Black sand at Pantai Joko Tingkir, mangroves in Desa Mojo and a wooden pier at Pantai Widuri show how differently you can discover Pemalang. Add cultural sites, outdoor activities and dishes with their own histories. First decide which of these facets interests you most, then plan your individual destinations accordingly.
Coast and Mangroves
Pantai Joko Tingkir is in the Nyamplungsari area, 17 kilometers east of Pemalang city. Its black sand stretches along the entire beach and is characteristic of Java’s northern coast. At Pantai Widuri, the focus is on a different kind of visit: visitors can take photos on a wooden pier or go on a sightseeing boat trip.
Hutan Mangrove Mojo is a tourist site in Desa Mojo, Kecamatan Ulujami, Kabupaten Pemalang. The mangrove forest adds a distinct focus to the coastal destinations. If you want to include several places in your trip, consider the location of each one individually when planning, rather than assuming they form a single route simply because they are all in Pemalang.
Culture, Pilgrimage Sites and Traditions
Benowo Park in Desa Penggarit, Kecamatan Taman, hosts Pasar Kamis Wage once a month on Thursday Wage according to the Javanese calendar. Check the exact date before your trip. The park is also home to the tomb of Pangeran Benowo, which is considered a religious tourism site.
Another pilgrimage site is the tomb of Syekh Maulana Syamsudin in the Tanjungsari area, Desa Sugihwaras, Kabupaten Pemalang, on Java’s northern coast. It is considered an important and sacred pilgrimage site. Desa Asemdoyong’s cultural heritage includes Seni Krangkeng: the tradition dates back to the Mataram Kingdom and originally served as self-defense training. It developed into a performance combining dance, Pencak Silat and acrobatics.
Dance and musical theater also offer different ways to experience the local culture. The movements of Tari Selendang Pemalang draw on traditions from Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Banyumas and Sunda. Silakupang brings together Sintren, Laes, Kuntulan and Kuda Kepang in a single performance in Kabupaten Pemalang.
Outdoor and Water Activities
Rainbow Rafting Pemalang features a 6-kilometer rafting course with 18 rapids. Facilities for outdoor activities, camping and paintball are also available. If you would rather explore rocky terrain than be on the water, Gunung Gajah offers short hikes across challenging and extreme terrain. The via ferrata at Bukit Mendelem has 420 steps leading to the summit.
Bukit Tangkeban is in Desa Nyalembeng, Kecamatan Pulosari, on the slopes of Mount Slamet. Its facilities include a glass bridge, a camping area, homestay-style accommodation and horseback riding. Zatobay Waterboom offers a different focus: its pools include a children’s pool, a tipping-bucket pool, a current pool, an Olympic-size pool, a women’s pool and a sports pool. You can choose destinations based on the activities and kind of visit you’re interested in, without treating these very different offerings as equivalent.
Distinctive Local Dishes
The local cuisine offers several specific discoveries, too. Lontong Dekem is served in a container made of banana leaves. It comes with sliced lontong, yellow curry-like coconut milk sauce, grated coconut, crushed crackers and fried shallots. Nasi Grombyang is a soup-like dish made with buffalo or beef.
Ogel-ogel is made by combining glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, egg, sugar, salt and cheese into an elastic dough. Kamir, meanwhile, is considered a legacy of the Arab descendants who live in Kelurahan Mulyoharjo, also known as Kampung Arab. These different dishes and cultural connections give your trip another focus alongside the coast and activities.
More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Pemalang, Petarukan, Cilacap, Karanganyar, Sukoharjo, Magelang, Boyolali, Banyumas.
For the main travel overview: Central Java.
