This is what I called the 1st waterfall in Teluk Subang.
Why don’t you just walk? I thought that you are a true adventurer? Nope, you are wrong, because I am a lazy bastard. Hmm, No, I am not a bastard so you can revise that word. You may actually replace it with "awesome traveler". Yeah, that quite fits me. Anyway, the point is, you will need another 1 hour if you reach the Dayak Village by walking. I don’t have time and energy for that so f*ck it, I’ll take ojek.
Dayak Traditional Rural - Need to be noted that they are not as traditional as you think. They have motorcycle, understand bahasa & certainly well-mannered.
Then the problem arises. If you were there during a holiday season, there is usually a transportation mode - consists of a cart attached to a motorcycle - hence it can bring multiple tourists and will charge you around 15k / person / one way. Or there will be ojek (google it if you don’t know what it is) that will charge you 50k / 2 ways to reach Dayak Village. But I was there during weekdays and I was the only tourist that day. So all the locals (men) were going to the forest for farming, means that there is no Ojek, cart or anything. Cursed me!
I walked around and I saw a motorcycle parked at one house and I greeted the owner. Basically I was expecting that he would be my guide to the falls or at least he would agree to transfer me to Dayak Village. I used my charm there, tell him that I was alone and was coming here from a distant land. If you are traveling solo, this skill is a must have ability because you know what, it always works! He said that I can use his motorcycle and then he called some kids that were playing not far from his house, and asked them to accompany me to the waterfalls. The kids agreed. So I have motorcycle, I have new friends that also will be my guide and now I am a happy man.
Teluk Subang Beach. However since this is a fisherman village, hence the cleanliness is not highly maintained.
Depending on your trip arrangement, still I’d suggest you to start it as early as possible. I plan to visit at least 2 waterfalls on Teluk Subang so I should get up early and begin my trip at 7AM. The reason is because it will take a quite amount of time if you are desired to visit more than 1 waterfall on Teluk Subang. So for your information, there are 3 waterfalls available there which the name itself are not really firmed. The explanations are as below:
3rd Waterfall (Bidadari Falls)
This is the closest waterfall from the beach and it only takes around 5 minutes to reach this area. The falls is quite small but the pond is awarding. As far as I know, this is the only waterfall that already had a firm name. Most of the tourists are only visit this waterfall before embarking to the next island.
Bidadari Waterfall - I think this is the only falls that has its own firm name.
2nd Waterfall
This waterfall is claimed to be the most interesting one among the others since it consists of several levels that you can explore wholly. In fact, I haven’t been here yet so I couldn’t give any further details about its particular. However, I knew from the locals that this falls is located around 30-40 minutes from dayak village. Means that you are required to have sufficient time & physical fitness as well since the trail is a bit adventurous.
1st Waterfall
The farthest falls from Teluk Subang which is situated around 60-70 minutes trekking from Dayak Village. It consists of 1 waterfalls with 15-25 meters height. I was here during my trip there and I’d suggest you to bring enough water & wearing a proper trekking apparel - just to make your life easier ;)
Departed around 7AM, we would need around 15-20 minutes until we get to Teluk Subang’s shore. The village has a large white sand beach - even though I can’t guarantee its cleanliness. As soon as I step my feet on its shore, I was greeted by a group of local tourists -lying on the beach without any clothes - sunbathing. Okay, since my purpose is to visit the farthest falls from its shore - which is the 1st waterfalls - hence I need to get a guide that is willing to accompany me there. But first, I need a bike or motorcycle or ojek or whatever you call to transfer me from here to Dayak Village.
Tanning Cows - Meet the local tourists! Initially all of them have white fur, but some of them have transformed it to brown already.
Get a motorcycle from your homestay then go further to the east until there is no more street. If this is your first time there and you feel lost and unsure whether you are in the correct way or not, don’t worry because I did feel the same as well. Keep going until it takes around 20 minutes from Labuan Cermin to reach Teluk Sulaiman or Sulaiman Bay.
