CitraElo - Rafting, Outdoor Games & Management Training, Riverside Restaurant

CitraElo is an official and professional tourism service provider serving specific-interest tourism and training packages, such as whitewater rafting, outdoor games and management training and riverside restaurant. This company has been operating since 1999.

All services are centered at Base Camp CitraElo, a lovely and cozy site surrounded by paddy fields and river, parted from crowd by a-600-m private access. The base camp can be reached by driving from Mendut Temple (5 min), Borobudur Temple (10 min), Magelang City (20 min) and Yogyakarta City (40 min). Base Camp CitraElo is furnished with facilities, such as main lobby, riverside restaurant, sanitary, bungy tower, bungy pool, open spaces, parking area and internal security.

CitraElo arranges whitewater rafting into safe and comfortable tourism packages that suit most everybody, even those with no swimming ability. CitraElo is committed to preserve its Zero-Accident milestone by providing and assuring the use of international-safety-standard gears and equipment which is compulsory to all participants, and assigning well-trained and experienced RiverGuides to escort the trip.

Participants can choose suitable whitewater rafting trips to their need and ability:

ELO TRIP (Elo River, Magelang)
Ideal for Family & Corporate Gathering and Training
Difficulty Level: Novice (Grade I - III+)
Track Length: 12,5 km (accomplished in ± 2,5 - 3 hours)
Trip Schedule: Daily (Trip I: 08.00, Trip II: 13.00)
Tariff: IDR 750,000 per boat (1 boat for max 5 participants)

SERAYU TRIP (Serayu River, Banjarnegara)
Ideal for more thrill in rafting trip
Difficulty Level: Moderate (Grade II - IV+)
Track Length: 24 km (accomplished in ± 3 hours)
Trip Schedule: by prior request (One-Day Trip, started at 07.00)
Tariff: IDR 1,500,000 per boat (1 boat for max 5 participants)

LOWER PROGO TRIP (Lower Progo River, Kulon Progo)
Ideal for extreme adrenaline rush
Difficulty Level: Advanced (Grade III - V+)
Track Length: 8 km (accomplished in ± 45 menit)
Trip Schedule: by prior request (started at 08.00)
Tarif: IDR 1,500,000 per boat (1 boat for max 4 participants)

CitraElo Rafting service coverage:

• Insurance
• Rafting gears & equipment rental + RiverGuide
• Welcome tea
• 1x refreshment at Trip Break
• 1x after-trip meal
• Local transport from finish to start point
• Sanitary usage
• Certificate

There is an extra breakfast and economy shuttle transport from Base Camp CitraElo - Banjarnegara in Serayu Trip.

CitraElo also organizes packages such as outdoor games (airsoft games, paintball and flying fox) and outdoor management training. Riverside Restaurant in traditional menu specialization is available upon reservation. Please contact us for detail.

KRATON - The Palace of the Sultan of Yogyakarta

It lies between Tugu as the north border and Panggung Krapyak as the south border, between Code River in the east and Winongo River in the west; between the Merapi Mountain and the South Sea. In the mind of the Javanese community, kraton is defined as center of the world that is described as center of the universe.

After the Giyanti Agreeement, Yogyakarta territory was given to Pangeran Mangkubumi. To run his governance, he built a palace in 1755 in Hutan Beringan area; such a good place flanked by two rivers that protect it from being flooded. The first king of Yogyakarta Palace was Pangeran Mangkubumi with the title Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I (HB I).

Naming and Meaning of the Lay Out

Karaton, Keraton or Kraton, originates from the word ke-ratu-an that means the place where the queen/king lives. Simple explanation of its broader meaning is that all structures and buildings in the Kraton area have significant meaning related to essential Javanese philosophy of life, namely Sangkan Paraning Dumadi that means the origin and the destination of human being.
In general, the Kraton area stretches 5 kilometers southwards to Krapyak village and 2 kilometers northwards until the Tugu monument. In this imaginary line, there is a reversed dualism linear line that tells symbolical philosophy: the direction from south to north symbolizes the birth of human being from the high place to the perishable world, and the opposite direction symbolizes the return of human being to the Dumadi (God in Javanese philosophy). Kraton is physical symbol and the King is the symbol of the real soul that presents into the physical body.
The direction from the Palace to the Tugu monument represents the road of life that is full of temptations. Beringharjo market symbolizes women temptation and temptation of power is symbolized by Kepatihan building. The straight street connecting the Palace to Tugu monument symbolizes close relationship between human being and the Creator (Sangkan Paraning Dumadi).
In short, Tugu monument is a symbol of lingga (male sex organ) and Krapyak symbolizes yoni (female sex organ) and kraton is physical blend of the two.

