As you can see in the title, I went to Pangandaran twice! Once you visit the place yourself, you will understand why!

After a scenic four-hour train journey from Bandung and a taxi ride, I arrived in Pangandaran my homestay. The warm welcome from the staff—a group of lively, musical surfers—immediately made me feel at home. After dropping off my bags, I joined for dinner and planned a tour to the Green Valley and Green Canyon for the next day. The evening turned into a small party with live music, drinks, and a local brew they call "medicine." When noise restrictions kicked in at 10 p.m., we continued the party on the beach by a hut until the early hours.

Despite a short night's sleep, I met everyone for breakfast and set out for the day’s adventure. First, we visited a coconut sugar factory, tried climbing a palm tree, and watched a humorous Wayang puppet show. Then, we headed to Green Valley for an action-packed day of swimming, climbing, and jumping from cliffs as high as 10 meters—a thrilling challenge, especially while a bit hungover! No wonder I ended up bruised, so be careful when you are dare to take the jumps yourself! We wrapped up with a boat tour at the stunning Green Canyon, where we swam, explored, and braved a jump from the "mushroom rock."

That evening, we enjoyed more live music, before ending up on the beach again, singing and swimming under the stars. These two days in Pangandaran were unforgettable, and I’m so glad I didn’t head straight to Yogyakarta from Jakarta!

Those two days had been on my mind for the rest of my travels. That’s why, almost at the end of my 60 days, I’ve decided to go back there and that was a great decision. It was certainly less adventurous as my previous stay, but I had the most fun meeting my local friends again after 5 weeks. The days were filled with exploring beaches, surfing in Batu Karas, road trips to other villages and of course a lot of music and laughter’s. I don’t regret going back, so if you have the change to stay in Pangandaran for a couple of nights, prepare yourself for music, fun, short nights and amazing memories!