The spot is good for sunset, but what is most important, this is a port that will transport you for island hopping through Kaniungan and Sembat Bay. Two-ways trip will cost you IDR 500k for maximum around 12 pax/boat. You may make appointment first with the boatman if you are there during afternoon or sunset time since the trip shall be started in the morning. More details are available on the last page. Yes correct, I intend to force you to open my Destination Slide’s pages, one by one, before you obtain the most important information haha. The world is cruel mate, get used to it ;)
The names are Satria and Delon, 9 years old boys that were currently playing on their bicycles. We are just first time met and they don’t know me at all. But surprisingly they agreed to go to the falls together & left their bicycles behind. We were then off to go to Dayak Village by using a motorcycle which was just lent.
It was only taking 15 minutes to reach the village. I was a bit surprised when I met local dayak kids playing with their wood-carved toys. As the kids with the same age in my city are already getting used to smart phones & tablets, here they are looked more cheerful and happy with the simplicity of their toys which they created by themselves. Yeah, as Da Vinci noted, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
“Let’s go!” said Satria as he walked through the deep of rainforest - barefooted. We walked across the jungle to reach the first waterfalls which is distanced around 70 minutes from the Dayak Village. By then I remembered a word from my friend that sometimes, the thing that made our journey much more memorable is not the beauty of the destination which we visited, but it is more to our relationship to the people we met along the way. The stories and the moments that we shared together that make things last forever in our mind. And that is exactly what I feel.
Dayak Kids with their dazzling toys. Somehow, this scene reminds me to my old-time as I played together with my childhood friends on the back of my garden. We didn't just play the toys, we created it.
My moments with Delon & Satria, the kids who were deliberately willing to take more than 2 hours trip for total, only to accompany me - a total stranger - to visit one of the nature beauty which their village owns. I was also impressed by their curiosity & simple minded - which keeps them to ask questions about everything - such as whether my hometown (Jogja) is far from here? How much you need to get there? Is it correct that in the city, the ship is as large as soccer field? Is plane also as large as soccer field as well? They keep talking and asking for the whole trekking duration and certainly I answered those questions seriously. I just hope their curiosity may develop and soon they will be a someone that are challenged to see the world outside their village.
The waterfall is great, but my conversation with Krisna & Delon is what makes my journey there felt special.
Then until at the end of our trip - when we arrived at Bidadari’s Falls (3rd Waterfall), Satria finally said something that I'd like to hear from the beginning, “Sir, when I’ll be a grown up man someday, I’d like to go to Jogja.” Feel glad, I just answered, “Sure I’ll be waiting for you there and I’ll accompany you to visit the Waterfalls in Jogja.” We traded goodbyes, took photograph together then we departed on separate ways. We looked each other, waving, until the distance limited our sight. Goodbye mate! I'll see you in Jogja. Soon.
There are actually 2 Kaniungan - Kaniungan Besar & Kaniungan Kecil - that you can visit upon finishing your journey at Teluk Sumbang. While the inhabitad Kaniungan Kecil is located much further from the main land, Kaniungan Besar is only situated around 15 minutes from the bay. There is a single accommodation + restaurant built in Kaniungan Besar which you shall try its seafood. The spices are so delicious! If you’d like to get a more affordable food, local warung is also established around for your alternative choice. Just don’t forget to bring your snorekeling gears to spend an hour like a real tourist.
Another tropical island which is well defined!
If you completed your lunch already, ask the boatman to bring you around the island and drop you on whatever spots that you think it is good for snorekeling. Depend on your itinerary, you may then proceed to Kaniungan Kecil for another snorekeling. Since I am not really good at snorekeling ("just say it that you can’t swim!") so I skip the option to go to Kaniungan Kecil. Moreover, by not visiting that island, I can save IDR 100k for the additional charge that will emerge if I intend to visit both Kaniungan. So after circling Kaniungan Besar, I proceeded to Sigendis, the magnificent mangrove forest.
