Have you ever view Merapi mountain from near? Few people actually get to watch a live volcano erupt, which, from a safe distance away, is an amazing experience.
At Ketep Pass a relatively new resort located in Ketep, Sawangan, here, some 35 kilometers south of the regental capital, Magelang this exciting spectacle can be experienced from some 1,200 meters above sea level. Lava is clearly visible as it is emitted from the peak of the neighboring 2,911-meter Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. At night, the descending lava is a dramatic display of natural fireworks, which can be witnessed with the naked eye.
Separated only by a valley, Mount Merapi seems but a stone's throw away from Ketep to the north. Even without a telescope, visitors can observe the peak of Mount Merapi clearly in daylight hours from Ketep. Such is the proximity that the thunderous sound of the volcano expelling lava can also be heard sometimes in Ketep.
Yet, visitors need not worry as, even in a major eruption, the valley would prevent the lava from reaching the site. "Besides, experience also shows that the lava has never traveled toward the north: It has always moved either southward or westward," Ketep Pass manager M. Hariadi told The Jakarta Post recently.
Viewing Mount Merapi from a distance is not the only attraction that Ketep offers tourists. Officially opened by then president Megawati Soekarnoputri on Oct. 17, 2002, Ketep was designed as a volcano-based tourist destination. As such, the resort also has other attractions. Among these are a volcano center, volcano theater and the Pelataran Panca Arga (Panca Arga plain).
From the parking lot in, the venue is an attractive one. Stepping onto an open field, visitors can enjoy the magnificence and beauty of both the slopes and the peak of Mount Merapi. If they wish to use a telescope, they can rent one from local children at Rp 1,000, with no time limit.
Tourists hoping to enjoy this particular attraction, however, are at the mercy of the weather. If they are lucky, no clouds will obscure the volcano. If not, they must wait for the clouds to clear.
Ketep is accessible from Magelang, Surakarta, or even Yogyakarta by public or private transportation. All means of transportation can directly reach Ketep.
Here The Map Ketep Pass From Borobudur
A = Ketep Pass
B = Borobudur
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tourism