Jomblang Cave is a cave located in Dukuh Jetis Wetan, Semanu District, Gunung Kidul Regency. The cave is 10 km from the city of Wonosari.

In terms of its shape, this cave is a vertical cave where visitors must descend using safety equipment to enter. Although it is located in a hidden and far from the hustle and bustle of society, this cave is quite popular with foreign tourists.

In 2011, this cave was used as a location for filming the "Amazing Race" program, an American TV show. Furthermore, in 2020, this cave was used as a filming location for the movie "Twogether" starring Lee Seung Gi and Jasper Liu.

This cave holds many other interesting things. Here are 5 interesting facts about Jomblang Cave, the hidden beauty in Gunung Kidul, Special Region of Yogyakarta.

Formation of Jomblang Cave

As cited from Gunungkidulkab.go.id, Jomblang Cave is a vertical cave formed as a result of geological processes thousands of years ago. At that time, there was an event of soil and vegetation collapsing to the bottom of the earth.

This collapse of soil formed a sinkhole or pit. In Javanese language, this term is known as luweng.

The Ancient Forest inside the Cave

Unlike the surrounding area of the cave which is quite barren due to its location in a limestone mountainous area, the condition inside the cave is very fertile. There, many different species of vegetation are found that are not found outside the cave.

In addition, an ancient forest was even found inside the cave, as if there is another world under the earth. The atmosphere of this cave is when the sun enters through cracks and the mouth of the cave.

The Deepest Pit in Java Island

The depth of the Jomblang Cave Vertical Cave varies. Some have a depth of 80 meters (Route A), 60 meters (Route B), and 40 meters (Route C). Usually, beginners use Route C when exploring this cave.

At the end of this cave, there is another pit known as Gua Gubruk. This pit, which has a depth of 80 meters, is the deepest pit in Java Island.

Connected to an Underground River

The bottom of Gua Gubruk is an underground river that flows fiercely. Not only that, two large and greenish-brown stalagmites stand upright at the bottom of Gua Gubruk.

At 1:00 PM, sunlight will penetrate through the cave's mouth and a beautiful light will shine. In addition, water dripping from the height adds to the beauty of the scenery. By tourists who come to this cave, this phenomenon is known as "heavenly light".

Holds a Dark History

Although it has a beautiful charm, it turns out that Jomblang Cave holds a dark history. As reported by Dream.co.id, it is said that the cave was used as a place for mass murder of PKI members. It is estimated that hundreds of PKI members met their fate in the cave.