What it is like to Sandboard at Parangkusumo Gumuk Pasir, Yogyakarta 

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Jiaying

I feel fortunate to be a part of this loving family's adventures. I bring an extra dose of fun and laughter to our trips, while ensuring everyone feels supported and included. Traveling with my dear nieces opens my eyes to new perspectives, and together, we create precious memories that will be cherished for years to come.

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Sandboarding in Yogyakarta sounds unusual right? 

It might be the last thing anyone will think of finding in Indonesia!

When we found out that you can sandboard at Parangkusumo, we hesitated for a while before deciding to give it a go!

Let’s check if it is worth a visit!

The first thing that came to our mind after we get out of the car – it is scorching hot! 🌞This is when we start to feel that snowboarding is better than sandboarding!☃️❄️ How I wish we can snowboard now! Notchbad is aiming to snowboard at the end of this year (either in Niseko or Hakuba)! Our goal for 2017! 🏂

For those of you stuck in the sunny Singapore, you may wish to check out SportQuest a place for you to get cooled! You can try snowboarding too!🏂🏂

Information on Gumuk Pasir Barchan

What makes Parangkusumo sand dune unique is the type of sand dune! Barchan is the type of sand dune. The occurrence of sand dunes or sand bank is considered an unusual phenomenon in an area that has a very high rainfall. It is different from other sand dunes in the world. Based on studies conducted by experts, this sand dune results from the eruption of Mount Merapi whereby the sediments are carried by rivers into the South Coast. This is probably why the colour of the sand is greyish!🌋

Exploring Parangkusumo Sand dune on foot!

A smarter way to view the whole area is to see from the top!

HUH? Are you sure? 

Stable anot?

Here we are!

This tall structure would be the first thing that anyone would notice at Gumuk Pasir Parangkusumo. It is out of nowhere, and we also don’t know what is it for! If you ask me, I would think it is probably a viewing point! It doesn’t look tall but standing on top made us shiver especially when the wind blew!

⚠️ Climb at your own risk! Slightly shaky and unstable! 😨

View from the Top

From the top, we can see the entire Gumuk Pasir Parangkusumo.👀

We are shaking on top!

It was quite scary to be up here! You can see we are holding on tightly to each other as it doesn’t seem too stable!😧😧

Towkaynew was forced to come up and we had to take this photo!

His face and behavior was just too epic!😵😵

Chilling like the locals!

After nuaing, we decided to get into action! Where’s the sandboards!?😅

Getting ready! 

Two maids renting the sandboard

We rented a sandboard at IDR 140.000 to play for unlimited amount of time! There were no price list as to the sandboard rental or any indication. We felt a bit cheated and most probably we got cheated la. Because it seems like they anyhow say the price. Where got so expensive one sia?? 😱😱 So if you get a cheaper price, you can laugh at us liao!! Hehe 😂 happy can already😅

OUR FIRST SANDBOARDING

With our boards ready, let’s go! It was our first time sandboarding! But luckily, there is someone to guide us!

The key to smooth sandboarding is wax the board to reduce the friction. Else you will be stuck halfway!

Wet VS Dry

There was two option given to us! Dry or Wet! Basically, at the end of the slope, there is a mini lake. If you want to get a bath, you may slide in and have a quick shower! HAHA just kidding! But just so you know that there is a puddle of water at the end of the slope and there is a risk of getting wet! Make sure you recce the area thoroughly before sliding down!

REAADYYY TO GOOO!!

Oh ya actually, there is a big sand dune beside us but it was too hot! So we seek shade and sandboard in the forest area!

We stayed away from the water! HEHEWe managed to slide down smoothly after a few tries! It was not too scary lah!  Sandboarding success!!👏👏Thanks to our friendly instructor who taught us sand-boarding!😄

Personally, Gumuk Pasir Parangkusumo would be only worth a visit if you have never been to one before. If you have been to a desert or done sandboarding board before, I think it is not necessary to visit Parangkusumo Sand dune as it may be a bit disappointing! The sand dune appears smaller, less photogenic than in photos. There is no wave pattern or whatsoever. It is less impressive but pretty good and still fun to play.😉😉

Before you add Parangkusumo Sand dune into your itinerary, here’s 5 things you need to know!

1. Sandboard Rental Rates
   Sand board rental price are not fixed. So it would be up to them to decide the price. If you can’t speak Bahasa Indonesian, like us, you will probably just accept whatever they say just like us HAHA!
2. You will get tired! You slide down, you climb up!
   From our experience, one board is enough for 4 people! Sharing is caring! You will get shag from climbing back up after you slide down!
3. Pay attention to your kids
   You have to pay attention to your kids, just like anywhere else! The area is huge, free for them to run and play around! Do keep a lookout for them! It’s normal to fall and roll around the sand dune but make sure they do not swallow the sand!
4. Bring a set of extra Clothes if you are a clean freak!
   After sandboarding, we were covered with sand. You may want to bring an additional change of clothes! Anyway, we are all dirty together HAHA!
5. Hydrate yourself
   Make sure you drink up and stay hydrated while having fun!!

Have fun and have lots of fun in Yogyakarta!☺️

Stay tuned as we will continue to share more adventures!!

Feel free to comment below to share with us your experience and adventure at Gumuk Pasir Parangkusumo !😊🙂