One day I finally had an opportunity to visit Selo, a nice Sub-district in Boyolali Regency, which lies between mount Merbabu and mount Merapi. Although it was a bit cloudy at that time but it didn't annoy my intention.
Selo has long been famed for its beautiful scenery and cool weather, also as a favorite hiking trail to the top of mount Merbabu and mount Merapi. Including a famous tourism route of Solo-Selo-Borobudur. No wonder, Selo with its interesting spots, including New Selo and Gancik Hill Top attract many locals to come and enjoy the excitement there.
When I arrived in Selo, I was really amazed with its beauty, the information that I'd got before just from googling, hearing stories from some people who had been there and some students who ever lived in Selo, this is a school program named "live in". So the students who joint this program will be divided into a smaller group, then they will stay in a villager home for a few days, and learn a lot from the locals including how to plant and harvest vegetables. This is part of character education program.
I was still on Jalan Boyolali - Magelang (the main road) searching the location of New Selo, until passed through Selo market then I decided to stop and ask someone, an old man over sixty years old (I guessed) sitting on his motorcycle. But his respond made me shocked. You know what he said. He knew nothing about New Selo. He said that I should have turned back, but I belived I was on the right direction. I usually combine by using GPS and manually by asking someone while blogging to a new place I've never been there before. So I finally turned back again and rode my motorcycle for hundreds meters then turned left on a small ascending street on the left. After a few minutes roaming around, fortunately I saw a big sign on a mountain slope "New Selo". Then I asked a young woman whom I met for the direction. I exactly returned to the place I'd just been there.
If you are from Boyolali and intend to visit New Selo, just follow Boyolali - Magelang Rd. Then after passing through Selo market, turn left, and just follow the ascending street. It's merely 2 km from the market to New Selo.
Two photos above were views behind me or before I arrived in New Selo's parking lot.
There were only a few motorcycles in the parking lot when I arrived, perhaps it's on wednesday, and on weekend usually would be more visitors or climbers, I just predicted.
The parking lot isn't too big but nice, and some "warung" (stalls) but at that time only two were open. There are two New Selo signs, a big one and a small one. The big one is the iconic which guided me when I lost. And most people who visit this amazing place like to get an epic selfie with the New Selo sign.
Not long after I arrived, a small group of young people came with a small pickup truck, they were going to climb mount Merapi. I though it was a smart idea to safe their energy by renting the pickup truck to take them to this spot before starting climbing the mountain.
Those mountain climbers reminded me along time ago while I was waiting for high school graduation. My friends and I, we were four people, decided to climb mount Slamet which considered as the biggest mountain in Java island. We started climbing from Bambangan, the last village on the slope of mount Slamet. We started climbing at 7 pm. Unfortunately we just spent our night not on the top of the mountain instead on a farmer cornfield because a friend of mine vomited and he didn't afford to continue hiking.
In my curiosity, I intended to inspect this area. Next to the "warung" (stalls), there is a small concrete walkway with grass on the left and right side. This nice walkway lead me to a bamboo building. I kept approaching the building. On the bottom of a stair (the entrance stair) a notice clearly can be seen that each visitor has to pay at IDR 10k (USD 0.75) for the entry fee. "Oemah Bamboo Merapi" is trully worth to visit, especialy during a sunny day. "Oemah" is Javanese word for "house", located on the hiking trail to the summit of mount Merapi. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so I couldn't see the mount Merapi, while mount Merbabu could only be seen a part. In addition, a small cafe at "Oemah Bamboo Merapi" offers some options of drinks and food. When I though enough in exploring it, I headed to "Bukit Gancik Hill".
Heading to Gancik Hill Top
Gancik Hill Top, which is only 4.9 km from New Selo, is a selfie spot and a hiking trail to the summit of mount Merbabu which has been opened since 2015 and considered as the shortest trek.
It's so different if we compare it with New Selo which can be reached by cars, while Gancik Hill Top can only be reached by motorcycles as it's only a small concrete pathway, so it's not big enough for a car.
The very ascending path to the top of hill forced me to park my matic motorcycle with the other two motorcycles which already there and continued hiking on foot for about 1 km. If you ride non matic motorcycle I think there will be no problem. On the top of the hill, some locals provide "ojek" or motorcycle taxi service at the fee IDR 10k (USD 0.75).
Unfortunately, it was cloudy or actually it had been cloudy since I was still in New Selo but in Gancik Hill Top seemed more cloudy. If only I had come there earlier maybe I would have enjoyed more.
On sunny days, Gancik Hill Top has an amazing view of mount Merapi and lovely vegetables gardens during the way up there. However, I saw some teenagers really enjoyed their time and took photos although it was cloudy.