The Meaning of Yogyakarta Space Arrangement

Hit by the earthquake in 1867, the Sultan Palace was severely damaged. During the reign of HB VII in 1889, the building was renovated. The lay out being retained, the shape of the building was changed to the current look.
Tugu monument and Manguntur Tangkil hall or Bangsal Kencana (where the king is seated), are straight in a line. This means that while sitting on his throne and looking toward the Tugu monument, he will always remember his people.
In general, the space arrangement of the current Sultan Palace is similar to the one of Mataram Dynasty. The center of the Palace is the so called Bangsal Kencana that is adjacent to Bangsal Prabayeksa as the place to keep sacred weapons (in this room, there is an oil lamp called Kyai Wiji that is kept lit by the Palace servants). This hall is surrounded by Kedhaton yard so that people must go through layers of the yard that seem like waves in order to reach the center.
This special arrangement of the Palace looks similar to constellation of mountain and Jambu Dwipa land that is considered to be central archipelago of the universe.
From north part to west part of the Palace area, there are North Square, North Siti Hinggil, North Kemandhungan, Srimanganti, Kedhaton, Kemagangan, South Kemandungan, South Siti Hinggil and South Square (the yard that is protected by high walls).
In order to reach all of the places, there are nine gates (called regol) that must be passed through, namely: gerbang, pangurukan, tarub agung, brajanala, srimanganti, kamagangan, gadhung mlati, kemandhungan and gading.
Brongtodiningrat sees the significance of this number, as the highest number to describe excellence. This is related to nine holes in human beings, commonly called babahan hawa sanga.
The sacredness of each Palace building is indicated by the frequency and intensity of Sultan activities in the location.
Sultan only visits the Square, Pagelaran, and Siti Hinggil three times a year, namely during the events of Pisowan Ageng Grebeg Maulud, Sawal and Besar and other very special, incidental events such as coronation of the Sultan and the crown prince or Pangeran Adipati Anom.
Yogyakarta Sultan Palace is an old building that was once damaged and restored. In general, it looks like other Kingdom buildings. When we understand the philosophy of them deeper, however, we will understand the symbolical meaning of life philosophy, human nature, how the nature works and human beings live their lives and various symbols of life existence in them.

Sepanjang, The Old Kuta Beach

If you want to enjoy the nostalgia of Kuta Beach in the past time, Sepanjang Beach is the right place. Sepanjang has long coastal lines, clean water sands, and medium waves. You can just choose: sun bathing under the bright sun, surfing, or just enjoy the beach beauty. You can enjoy all the things when you come to the beach that lies some kilometers from Sundak Beach.

