Srowolan Cultural Tourism Village

Rating :

4.6 ( 5 Voter(s) )

A. Overview

Recent tourism trend has shown that many people tend to avoid “conventional” tourism destinations. They are no longer attracted by old tourism concepts such as mountain tourism (trekking and hiking), beach tourism (surfing and snorkeling), fishing in a lake, or visiting a museum, monument, palace, or other historical buildings. Today, people would rather go for tourism activities that offer new and unique experience.

One of the reasons for that is their scarce interaction with residents of the tourism objects. Besides, it is fact that many tourists do not have enough time to go on vacation so that they prefer a tourism destination that offers many things all at once. In response to such tourist demand, people have come up with an idea to set up a tourism destination that provides a “complete” tourism attraction. One of the manifestations is tourism village.

Tourist demand to get more involved in their tourism activity is discerned in a positive response by some people in some villages to develop the concept of tourism village. Thus, village tourism has become the trend in the last 15 years, including in some Yogyakarta villages. The development of the tourism villages has been carried out by different parties: by the residents independently, supported by the government tourism agency, or funded by investors.

So is the case with Srowolan Tourism Village, which is located in Pakem District, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta. The village is one of 36 tourism villages in Sleman Regency. The village that lies 16 km from Yogyakarta downtown is worked on by the local people with full support from Sleman Regional Government and some investors.

Srowolan Tourism Village is actually a joint of three small hamlets in Purwobinangun Village administrative territory, namely Gatep Srowolan, Karanggeneng, and Gandok Kadilobo. Since they had taken advantage of the existence of Sayuti Melik Cultural Workshop and Perjuangan Srowolan Market (established in 1921) as historical tourism objects, they realized that, aside from their village agricultural potential, there was another lucrative opportunity to develop. It was none but tourism.

Considering the people’s serious intention, the Merti Dusun Forum led by GKR Pembayun together with Culture and Tourism Agency of Sleman Regency concretely and continually supported the setting up of the tourism village. Since then, people’s attention was focused more on tourism. This area was finally inaugurated as tourism village on October 28^th 2007, the same day as the 79^th Sumpah Pemuda.

Apart from Srowolan Market and Sayuti Melik Cultural Workshop as its main historical tourism attraction, the village is special for its natural beauty with three springs on which Srowolan people depend their life. Then, as a tourism village, Srowolan was deliberately designed for tourists who want to see as well as participate in person in local people’s activities, such as traditional farming, Javanese traditional ceremony (merti dusun, wedding, etc.), while staying in Javanese traditional houses for several days. Not only that, the people together with Sleman Regional Government and investors created some unique tourism attractions, combining local culture/tradition and natural beauty with artificial tourism facilities. All of these experiences the village offer are wrapped in tour packages.

Since its beginning in mid-2000s, Srowolan Cultural Tourism Village has become a favorite tourism destination as an alternative and educative area. The long waiting list of visitors to do outbound activities out of holiday season in Srowolan proves that the local people can manage the tourism well and provide tourists with satisfying services.

B. Features

Srowolan Cultural Tourism Village, some call it Sorowulan Village, has many attractions to deserve visits of tourists. At first, Srowolan was famous mainly for the existence of Srowolan Sultanate Market, which was considered to be the twin of Ngasem Market in Yogyakarta downtown while at the same time, was the place where Sayuti Melik (who typed the text of Indonesian declaration of independence) was born. However, the village potential turned out to exceed the historical traces attached there in terms of tourism appeal.

The cooling breeze and sounds of pure water that comes out from the village springs really give the place refreshing atmosphere. Water for the local people is a true blessing from Devi Sri, the farming Hindu goddess. Starting with the discovery of three springs in Srowulan Village, namely Nyamplung, Kepepet, and Kemantren Belanda. The village soil, which had used to be dry, became productive as rice could grow there. It is mainly because of these springs that Srowolan Cultural Tourism Village can now offer tourism in natural village environment.

Visiting the village, visitors are usually taken to play with water in the shallow spring. It is real experience as parents can acquaint their children with the daily life of village people that is impossible to find in urban areas. Beside, here visitors can try plowing the farm lands using cart-like device that is pulled by cows or water buffalos, fishing in a pond with hands, playing gamelan music (karawitan), and other village activities. This village is an alternative tourism for its natural village environment, clearly a good place to get rid of tiredness and boredom.

Srowolan Cultural Tourism Village also provides areas for natural education, such as Banyu Sumilir and Shaba (Sahabat Alam). Banyu Sumilir, inaugurated by Sleman Regent Ibnu Subiyanto on April 6th 2008, is a place offering fishing ponds, swimming pool, food stalls, Javanese cultural hut, and other challenging games. In Banyu Sumilir visitors can also see the Monumen Kebangkitan Budaya Merti Dusun Banyu Sumilir (Monument of Merti Dusun Culture Revival in Banyu Sumilir). The monument was created as a mark of the resurrection of merti dusun ceremony which had been extinct for some time.

Similar to Banyu Sumilir, Shaba offers village recreation as traditional restaurant at which customers sit on mats, fishing ponds, natural education areas, and game arenas. For visitors who like fishing, the village has the Embung Karanggeneng. Embung Karanggeneng is a rainfall container pond which is used as fish pond. For Rp 10.000,-, visitors are allowed to catch as many fishes as they can in a day. There are also game arenas such as mud bridge, bandulan/rope for hanging, wood climbing and spider web arenas, water playing arena, and mud playing arena in farm fields. Moreover, in this area visitors can catch fishes, play football, plow the farm fields, nggaru (preparing the land in the morning for planting using traditional device), explore the spring, and bath in the river.

