Living in the digital era makes exposure to blue light from smartphones or laptops unavoidable.
I must confess that I spend hours per day doomscrolling through social media or shopping apps.
Not to mention a few hours in front of my laptop, writing on my blog or watching YouTube videos for learning and entertainment.
It’s no wonder I’ve been suffering from eye fatigue, which often comes with a headache.
I’m eager to kick the habit to the curb, but I still can’t bring myself to put down the phone or turn off the laptop and give my poor eyes some rest.
When I came across a camping post on social media, I realised it might be time for my husband and me to be “less blue, more green”.
Then, camping became our next getaway activity.
Camping for the First Time Ever
I’m not ashamed to admit that I’d never been camping in my life.
Not because I’m scared of sleeping in the great outdoors or being in the dark, but because I always thought it would be too overwhelming compared to my pampered life in the city.
Yet in that moment, I was so sure it was what I really wanted.
As I didn’t want to push myself too far, I chose a campsite that would put me at ease.
In line with our travel plan to Sukabumi, we decided to camp at Tanakita.
I also shared more about our Sukabumi nature getaway in a previous post.
Tanakita: Where Camping Meets Comfort
Tanakita 5 Star Camp is a popular campground site in Sukabumi, located in Situ Gunung, known for its suspension bridge, the longest in Southeast Asia.
People who book a stay at Tanakita don’t need to pay an entrance fee to the Situ Gunung area.
A Tanakita staff member said that it was because the Tanakita area is privately owned.
To be honest, I was curious about that “5 Star Camp”.
Is it hotel-grade, or is it literally the place where we can see the stars?
Anyway, I booked for 3 days and 2 nights for around IDR 500,000-ish per person, including three meals a day and two snacks (in the afternoon and evening), a flying fox ride, and a tracking guide.
On top of that, there were convenient amenities such as a public space, free coffee and tea, and a bathroom with a water heater.
By the time we arrived, I was delighted to see the camp area, lush with grass and surrounded by trees.
What a lovely sight!
The area is almost as wide as a football field. There were some tents already set up and numbered.
We chose tent no. 10 because it wasn’t too far from a prayer room (mushola), but it turned out to be a bad call because we were far from the bathroom.
During our stay, we found out that Tanakita is popular among public figures and influencers.
Some of them had stayed there, which made me realise that Titi Kamal, an Indonesian actress, was actually the reason I chose this campground in the first place.
I had seen her short video about her vacation in Sukabumi on social media and learned that she had stayed at Tanakita.
A staff member who welcomed us mentioned that an influencer and his team would also be staying at Tanakita.
However, we didn’t pay much attention to the name because we’re not really up to date with Indonesian influencers (or any influencers).
It went in one ear and out the other.
But when we saw them filming a YouTube podcast, we got curious about who he was.
We googled his name and found out that he was actually a fairly well-known influencer.
A Peek Inside Our Tent
To my surprise, the tent was surprisingly cozy!
It was comfortable enough for three people.
They provide three beds, sleeping bags, and pillows.
There is also a space where we can put our stuff or sit and hang out.
The tent is equipped with electricity outlets and a lamp.
I was so pleased to find a clothes-drying rack where we could dry our towels and clothes.
We also had a little picnic right in front of our tent.
We sat back, enjoyed the cool, shady surroundings, and snacked on some treats while taking in the peaceful atmosphere.
What’s on the Camping Menu?
While some people might think the fee is pricey, we thought it was worth it because it includes three meals a day and snacks, so we won’t have to worry about going hungry during the camping trip.
Especially since I tend to get ravenous when I’m traveling.
Moreover, we were expecting some delicious homemade dishes.
The food is served in the open area upstairs.
There are several spots where we can enjoy our meals and snacks.
The meals are served buffet-style, whereas the snacks are served per person or in groups.
Though it was just the two of us, we met a group of people (the influencer and the team) who were also staying there during mealtimes.
We could hear them bantering with each other, which made the atmosphere more cheerful.
However, there were times when we wanted to enjoy our meals in a more private spot, away from the crowd.
