On the morning of Sunday, June 20th, at 4 AM, I left Jalan Thamrin in central Jakarta with a group of 8 friends. In one hour we were in Puncak, the gorgeous tea plantations outside of Jakarta. Getting home in the afternoon took something closer to 4.5 hours, but we won't discuss Jakarta's traffic here, just tea.
Sunrise over the plantation and mountainous area was beautiful. After the sun rose we took our first tea walk of the day, making our way through the area, enjoying good company. Our hike led us to the Walini Tea Parlor, where the tea comes straight from the source. We had a delicious breakfast of strong black tea and pisang goreng (fried banana).
After breakfast, we went on to explore another tea trail. At this point, the Western Java sun was in full force. It was hot, but it was also beautiful. And up in that area, it isn't as bad, climatewise, as the city. I highly recommend Puncak. It was a beautiful morning and afternoon. However, make sure you have the time, because you aren't going to get back to Jakarta very quickly. Unless you have a motorbike...
What spectacular views! Such a piece of peace outside of chaotic Jakarta!
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