring. On the odd chance that I might have stumbled on the village mad man (and followed his initiative!), elsewhere on Java I later saw more people bathing (semi-) naked. It so much more pleasant. At least on flickr I saw another blatant voyeur photo (nsfw!) from the same soaking site. Possibly he might have been of the same fellow! Hopefully the foliage kept out the voyeurs, wonder if women follow suit?

Enjoying the springs costs just 1,000 INRs (~0,10$US) which is collected in an honesty box, below the stairs.

Eastjava.com entry on Songgoriti with more info on the ancient statues. Another source adds:

'This old temple is located in Songgoriti tourism area and often visited by many tourists. Supo Temple is a heritage temple of mojopahit and believed by society around as place to wash heirloom thousands years ago'.

Getting there: From Batu (20 km west from Malang) head further west to Songgoriti. From the Songgoriti market it is 300m upstream, both places are on your left. Can’t be missed.
Soaking experience: The hot spring resort looked well cared and maintained and certainly a soak is worthwhile here. Nearer the source(s) a real soak can not be had but a dunking, which has it’s merits as well. Beautiful surroundings as well, not locked in.
Overall impression: Both the resort as well as the wild soaking area are well recommended. At least by this website …

The main building: more happy soakers.