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It was quite by chance that the traveller alighted at Tegala Sarangan. An initial search for a lake in Java Timur reachable from Ponorogo had pinpointed Ngebel as the ideal spot. But this posed something of a quandary. The traveller had vowed never to repeat himself, and a trip to Ngebel would have required a return journey eastwards. Back the way he came.

Thus did the traveller become beset by a sinking feeling in his core: not so much moral turpitude as a rejection of his principles. But fate has a strange way of righting wrongs before they cause a fuss. In this case, the fix presented itself a few days prior, when the traveller first mooted his plan but could never quite explain himself. He stumbled over the elocution of Ngebel, which left him a touch red-faced and wary of repeating the mistake.

So it goes. Standing at Ponorogo’s Terminal Seloaji, the traveller espied two transports. One was bound for Ngebel, with a name mangled by imps in the minds of the uninitiated.

But the other, parked directly behind, offered salvation. It could take him to Tegala Sarangan, a lake of far easier pronunciation and equal latitude on the westward path to Surakarta. The relieved traveller boarded the latter. He felt charged by excitement. Little did he know that this was the voice of spontaneity vanquishing woe.

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Read more: Travelling in Java? Perhaps learning a little bit of Javanese might make the trip that much easier.

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And thus did the traveller head for the barrier ‘twixt Jawa Timur and Jawa Tenggah, split by the heights of the stratovolcano Gunung Lawu. As the transport bound through villages and amongst the terraces of rice fields, the temperature began to fall, and a thin vapour hung ever heavier in the air. The highlands were at hand.

Suddenly did the transport stop, for they had reached Tegala Sarangan. A short walk uncovered a vantage point from which the traveller could see how the village half-encircled its namesake lake. A thick forest and fields completed the boundary. But little else could the traveller discern.

The elements in Sarangan behaved like nowhere else. Thick clouds of fog would momentarily descend and become impenetrably thick. They would then just as quickly dissipate. As he skirted the lake’s perimeter, high above the clouds, the traveller could only briefly make out deep valleys and the peaks of Gunung Lawu in the mist.

The rest he would have to imagine, at least until the fog broke and he could traverse further afield to see what lay within Sarangan’s confines.

Things to know

Accommodation

There’s plenty of choice around the lake. RedDoorz near Sarangan Lake  [Jl. Raya Telaga; approx. £10 / 240,000 IDR for a double room ensuite, WiFi] was fine for our needs: close to the action, easy to find, on the budget end of the spectrum, clean. WiFi was sketchy and unreliable. Try and get a room overlooking the village for a nice view of the moody skyline when the clouds roll over ominously.

Getting there and away

Theoretically, passage to and from Sarangan is simple. A bus from Ponorogo via Magetan deposited us at Lake Sarangan and a Grab ride took us over Lawu to Tawangmangu. Bear in mind, though, that the buses didn’t seem to have a regular schedule during the low season, and you’re not guaranteed to find a driver on Grab or Uber or Gojek. It’s a bit out the way, is what we’re saying, and potentially a bit of a hassle to reach/leave.

Food

There’s plenty of restaurants and warungs to get food. Depot Wijaya on Jl. Raya Telaga Sarangan served up a nice bit of ikan bakar and, on the opposite side of the road, the warung run by the excellent and hospitable Kasmin had all the nasis and mies and gorengs you could hope for. Satay peddlers wander the streets and, presumably, so do bakso geropaks. Food won’t be an issue.

Dragon-catchers

Dragon-catchers are in short supply during the low season. Certainly, EitM encountered none during our week by the lake. Admittedly, that was low season, however, and visitors might have more luck in the high season.