Alluring and Relaxing Banyu Panas Hot Springs in Pacet East Java

“Big buses could not reach the location, except cars. So, the big entourage could only reach until Terminal Ubalan, Pacet. Then, they have to ride ojek with fees around Rp 5.000 to reach the hot springs’ location.”

This place is always full of visitors from various cities and towns in East Java during the holiday season. The visitors could reach around 5.000 visitors.

But, there is a problem. It is the weather.

“The weather could be the possible problem. In the afternoon, there is a downpour which makes the visitors are less than usual,” an Information Centre’s official of Banyu Panas Hot Springs said.

The average amount of the visitors in each month is 38.000-40.000 visitors. For the admission to enter the hot springs area is Rp. 5.000 for an adult and Rp 3.500 for a kid. The visitors also pay extra admission to enter the whole location with Rp 6.000 for an adult and Rp. 4.000 for a kid.

“Not only that, during the high season especially during holiday, the admission is going to be increased become Rp 6.000 for an adult and Rp 4.000 for a kid,” he said.

According to Hadi, regarding the depository vehicle fee that is complained by visitors is hard to control because the parking fee and depository vehicle fee are collected by ex-forest encroachers.

“Yes, it is hard. Moreover, they were forest encroachers. So the only way is a reconstruction of the hot spring that is damaged because of the landslide. The area, parking area, and the playground also need reconstruction. ”

Cleanliness, safety, and discipline are parts of the sapta pesona pariwisata (Indonesia's tourism core elements) that should be the core of the tourism, including this hot springs.

Banyu Panas Hot Springs will be a clean, safe, comfortable, discipline, and attractive travel destination.

“For the vendors and stalls, we have already socialized the sapta pesona, including how hospitalization should be done to the visitors that make them impressed and want to back again,” Hadi said.

Subandi, The Chief of Tourism Sector of Youth, Sport, Culture, and Tourism Kabupaten Mojokerto said that to develop the facilities, including the playground for kids, is a hard task to do. It is because of Perhutani (Indonesia State Forestry) is the owner of that area that has different policies regarding forest management and utilization.

“The concept of the construction of this hot springs area is actually not very ideal because only targeting on having affordable prices but not targeting on people who want premium services with privacy and comfort, such as sauna and spa,” he said.

The regular visitors of Banyu Panas Hot Springs must still remember the landslide that made 26 visitors died in December 2002.

After that accident, the government had closed the area before the reconstruction was done in the new location around 100 meters from the old location that is damaged after the landslide.

“The hot springs above the river are more safety. Even though, there are some possibilities of the landslide. It is because it could not be predicted,” Afandi Abdul Hadi said.

Translated by Vicensa Naomi