Sepanjang Beach is one of newly opened beaches. The name 'Sepanjang' which means 'long' derives from the characteristic of the beach that has the longest coastal lines of all beaches in Gunung Kidul. The atmosphere of this beach is so natural. The seaside is decorated with palm trees and huts roofed with dry leaves. The coral reef in the rise and fall of tides area is kept well. The dashes of waves reflect blue color signaling uncontaminated sea water. With such a situation, it is not false if the local government and investors plan to make this beach the second Kuta Beach.
The natural atmosphere makes Sepanjang Beach superior to Kuta Beach. Sepanjang does not offer such cliché things as beach café and luxurious cottages, but closeness to nature. You can still dig out coral reef to find mollusk and starfish (Echinodermata). You can also pull out seaweed from the coral. However, you must be careful in order not to stick the sea urchin's spines. You will not find those all in Kuta, will you?
The community sticks firmly to the coastal culture. No permanent buildings alongside the beach, only some huts where local people are living. Still on the coastal area, there is field where people plant soy bean. The slope beach that is directly dashed by waves prevents people from going to sea. Looking at the back, there are two hills on which valley where people plant corn as their main food. The land on top of the hill has been bought by an investor to make villa where visitors can stay.
Sepanjang also has a historical site, namely Banyusepuh. 'Banyu' means 'water' and 'sepuh' means to wash. Thus, the name means that the place that used to be a water spring is used to wash or to bathe. Those who used the place were Islamic pious leaders who washed their sacred weapons. You must ask local people to locate this site. When YogYES came to the place, there was only dry trash damp with wild plants around it.
When you get tired, have a rest. Local people usually sell food and drink in the huts alongside the beach. You may sit on bamboo seat while chatting and enjoying the wind of the sea. YogYES had the opportunity to enjoy the cool weather under the hut. When daylight is fading, look westwards where the sun sets. Local people will warmly welcome you to stay in their house because there are no villas yet.
For the souvenirs that you are going to take home, you do not have to worry. You do not have to take food as souvenir, do you? Some people living some kilometers from the beach make handicrafts from seashell that then are sold by coastal people. Even though it is not as commercial as those in Malaysia, the handicrafts vary. The shapes are royal carriage, statue, hair pinch or the dried ones and buried in white sands. Some of them are painted. The price is so fair, only five thousand Rupiah each.
Low price does not necessarily mean low value. Handicrafts made from seashell have precious historical value. If you read articles or books on Conchology Mollusca, you will know that such handicrafts are of high culture developing in coastal community. The people in Hawaii of the United States of America, Melanesia islands, or Maori in New Zealand develop similar handicrafts. They set seashell to become necklace, pant, belt, and carve them to make marvelous fine arts.
If you have no budget for the souvenirs, you can collect the seashell on the seaside. This small thing becomes interesting present with further processing. Take a piece of seashell and put it into plastic bag. Arriving at home, buy some tobacco or mint and mix it with alcohol 90%. After you soak it one night, take it and polish it slowly. The process will eliminate the lime layer on the seashell, leaving the central layer (prismatic layer). Polishing will make the color of the seashell brighter.
Isn't it interesting to make a tour to Sepanjang Beach? What are you waiting for? You can just ride your motorcycle or step on the gas pedal of your car. You do not have to worry about the stony road to this place since the beauty of nature and culture you are going to enjoy pay for it. Trust me, it pays everything and you will agree to a tourist from the Netherlands saying, "This is the real new Kuta. There are many beaches here and there have been so many tourists in Bali; the beach here is so quiet, so enjoyable."