We especially liked the one overlooking the surrounding trees.
They also provided corn roasted as a late-night snack.
Yet, since we aren’t used to eating late, we gave it a miss and went back to our tent.
They sure provided plenty of food!
Funny enough, I wasn’t worried about gaining weight from all that food because I believed the physical activity we did during our stay would offset it.
The Green That We Need
Besides the open-air restaurant, there were other areas where we could while away the morning and afternoon, with simple wooden benches and picnic tables providing the perfect spots to gather.
Whether we were having a deep conversation, sipping coffee, or simply feeling the breeze, these moments encouraged us to slow down and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
That was exactly the kind of green we needed after spending so much time surrounded by screens.
From Trekking to Palm Sugar
Not only did we trek to Jembatan Gantung Lembah Purba, as I shared in my previous post, but we also joined a guided trek included in the package.
It was just the two of us, accompanied by a staff member.
Walking up and down the path through the greenery was a fascinating experience.
I was so thrilled as we made our way through the woodland, walking beneath the leafy canopy overhead.
The air was so clean, without even a trace of pollution, that I wished I could have bottled it up and brought it back to Jakarta.
Though the sun shone brightly, I was full of energy and excitement.
There was a moment when we met a local in his garden and greeted him.
It turned out that we weren’t trekking aimlessly, as we stopped at a house owned by a local entrepreneur who produces palm sugar and a drink made from palm sap.
He welcomed us warmly and showed us how palm sugar was made.
It was being cooked in a huge wok over a crackling wood fire.
Glad he offered us to try the palm sugar and the drink.
And wow, the palm sugar was something else!
It tasted unlike any palm sugar I’d ever tried before—authentic, natural, and the real deal.
We also got to try the palm sap drink. It had a unique, naturally sweet taste that I hadn’t experienced before.
We also took some time to check on his goats in their pen and feed them, which was a lovely addition to the day’s adventure.
Besides the guided trek, we also trekked down to the valley on our own.
We wanted to find Rumah Merah (Red House), an area where Titi Kamal and other well-known public figures have stayed at Tanakita.
A staff member told us there was no price difference, but well-known guests usually preferred staying at the Rumah Merah area because it was more secluded and private.
Since it was just the two of us, he suggested that we stay in the main area instead, as the Rumah Merah area would be rather quiet and deserted.
After making our way up and down the hills, we finally found it.
When the night fell
The challenging part came when the sun set and darkness descended.
The temperature dropped dramatically, and it became freezing.
As the mist gradually enveloped the surroundings, we could even see our breath forming little clouds in the chilly air.
This is what I meant when I mentioned above that I regretted choosing Tent No. 10.
The chilly night air seemed to make us even more prone to bathroom trips, so we often had to get up and make midnight bathroom runs.
Not exactly the kind of midnight adventure we had in mind!
Another challenge is that since the campground is open to the public, we cannot control other guests’ activities.
And yeah, the influencer’s team were still active late into the night.
Of course they were!
They chatted, laughed, joked around, and even sang along one night, keeping us up late.
After an exhausting day of trekking, we desperately wanted nothing more than to curl up in our sleeping bag, but that felt like a distant dream.
We tried to stay positive, thinking it might be the only time they got to spend together.
We took it in stride and tried our best not to get grumpy, since we didn’t want it to put a damper on the trip.
Would We Go Camping Again?
Now that I look back on it, our first camping experience at Tanakita came with its fair share of ups and downs.
We had to deal with the freezing nights, the long walks to the bathroom, and the noise from other guests.
Still, the comfortable tent, delicious meals, refreshing greenery, and memorable trekking experience more than made up for the inconveniences.
What made the experience even more special was how warm and friendly the staff at Tanakita were.
Although it was just the two of us, we never felt lonely during our stay.
The staff would often strike up conversations with us and treat us like family, making it feel less like a campground stay and more like spending a few days with relatives.
In fact, when it was time to leave, we felt a little sad, almost as if we were saying goodbye to family who lived far away.
Despite the little challenges along the way, we truly enjoyed our camping experience and wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime.
