Situ Sangiang (Sangiang Lake) is a lake that lies between forest and farms near Talaga Sangiang village, Majalengka regency, West Java of Indonesia.

The lake is within Ciremai Mountain National Park, and the flora and fauna within the park are protected by governmental law.

The protected plants are rare tropical plants as a result of deforestation in some areas in Indonesia, especially in Sumatra Island, such as the Sumatran Pine Tree and the Javanese Castanopsis Trees.

The lake is not that big but it’s a very strange but worthy tourist spot to visit. In the lake there are very giant goldfish and catfish in large quantities that can easily be seen on the top of the lake. It is funny to watch the giant fish racing to eat the bread, which you can buy from the local vendors near the lake to feed them.

The lake is available for swimming and the men can swim with their usual swimming suits, while the women must wear Javanese traditional women clothing called tapih. The tapih should be white colored. The tapih is a short waistband for women with exposed shoulders and arms and the legs are bare below the knees.

The park also contains Makam Sunan Parung which is a tomb of an Islamic figure in this area.

To reach the tomb you have to climb very high stairs. It’s advisable for the women to wear long clothes with tops that cover the shoulders and they shouldn’t wear shorts above the knee while visiting the tomb to respect the Islamic traditions while visiting the graves. While climbing the stairs you will face some jumping monkeys on the surrounding trees or on the stairs themselves.

The easiest route to get into the park to see the Makam and the lake by public transportation is to travel from your location in Cirebon city to the city terminal by Angkot (which is a minibus). After that you should take another bus to Kuningan city. Then you should take the 3^rd  Angkot to Talaga Sangiang village.

Most of the Angkot drivers can’t speak English, so it’s better to have a printed paper with you to show them your destination. Also, it would be good if you have a dictionary in your mobile phone to translate your words into the Indonesian language.

The other option is to take a motorbike taxi since the car taxis don’t exist in Kuningan city and very seldom in Cirebon city.

The landscapes in both sides of the road makes fresh air to breathe and great views to photograph, most of them are farms and plantations.

Using  a helmet is very important while riding hiring the motorbike taxis due to long distances and the upward road while climbing the park, and downward road in the way back. Also because of the tropical climate with heavy raining at any time, it would be dangerous to not use it.

The admission fee into the park is 4000 Indonesian rupiah (43 US cents) and the park is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. You can give donations in the boxes at the entrance of the Makam.

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About the author

Obai Radwan
I'm Palestinian citizen , living in Lisbon, Portugal I love traveling ,photographing ,and swimming! I've Bachelor's Degree in Mass communications from Cairo University follow me on Twitter @ubai1982