Exploring Mount Dempo and Its Vicinity in the City of Pagaralam, South Sumatera.

Mount Dempo in Pagaralam, South Sumatera.

Mount Dempo is administratively part of the City of Pagaralam, South Sumatera Province. As a destination of the natural tourism  in Pagaralam, Mount of Dempo  is the most visited site and accessible directly by car both from Palembang and Bengkulu. From Palembang, it takes approximately 6 hours more or less for about 295 kilometers. Direct flights of any air lanes are available daily from Jakarta to both cities to connect to Pagaralam.

Geographically positioned at 04° 02'' SL and 103° 08'' EL, Mount Dempo is the highest peak in South Sumatra and  has two peaks called Dempo and Merapi. The highest peak is Merapi with 3173 m high above sea level, while Dempo about 3049 m. Around the summit, there are seven craters found and A 400 m wide lake is found at the north-west end of the crater complex.

Tea Plantation at Moun Dempo.

While climbing Mount Dempo, visitors are exposed to the beauty of Dempo Tea Plantation under management of PTPN VII (state-owned tea plantation company). Tea Plantation provides a green landscape which is very soothing to the eyes when looked at: you will feel want to continue looking at the beauty of the tea plantations on the slopes of Mount Dempo with a land area of approximately 1.328 Ha, indeed the city is a city of a million beauty and natural charm, it's no wonder the city is a city where the tourists always come on a holiday.

Dempo Tea Plantation is the highest village about 1650 m above mean sea level (MSL). From this village, visitors start to climb and usually spend the night at Sawah Highland (3000 m) where lots of springs running into.There are two tracts to the summit of Mount Dempo:  the tract of Kampung 4 and Rimau. Presently, most climbers starts from Rimau than kampung 4, because the track safer. For those of you who for the first time and wanted to climb the peak Dempo, you' d better find 'Bang' Ilham and his friends in Pagaralam City to ask for their help  as they often guide the local tourists to climb the peak of Mount Dempo.They will bring tourists to the nearest village on the foot of Mount Dempo, which can take more than 20 minutes, because the road is quite steep, winding by passing expanse of green tea gardens (https://pagaralamwisata. wordpress.com).

Once you get to the summit,  the view is superb. In addition to the crater which gives a special impression, you get the chance of overlooking at the Bengkulu province and the Indian Ocean with a carpet of the serene and silent hill and valley.

Pagaralam city has, in fact, a lot of tourism sites,besides Mount Dempo there are also other natural attractions such as waterfalls,as well as archaeological sites. In this city, there are at least 33 waterfalls and 26 sites already listed menheers.The cultural heritages of megalith era are including:

Ancient Human ArcaBelumai villages, megalithic cultural heritage which is alleged to have lived 2500 - 3000 years.Batu GongDusun Karang Dapo, Village Tumbak Ulas, District of South Pagaralam, which is a relic of megalithic; there is also in Dusun Nanding.Batu JajarTanjung Aro, District of North Pagaralam, there are three ranks of stone megaliths along 1 km and a width of 50 m, almost all of andesite totaling 53 pieces. 

Other cultural heritage of megaliths are located in the hamlet Tegurwangi (Batu Beghibu), Mount Migang (Batu Rang, Batu Kitap), Gunung Kaye (Batu bupean, Batu Dakon), Simpang Pelajaran (Batu Pidaran), Muarapayang Site (rock boat, grave stone coffin) , Tanjung-aghe (stone Jeme entwined snakes, grave stone coffin), Talangtinggi Mount Dempo (grave stone coffin), Keban Agung (stone jelapang), Belumay (stone nik kuanci and grave stone coffin), Lubukbuntak (stone Jeme), Geramat Mulak Ulu (stone streaky), Semende (stone treads puyang crew), Pagaralam-Pagargunung (stone ghuse, stone bekatak), Kuteghayewe (stone elephants, grave stone coffin, a stone seat), Impit Hill (rock Jeme ngilik kids), Tanjungsakti (menhir ), Tanjungsakti (stone crater), Baturancing (stone kebau pointy horns).

An array of waterfalls in Pagaralam including :

• Waterfall Ayek KaghangDusun Muara Quiet, Village Perahu Dipo, District of South Pagaralam, 15 km from the center of Pagar Alam, taken within 2 hours by foot, 100 m and a width of 20 m. 

• Waterfall Batu BetulisGutters hamlet Windy, Keluharan Selibar, Northern District of Pagar Alam.Waterfall BesemahSubdistrict South Dempo, the highest waterfall in the city of Pagar Alam, and very beautiful. 

• Waterfall EmbunPagar Alam Utara subdistrict, district Gunung Dempo, no place to shelter visitors. 

• Waterfall  Lawang AgungLawang Agung Lama village, Muara Payang, 45 minutes from the center of Pagaralam, 500 m from the main road. 

• Waterfall Lematang IndahBeautiful Leamatang neighborhood, a roadside on the outskirts of Pagar Alam, 40 meters high, reached by stone steps down to the bottom of the waterfall. 

• Waterfall  MangkokPematangbango hamlet, village Cughup Jare, District of North Pagaralam, with a dressing for those who want a shower, and a prayer room. 

• Waterfall  MelintangSumber Baru, Candi Jaya, but access is extremely difficult, through the woods and coffee plantations with a very steep road. 

• Waterfall PancurIt is located 2 Km from the city center, to the east of Tea Gardens Gunung Dempo, with water so clear, and the pool at the base of the waterfall. 

• Waterfall Seven MemoriesVillage of Dempo Makmur, Northern District of Pagar Alam, there is a pool at the base of a waterfall and rock slide. 

• Other waterfalls in Pagar Alam is Alap-alap, Cungkuh 7th Level, Kasih Bunda, Kincir, Merak, Muara Siban, Muara Tenang, Namling, Padu Rasa, Pancar, Rimau, Sumber Jaya (Dempo Tengah), Talang Keling, Talang Martam, Tanjung Keling (North Dempo).

• Lake Rimbacandi Around the hill Raje Mandare, with red colored water, reached by walking for two days through the woods and hills Rimbacandi, Candi Jaya, District of South Dempo.

Source: www.wikipedia.com and www.merbabu.com