Loji Arsitekktur - Jogja

Colonizing Indonesia for hundreds of years, including Yogyakarta, Dutch people left some historical buildings. The buildings were called loji by local people because of its grand size and wide yard. You can enjoy the beauty of some of the buildings cheaply; you only have to walk along the area in the city center of Yogyakarta, starting from the crossroad of the Grand Post Office or kilometer 0.
The oldest loji in Yogyakarta is located precisely opposite the Grand Post Office, namely a building named Benteng Vredeburg or Vredeburg Fortress. The building of the fortress that is often called Loji Besar or Loji Gede meaning the Grand Building was built in 1776 - 1778, only two years after the foundation of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Kingdom, one of Mataram Kingdom fractions. The fortress initially named Rustenburg was intentionally built in the axis of Kingdom - Tugu in order to control what the Kingdom did.
Being a fortress, the Loji Besar area was equipped with various supporting buildings, for example the spying place and the resting place for the soldiers. When Loji Besar was still used as fortress, there was a canon that intentionally was directed to the Kingdom in a ready-to-fire position to ease the raid. It was done in order for the Kingdom to acknowledge the power of Dutch troops.
Now, you can explore each corners of Loji Besar because it is open for public. In addition to the fortress with characteristic European architecture, you can also see diorama of Indonesian struggle to reach the independence. The weird thing of the fortress is that the name does not reflect the image of a fortress; rustmeans resting, vrede means peace and burg means fortress. Rustenberg that means fortress for resting and Vredeburg meaning fortress of peace are not suitable names.
From Vredeburg, the most visible loji is Loji Kebon, which is now known as Gedung Agung or the Great Building. The building with European style was built in 1824 and functioned as Residence Building. The yard of Loji Kebon is so wide and is decorated with statues that Dutch officers collected from different corners of Yogyakarta. In 1912, the complex of Loji Kebon was equipped with Societeit de Vereniging building where Dutch officials danced accompanied by violin.
Just like Loji Besar, Loji Kebon also serves as historical witness. The construction of the building that was designed by A Payen was stopped during Prince Diponegoro war in 1825 - 1830 that nearly made the Dutch went bankrupt. During Japanese colonization, this building served as dwelling place of a Japanese official named Koochi Zimmukyoku Tyookan. When the capital of Indonesia was moved to Yogyakarta on 6 January 1946, this building functioned as presidential palace. Up to present time, even though the capital of Indonesia is in Jakarta, this building still serves as a presidential palace.
The other loji area is Loji Kecil that is located to the east of Vredeburg fortress, to be exact in the area of Shopping Center to the crossroad of Gondomanan. Different from Loji Besar that functioned as a fortress and Loji Kebon as government building, Loji Kecil serves as a dwelling place. Now, even though only a few left, you can still enjoy several old buildings, one of them is located in Taman Pintar complex. In the same complex, there is also Societet Militair building where Dutch military troops used to relax.
The area of Loji kecil was the center of dwelling place of the first Dutch people in Yogyakarta. Now, you can enjoy the beauty of some supporting facilities such as Protestansche Kerk church that was built in 1857 (it is now named Marga Mulya Christian church, located to the north of Gedung Agung) and Francis the Xavier church of Kudul Loji (the old building) that was founded in 1870, which is located to the south of Loji Kecil area.
Another loji area that is not less interesting is Loji Setan or the Satanic Building. It bears the name since the building that by far is not known when it was built is eerie. Many people tell that in the eastern room and the center hall there are often crying voices for help and sound of dance music. Governor Raffles was told to drop by in the building that now functions as the office of Local House of Representative on 15 May 1812 when Dutch was triumphant in Yogyakarta.
Loji Setan had functioned for different purposes. In the past, the building was often used for meditation and exhibition room, for example the exhibition by Luch Bescherming Dienst in 1940. After the independence, the building that initially was named Loji Marlborough was used as the office of Indonesian National Committee (1945 - 1949), the office of Nation Defense Council and the place where cabinet meeting was held (1948).
Walk around each loji, and you will enrich your history insight from compiling each story of them.

Jogja - Temple Borobudur

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the 9th century measuring 123 x 123 meters. Borobudur was completed centuries before Angkor Wat in Cambodia. 

Who does not know Borobudur? This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in the complex. Millions of people are yearning to visit the buildings included in this World Wonder Heritages. No wonder, for the architectural and function as a place of worship, Borobudur is attractive heart. 

Borobudur was built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of Old Mataram Kingdom, Dynasty descendant dynasty. Based Kayumwungan inscription, an Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya revealed that Borobudur is a place of worship was completed on 26 May 824, almost a hundred years from the time the construction. The name of Borobudur, as some people means a mountain having terraces (budhara), while the other says that Borobudur means monastery on the high ground. 

Borobudur-shaped building with staircase punden consists of 10 levels. Height 42 meters before it was renovated and 34.5 meters after the renovation because the lowest level is used as a drag. Six lowest level of a square and three levels on top of a circle and one of the highest levels of Buddhist stupa facing to the west. Each level represents the stages of human life. In accordance madhhabs Mahayana Buddhism, every person who wants to reach the level as the Buddha had to through every level of life is. 

The base of Borobudur, called Kamadhatu, symbolizing human beings that are still bound by lust. Four levels above referred Rupadhatu symbolizes man who had to break free from lust but still bound manner and form. On this terrace, Buddha effigies are placed in open space. Meanwhile, three levels above where the Buddhist stupas are laid in holes called Arupadhatu, symbolizing man who has been free from lust, appearance, and shape. The top part is called Arupa symbolizes nirvana, where Buddha is residing. 

Each terrace has beautiful relief panels showing how skillful. Relief that will be read coherently when you walk in a clockwise direction (towards the left of the entrance of the temple). The relief panels tell the legendary story of Ramayana. In addition, there are relief panels describing the condition of society at that time. For example, relief of farmers' activity reflecting the advance of agriculture system and relief of sailing boat representing the advance of the voyage who was based in Bergotta (Semarang). 

All relief panels in Borobudur temple reflect the Buddha's teachings. Hence, this temple functions as educating the media for people who want to learn Buddhism.