Why I Will Never Set Foot Again on the Mangrove Information Center

#1

Upon entering the entrance, a man demanded entrance fee for 50,000 IDR for foreigner. He gave me no ticket, no nothing. When I pressed him about this matter, he said coyly ‘for the maintenance purpose’. Yeah right. Can somebody confirm to me about this entrance fee? Obviously, nothing is being maintained there as you can see below…

#2

First thing first, there was much plastic garbage dumped or stranded on the mangrove trees. I know this happened because of the disgusting amount of people are still dumping their garbage to the river which eventually ended up in the trash mangrove forest

#3

The famous 1.9 km wooden walkway was in such a bad shape I didn’t believe that so far there is no accident reported. The track was disjointed, terrifyingly angled to only one side and some are simply gone (wood fire?). I wonder where the 50,000 IDR go

#4

It was hot, humid and apparently the mosquitoes were so hungry there. Don’t get me wrong, I like nature and I’m not a whiny princess who is afraid of sun and mosquitoes but it was too much. So it was totally beyond me how so many hormone-raging teenagers went there to make out. I understand the place is quite and hidden from parental view but still…oh, and they left so many vandalistic cryptograms (“Eko & Ayu Forever”) it was not cute anymore

In conclusion: Don’t go there. Just don’t. Find some place else for your pre-wedding photographs because bride with broken limb is not a pretty bride. Unless you are fully-covered by insurance and you love the adrenaline thrill of walking on ruined walkway with knowledge that you might fall to the swamp if you step on the wrong wood, then be my guest.