If you are planning to go to Indonesia for a vacation, be sure to visit Mount Padang or Gunung Padang which is situated in Desa Karyamukti, in Canjur, West Java about 120 kilometres from central Jakarta. Beside the rustic country side scenery, Gunung Padang is also renowned for it’s ancient monolithic remains which according to archaeologists, even pre-dates the pyramids of ancient Egypt as far back as 20,000 B.C. The ancient monolithic site was first discovered by the Dutch historian N.J. Krom way back in 1914 and was since included in the UNESCO heritage sites.
Also called as the “Machu-Pichu” of Indonesia, Ganung Padang is nestled 885 metres above sea level and the entire site is is located on top of a hill and can be accessed by climbing 400 steps made of volcanic stones which can be commonly found around the area. The ancient site which is surrounded predominately by steep hills and mountain ranges gives visitors a breath taking view of the Mount Gede and was believed to be a sacred ceremonial location according to the Sundanese people. The scattered symmetrical stones were also believed to be the remnants of a palace that was built by King Siliwangi, which according to legend, tried to build it overnight.
On June, 2014, the Indonesian Education and Cultural Ministry declared that the Ganung Padang Megalithic site is now considered as a national heritage and historical site and has since been attracting numerous tourists and local visitors from in and around Indonesia. Going to Ganung Padang takes about 3 hours from Jakarta in which brings you to Kota Padang, a lovely coastal town which is surrounded by mountain ranges and a coastline.
The city of Padang itself is a melting pot of cultures when it comes to it’s buildings and quaint architecture since the country was colonized by the Dutch, British and the Japanese in the past. The 120 kilometre drive from Jakarta gives tourists and local visitors alike to experience the wonderful Indonesian country side and get to know the townsfolk along the way, their way of life and the richness of their culture in a more detailed perspective.
Upon reaching Raya Cianjur, tourists will be greeted by a man-made monolithic structure that marks the entrance to Gunung Padang. On entering the gates, visitors are asked to pay an entrance fee of around Rp. 2,000 (around $0.20) which is very affordable as the proceeds help in maintaining the facilities. From there, it takes another 20 kilometres or so to reach the foot of the mountain itself in which tourists are obliged to take a 400 step ascending climb to reach the summit of the site in which visitors are given a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains and hills.
For first time visitors, they are instantly taken back by the fact that the ancient site of Gunung Padang is much more older that the ancient pyramids of Egypt and that the stones that are scattered there are almost identical to one another, which remains a mystery up to today. So, if you are planning to fly to Indonesia, make it a point to visit Gunung Padang since visiting Indonesia isn’t complete without seeing this ancient site with your own eyes!
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