Thus, the photo taken (in the hammock area) seems more natural and it becomes our special attraction.Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - Bandung District, West Java, has long been a draw for holidaymakers due to its unique tourism potential and sites such as the White Crater of Ciwidey, Rancabali glamping site, and Rengganis Bridge.
Lately, a new destination in the district has begun to attract a lot of visitors: Nimo Highland.
The site, which was earlier a tea plantation located up on the hills in Banjarsari Village, Pangalengan Sub-district, Bandung District, was revitalized and opened as a tourist destination in May 2022.
Located at an altitude of more than 1,600 meters above sea level, the tourist site has cool air and is often shrouded in fog during the day.
The main attraction of the destination is a U-shaped bridge built at the top of the tea plantation hill.
Thanks to the design of the bridge, visitors can get a 360-degree view of surrounding areas, including the iconic Cileunca Lake in Pangalengan Sub-district.
Access to the location
Finding Nimo Highland is not too difficult since the route leading to it can be accessed on an online map application.
However, the real challenge is that not all of the roads leading to the location are wide and smooth, especially the streets that have to be navigated after exiting the toll gate for several kilometers before arriving at Nimo Highland.
Still, about 500 meters before the main gate of the tourism area, the road access becomes better due to paving blocks.
Once visitors exit Soreang Toll Gate on the Soreang-Pasir Koja Toll Road, Nimo Highland is only about 36 km away and it takes about 2 hours by car to reach.
However, after exiting the toll gate, tourists need to take two-way streets, most of which can only be passed by two cars at a time.
For visitors starting their journey from the downtown of Bandung City, West Java, and giving the toll road a miss, Nimo Highland is about 50 km away.
However, they will also need to anticipate traffic jams, which occur often in Kopo, Katapang, Buahbatu, and Banjaran areas at mid-morning and evening.
Ticket price
To enter Nimo Highland, visitors need to pass the main gate, which is located about 100 meters from the parking lot.
The officers at the gate count the number of people in the vehicles to charge them for the entry tickets.
Manager of Nimo Highland, Taufik M. Rafi, informed that the tickets are priced at Rp35 thousand (US$2.27) for adults and Rp25 thousand (US$1.62) for children. The prices apply both on weekdays and weekends.
However, the prices increase during the holiday period. For instance, during the 2022 Christmas and 2023 New Year holiday period, the prices rose to Rp40 thousand (US$2.59) for adults and Rp35 thousand for children.
“The provided facilities are not included in (the cost of) the entrance ticket,” the Nimo Highland manager informed.
He said that visitors need to get tickets to enjoy each facility, which range in price from Rp10 thousand (US$0.65) to Rp175 thousand (US$11.33).
The number of tourist visits on the weekends is usually around 2,500 per day. Meanwhile, during the holiday season, the number can soar to around 5 thousand per day.
Tourists usually come from Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Greater Bandung areas.
Relaxing ‘on the clouds’
The tourist destination was established on a tea plantation covering an area of 6 hectares, including two hills: Nini Hill in the east and Putra Hill in the west.
In the middle of the two hills, there is a multi-purpose field that can be used as a parking lot or a venue to hold some events.
From the field, visitors can see a U-shaped bridge at the top of Nini Hill. To reach the bridge, which is located 300 meters from the parking lot, visitors need to be transported by officers on ontang-anting, or modified pick-up trucks. There are 11 ontang-antings being operated in the tourism area.
After arriving at the peak of the hill, officers check the tickets of each tourist. On the bridge, tourists can take pictures and walk on a glass bridge, for which, they need to shell out Rp10 thousand.
There is a blue-domed building in the middle of the U-shaped bridge, which visitors usually use as a background for selfies. Meanwhile, in the morning, tourists can enjoy watching the sunrise from the bridge.
Under the bridge, there is a large rope-made net hammock that can be used free of charge.
On the hammock, tourists can lie down and enjoy the beautiful views of the tea plantation, while eating snacks that can be bought near the hammock area.
The area is sometimes shrouded in fog, thus when lying on the hammock, tourists may feel like they are lying down on clouds.
“Some tourists, who we had asked directly, stated that they were indeed interested (in the hammock facility), especially, if there was fog. Thus, the photo taken (in the hammock area) seems more natural and it becomes our special attraction,” Rafi remarked.
Enlivening activities
Tourism objects can be less fun if there are no events held by the tourism manager.
To build a jovial atmosphere at the tourist destination, the management of Nimo Highland has held various activities, including a music concert.
There are several well-known bands who have performed in the tourist area, namely Jikustik, Nidji, and Fourtwnty.
The concert usually ends late at night, thus the management of Nimo Highland rents a number of tents for tourists who wish to spend the night at the location.
The tent rental service was launched in early 2023. The rent for a tent for two people is Rp360 thousand (US$23.31) per night, while a tent for four people costs Rp840 thousand (US$54.39) per night.
The fee also includes the rent for pillows, blankets, and slippers — but not breakfast.
Visitors can set up their tents in the camping area, which is located at the top of Putra Hill and has a direct view of Cileunca Lake.
Tourists wishing to spend a night at Nimo Highland are encouraged to bring their own raincoats and umbrellas as well as be vigilant of slippery steps at the location.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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