“Our brains are wired to nature’s frontiers, not man-made borders,” said our friend Najib.
We definitely found some truth in his words, since our tired brains immediately relaxed and recharged the moment we stepped into Tanakita camping ground, our hideaway in the mountains of Sukabumi for the long weekend. All four of us had worked hard at our day jobs and moonlight passions since the year began, so we longed for a chance to move our bodies and put our minds at ease.
But we too are creatures of comfort, too used to the inventions of humankind to fully enjoy nature in all its wilderness. We loved spotting marsupilami on our hike to the waterfall, the adrenaline rush from the motorbike ride along a tiny dirt road with a gaping abyss on its side, the Bach-serenaded rowboat ride in the crystalline lake, and the adrenaline from surviving a leech-infested trek in pitch-black darkness. But truth be told, it was moments of togetherness on the camping ground that I cherished the most. Moments when Colin Meloy’s Under Wildwood was read next to Homer’s The Iliad and Seno Gumira’s Kentut Kosmopolitan, when Payung Teduh and Billie Holiday took turns with T.A.T.U, when we sat in our morning spot overlooking the mountains with warm enamel cups of tea and coffee, when we fell asleep under the sun after a comfortable meal, when we danced the night away by the bonfire.
Speaking of hideaways, we recently shared another of our favorite hideaway in the mountains over at the DEW (Dream Explore Wander) Traveler blog. Head over to dreamexplorewander.com to find out ten more tranquil hideaways. Thank you for inviting us to share our writing hideaway, Aggy!
Cheers,
A refreshed Gypsytoes
P.S.: A special thank you for our friend Najib, who brilliantly captured my blissful morning reading ritual and the four of us sitting by the bonfire.
P.P.S: In case you’re wondering, the teak serving board and napkins are by Kemala Home Living. It’s the brainchild of Dian, our friend and camping buddy.
P.P.P.S: check out our Instagram for more pictures of Tanakita, the waterfall and the lake in Sukabumi.
The Dusty Sneakers 
This reminds me of the grueling hike at Rinjani where I slept in a tent for 2 nights. There was a time when a thought crossed my mind, ‘what am I doing here?’ But looking back it was definitely one of those experiences I will always cherish, and laugh at. Camping out in the nature does that, indeed. Oh and btw, I love how you brought that teak serving board! You do know how to have fun even in the wilderness. 🙂
Wow, Bama, your Rinjani camping sounds like the real deal, whereas ours would be more appropriately classified as glamping – glamorous camping, as evidenced by the teak serving board. But I agree with the sentiment. Spending time in nature, either through camping or glamping, is always a cherished experience.
This place looks spectacular – a great hideaway place too! I am so happy you guys could collaborate with me, always love your writing and perspective of travel!
It’s our honor to collaborate with you, Aggy 🙂