C. Location

Srowolan Cultural Tourism Village is situated in Purwobinangun Village, Pakem District, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

D. Access

From Yogyakarta downtown, it is better for visitors to rent a car or taxi to get to the village. Heading for Magelang Street, turn right at the cross near the Sleman Regional Government Office and go eastwards through Parasamya Street. Around 6 km on, visitors will find a board that reads “Desa Wisata Srowolan”. It is likely to cost around Rp 40.000,- by taxi from Yogyakarta.

E. Ticket

Basically, visitors are not charged for anything. Visiting Srowolan Traditional Market and watching art performance in Sayuti Melik Cultural Workshop every Sunday Wage (day in Javanese calendar) are free.

However, there are indeed various tariffs to enjoy the village tourism facilities such as the fishing pond, food stalls, swimming pool, outbound arena, staying in the people’s houses, and so on. Below are the tariff details for the village facilities:

1. Banyu Sumilir

There are 5 packages with different tariffs and facilities, they are:

Family Gathering

Family Gathering is a package for guests in Banyu Sumilir restaurant. Here, visitors can do an activity, either individual or in group from an institution or organization, in small number (less than 20 persons), medium number (20-100 persons), or big number (more than 100 persons). The activity material can be provided depending on the customers’ needs. In Family Gathering package, there are some facilities as follows:

1. Playing area and facilities (water pond, mud pond, salak garden, fishing pond, and outbound facilities)
2. Restaurant and traditional dishes for family
3. Traditional art performance
4. Lodging
5. Natural tourism (river, salak garden, and farm land exploration)
Adventure Education Based Outdoor Activity

This program is designed especially for SD (elementary school), SMP (junior high school), SMA (senior high school) students who want to have a natural tourism for a day and a night with various outward bound basic level activities. The program is a method for increasing communication, tolerance, teamwork abilities in a group. For this facility, each person is charged Rp 150.000,-, including facilitator, meals, drinks, and snacks. Also offered in Adventure Education Based Outdoor Activity program are as follows:

1. Outward bound facilitator team
2. Camping ground
3. Natural tourism
4. Outward bound equipment
5. Traditional cuisine

Outward Bound

This program is designed for institutions and organizations who want to hold an activity or human resource development workshop for its employees or other those of higher level such as supervisors, trainers, and managers. There are two programs offered:

1. Three-day Team Performance Building program. The charge for a package (for 12 persons) is Rp 16.000.000,- while for extra participants, each person is charged Rp 1.800.000,-.

2. Five-day Training the Trainer program for managers. The charge for a package (for 12 persons) is Rp 27.000.000,- and for extra participant, there is an addition as much as Rp 2.900.000,- per person. The charge covers facilitators, workshop speakers, handout, certificates, lodgings, snacks, meals and drinks, and workshop T-shirt.

Outing Program

This one is a part of the Outward Bound or Outdoors Management Experience Training (OMET) program designed for institutions or organizations who want to hold an education or training activity for their employees. Here, there are three programs offered as follows:

1. One-day Team Building program. The charge per package for 36 persons is Rp 8.000.000,- and for extra participants is Rp 225.000,- each person.

2. Two-day Achievement Motivation Training program. The charge per package for 24 participants is Rp 9.500.000,- and for extra participants is Rp 450.000,- per person. This charge covers facilitators, workshop speakers, lodgings, snacks, drinks, and three meals.

3. Three-day Leadership Building program. For a package for 24 participants, the charge is Rp 19.500.000,- and for extra participants is Rp 900.000,- per person. The charge covers facilitators, workshop speakers, handout, lodging, meals and drinks, and workshop T-shirt.

High Rope Course – Interpersonal Challenge Program

This program is set for institutions or organizations or individual who want to hold a Chalenge Training Program for Manager. This 5-day program focuses on training the trainer. The facilities included are lodging, 48 kinds of outward bound installation games. The charge per participant for this program is Rp 4.500.000,-. The number of participants is minimum 10 persons and maximum 24 persons.

2. Shaba (Sahabat Alam)

Shaba is one of tourism spots in Srowolan Tourism Village that offers various facilities, such as:

Embung Karanggeneng fishing pond:

The entrance ticket is Rp 10.000,-. The tariff is for all day long without any additional charge for caught fishes.

Swimming pool

The entrance ticket here is relatively cheap, Rp 3.000,- per person.

Restaurant
Agrotourism:

Agrotourism is a tourism activity in which tourists are taken to farms or salak, lanson, coconut, wongai plum gardens and so on. The cost varies, depending on the number of participants.

F. Accommodations and Other Facilities

The place provides supporting facilities such as toilets and bathrooms; information center ready to help visitors 24 hours every day; a hall of 80 people capacity and Banyu Sumilir restaurant that can accommodate up to 120 people; snack store that sells various local cuisines such as urapan rice, brongkos rice, duck cooked with rujak spices, and fish; parking lot that can accommodate ± 60 cars, ± 100 motorcycles, and ± 5 buses; lodgings in the local people’s houses (60 houses) for those wanting to stay over; and not to mention, there is also safety insurance for tourists during their visit here.

Text: Khidir Marsanto

Translation: Reza Daffi (trans/09/06-10)

Photos Collection of Jogjatrip.com

Read : 7088 time(s).

If you are from outside Yogyakarta and want to visit this place by travel agency services,
please contact:

Maharatu Tour and Travel

Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 27 Yogyakarta.
Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
Website : www.maharatu.com

If you had visited this location, rate and leave a commentary to be noticed by its management and surrounding governmental tourism board.

Share