Pletuk Waterfall

Pletuk Waterfall is located in Sooko district, about 30 km from the centre of the city. It is a beautiful waterfall in Ponorogo, which has fresh air, calm nuance, and blow wind.
This waterfall is suitable for family recreation or just to feel the real waterfall nature. It will give the visitor a great experience to visit this waterfall. Invite your family here and get the original nature with cool water and fresh air around it. Besides being known as a region rich in culture, Ponorogo Regency also has a number of attractions that started ogled by many local tourists. Ponorogo regency is now beginning to develop a number of tourist attractions in an area known for this reyog. One of the attractions that draw attention are Waterfalls Kranggan Pletuk in Hamlet, Village Jurug, Sooko. Jurug Village location at an altitude of 450 M above sea has a fairly high rainfall.

By using a private car, visitors take 1 hour to reach this tourist spot. Upon arriving in the parking lot, tourists will be charged at Rp. 2000 for admission, and Rp. 2,000 for the cost of car parking. After the tourists have to walk as far as ± 300 meters to reach the waterfall.

Arriving at the waterfall, tourists will enjoy the beautiful scenery of Niagara Falls that has a high Pletuk ± 72 meters. This waterfall is unique compared waterfalls in general. The uniqueness of it is water falling straight down but not turn.
This is what makes it different from the waterfall waterfalls in general. Natural setting has a relatively cool temperatures and cool supportive interest in traveling.
Potential nature Waterfalls Pletuk already equipped with other means of support, such as landscape and bathing center Pletuk Falls, with a variety of culinary specialties are owned by local people, and the results of the fruits and vegetables produced by farmers from the village Jurug.

Waterfalls advice

"Actually, if we examine more deeply the word 'Pletuk' is a figure of speech which is full of mysteries and profound meaning for life and living," said Head of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports (Disbudparpora), Abas Kuntoro, the Synergistic. The word 'Pletuk' can be interpreted as advice, sublime, engkang, Tuhu, principal, and kinabekten. So when associated with the history of the Village Jurug, where historically there are some decent advice by a character or in village communities Jurug.
In such advice should be mentioned that in life we have to have a stock, ie Sangguwo Uriping Danawa, Sangguwo Uriping King, Sangguwo Uriping Satriyo and Sangguwo Uriping Brahmins. Meaning in life through life and we have to be very clever to adapt so that we can be accepted and able to adapt to nature where we are.

"For the development of Pletuk Falls, New intensively we did in late 2006 through DKB PAM program," said Abas Kuntoro. Namely the activities of open access road to the location of the waterfall area Pletuk performed together the entire community, both village officials, youth, and community Jurug village itself.

So that it can develop the tourism potential and is in full swing and maintain the existence and development through the Rural Community Organization (LMDH) "Jurug Makmur" has been cooperating in the form of MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Perum Perhutani KPH Lawu Ds on Management Wana Waterfall Pletuk .

Other Natural potential that can be developed in the region Pletuk, the stunning cliff region can be used as a means of sport rock climbing for tourists who have a hobby and bravery in the field challenges.

Besides the waterfall tour, around the attractions Pletuk also treated to a full menu of foods that are not found in other attractions, such as Nasi Gegog, namely rice wrapped in banana leaves and mixed bothok in one package.

Wins 'Special Interest' in 2009

Finally Pletuk tourist park Waterfall Village Jurug, Sooko, the assessment team is able to lure East Java Tourism Award 2009.
"Grace is obtained through certain criteria. Need a long journey, "said Abas Kuntoro. Yosemite Falls tour Pletuk voted winner of the category Special Interests tourist boon. "Because the category is in there. And the area is very supportive, "he added.

Four other categories are cultural tourism, natural attractions, favorite champions, and ten best. The gift of travel disabet Park Falls Pletuk being able to meet several criteria. Among the attractions are rock climbing, plus the role of the community about the process of pioneering the tourist area. "Besides the government, local communities also actively maintain this park," he continued. In order to attract more visitors, the Disbudparpora plans to build a place to be used as outbound arena, such as the flying fox, spider webs and other outbound facilities.

