Kobaran Beach, Exotic Beach with Balinese nuances in Gunung Kidul-Yogyakarta

 Kobaran Beach, Exotic Beach with Balinese nuances in Gunung Kidul-Yogyakarta

Kobaran Beach or better known as Ngobaran Beach is one of the exotic beaches which is located not too far from Ngrenehan Beach, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. It is even reported that the entrance ticket to Ngobaran Beach is one with Ngrenehan Beach. No need to worry, the entrance ticket to Ngobaran Beach is quite cheap, only IDR 3,000 per person.

The location of Kobaran Beach is in the south coast sea cluster, precisely in Kanigoro Village, Saptosari District, Gunungkidul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The distance of Ngobaran Beach is about 2 km from Ngrenehan Beach. The route or road to Ngobaran Beach is quite easy. There are at least 2 routes that you can take.

The first route is through Jalan Imogiri Timur from Jogja City. Then just drive straight until the T-junction of Imogiri Market, take the right lane. Then just go straight and then take the left lane towards Selopamioro, until later you find the southern causeway. Just follow the path until you find directions to Ngobaran Beach on the right side of the road.

While the second route is to pass Jalan Wonosari by driving from the city of Yogyakarta. Later you just drive to take the direction to Baron Beach. If you have arrived at the T-junction of Baron Beach, take a right. Later on the left of the road there will be directions to Ngobaran Beach that you can follow. If from Jogja, the distance to Ngobaran Beach is 65 km.

Those of you who depart from Klaten can also travel to Ngobaran Beach by passing the Klaten, Cawas, Karangmojo, Wonosari, Siraman, Pulutan, Wiyoko, Paliyan, Trowono Market, Kanigoro markets, until you arrive at Ngobaran Beach. While the route to Ngobaran Beach from Solo is also the same, you can directly drive to Klaten and follow the route as described previously.

Then, what is really interesting about Kobaran Beach, Gunung Kidul? According to history, this beach was once the place where King Brawijaya V performed the self-immolation ceremony or moksa because he did not want to fight against his own son, Raden Patah. From the story, it is said that people call it Ngobaran Beach, which comes from the word blaze.

So far, many people have called Ngobaran Beach the Yogya Rasa Beach of Bali. Understandably, the nuances at Ngobaran Beach are still thick with Hinduism. There you can find a temple for Hindu worship. Uniquely, near the temple there is also a prayer room which is used as a place of worship for Muslims. Unlike other prayer rooms in general, this prayer room was deliberately built facing the south. But the Muslims there continued to pray facing the Qibla.

Not only that, in the Ngobaran Beach area, ritual ceremonies are often held for adherents of the Kejawen sect. So it can be said that this beach is a manifestation of real tolerance between a number of adherents of certain religions and beliefs in Gunung Kidul. When you first set foot on Ngobaran Beach, you may also immediately smell the incense or incense which is part of the kejawen offerings there.

On Ngobaran Beach there are also statues that are similar to the statues of Ganesha, Shiva, and so on. Not only statues with Hindu nuances, on Ngobaran Beach you will find coral hills that are higher in position. From the top of the hill you can see the view from the highest side and also watch the sunrise or sunset without any barrier. Amazing isn't it?

The water at Kobaran Beach is reportedly still blue and clear. The uniqueness of this beach, at low tide you will see small pools formed from corals covered with algae or a type of seaweed and in it there are various marine biota. The ponds are usually used by local fishermen who want to sell marine products without having to use boats or boats to go to sea. Various marine biota were collected, such as lobster, sea urchin, shellfish, starfish, to seaweed.

Well, talking about marine life, apparently the catches of fishermen on the shores are usually traded and you are free to buy any amount. For example, for simbar wreaths which are often used as ingredients for making crackers, they are sold at a price of Rp. 3-5 thousand per kg, moss wreaths are Rp. . Don't forget to try the delicious seaweed dent in Ngobaran which is sold for only IDR 2 thousand per pack.

You also shouldn't miss trying the typical culinary at Ngobaran Beach, namely fried sea urchin. This one menu is usually sold in the stalls there. According to local residents, sea urchin meat is very chewy and delicious. The way to eat sea urchin is also unique, before cutting the porcupine thorns until they are flat, then they are broken using a sickle until the flesh is visible. Then the sea urchin meat is gouged out. This menu can certainly be an alternative to extreme menus that you can taste while in Kobaran.

The facilities available at Kobaran Beach Gunung Kidul are actually quite complete. From the entrance, you will be greeted by a shop selling souvenirs typical of Ngobaran Beach. If you are hungry after a long journey, there are also food stalls selling seafood menus which are certainly tempting. There is also a bathroom or toilet that is quite clean and well-maintained.

For those who bring private vehicles, a large parking area has been provided. Motorcycle parking costs around IDR 2,000, while car parking costs IDR 5,000. However, it is reported that there are still no hotels, homestays, or so on near Ngobaran Beach. If you want to spend the night there, you might be able to try camping by asking the Ngobaran Beach manager for permission first.