Reog Ponorogo

Ponorogo is most well known for the reog mask dance, which is said to have been created by one of the kings of Kediri in the 12th century. The performance re-enacts a legendary battle between Pujangga Anom, a minister from the court of Ponorogo, and Singa Barong, guardian spirit of the forest of Lodoyo. The former had aroused the anger of Singa Barong when he stole 150 tigers from the forest, apparently to be offered as a dowry payment for a princess of Kediri, whom the king of Ponorogo wished to marry.

A typical reog troupe, then, usually consists of the principal characters; Singa Barong, wearing an enormous tiger head and peacock feather mask, and his adversary Pujangga Anom. They are accompanied by one or more masked clowns/acrobats, as well as a number of hobby horse dancers, who are said to represent the troops of Pujangga Anom.

The people of Ponorogo have a reputation for being tough, both physically and mentally. The qualities of bravery and daring are fully displayed in a reog performance, where the focus of attention is on a trance dancer supporting a giant mask, often weighing more than 40 kg, between his teeth. The mask is a ferocious, snarling tiger's head, covered in real tiger skin and crowned with a gigantic three meter fan of peacock feathers.

The success of a performance, including the ability of the principal dancer to bear the weight of the mask, is said to depend upon the magical power of the leader of the dance troupe. Known as warok, these men are believed to possess special talents, gained through years of training. One of the unique features of the reog dance is that the hobby horse (jaran kepang) dancers are invariably young boys dressed as women. Known as gemblak, they accompany the warok, who are forbidden close association with females, in their travelling performances.

Contest of Reog dance is presented annually by the local government. Ngebel, a natural lake and batik printing of ponorogo are also worthwhile seeing.

Reog Ponorogo: Tiger, Peacock

A tiger's head and a wide-winged peacock are the principal features of the traditional Reog Ponorogo dance. The weight of this pair, called Dhadhak Merak, may reach 40 kg or even 100 kg, carried by one man, moving around, up and down. The tiger's head symbolizes a hero. The man, warok, who bears it must have a magic power.

Dhadhak Merak, often known as Singobarong, is performed as a welcoming dance for honorable guests, or as attractions, complete with its attributes. For instance, the player of the role of Prabu (King) Kelana Sewandono, with his supernatural power, always carries an inhabited, holy whip.

Another man plays the role of a dancer, Bujangganong, a governor under the rule of King Kelana Sewandono. He is a hero with a bad face, bearing a mask with a red, long nose, untidy hair and tusked teeth.

The team of players is completed with riders on horses made of bamboo plaitwork or skin of animal. They symbolize the escorting soldiers of King Kelana Sewandono on his trips. Formerly these horse-riders were played by men called Gembak. But now they are generally women.

The total number of a Reog team is between 20 and 40 members, including the magical heroes (waroks) with open breasts and waist band, symbolizing their magic power.

According to history the Reog dance originated from the glorious era of the Kediri kingdom around the l5th century. The region of Ponorogo was called Wengker, the seat of the kingdom of Bentarangin (now the area of subdistrict Sonoroto) under King Kelana Sewandono. He had a governor, Pujangga Anom (in the Reog dance called Bujangganong). One night Kelana Sewandono dreamed meeting a beautiful princess, Songgolangit. He felt in love with her and ordered his governor to ask the hand of the princess. This proposal was accepted on the condition that the King should present an attraction which was still unknown at that time.

King Kelana Sewandono then decided to kill the powerful King Singo Barong, who was pictured as a king with a tiger's head bearing a wide-winged peacock. The victorious King Kelana Sewandono then went into procession to the palace of the princess, bearing the defeated Singo Barong. The procession attracted great attention during the trip to the palace.

Another story says that Reog dance is a hint on the king of Majapahit, who married a Chinese princess. The King's power was therefore pictured as being defeated by the beauty of the Chinese princess.

No matter its origin, the Reog dance is a popular attraction, not only in Ponorogo, but all over Java to be performed on various events, including the field of tourism