Batu Hapu Cave, Ancient Geological Site in South Kalimantan

TheIndonesia.id - Batu Hapu Cave, one of the Meratus Geopark geosites in South Kalimantan, is still well preserved with a charming uniqueness. Entering the entrance of the cave, our eyes are immediately treated with amazement to see the entrance resembles a large giant gate and a roof decorated with stalactites that point downwards.

Two large trees also welcome visitors as they climb the stairs, before stepping into the cave. The view is majestic.

The Batu Hapu Cave has been preserved since it was discovered in 1970. Many people visit the place, both for recreation or geological research. Batu Hapu offers uniquely shaped karst rocks, namely stalactites and stalagmites. The rock was formed naturally with a very long process. Drops of water are heard in the cave which indicates one of the rock formation processes is in progress.

"Not only tourists but there are also students who love nature and even researchers come here," said Batu Hapu Cave tour guide, Subianto, Saturday, June 11, 2022.

The beauty of Batu Hapu Cave is even more charming when the ray of sunlight between 12.00-13.00 WITA emerges. At that moment, the sunlight that came from above the cave penetrated the darkness of space straight to the cave floor.

Many people come here just to capture the moment for their social media posting. There are two hashtags on Instagram that you can take a look at, #guabatuhapu and #goabatuhapu. Looking at the hashtag marks may give you an idea of the unique character of this geological site.

Exploring and observing the entire cave using a flashlight, step by step takes approximately two hours. Be careful because the path is slippery. Inside the cave, there is an additional infrastructure built by the local government in the form of stairs, which make it easier for visitors to cross the hollow in the cave.

If visitors want to climb the peak, it takes 30 minutes, through karst rock trails. From the top of Batu Hapu, you can see the charming Meratus Mountains.

This cave tourism has been around for a long time, people have visited it since the start of the transmigration of the Javanese population in the 1970s, which also influenced the name of the cave. Batu Hapu means limestone in Javanese. "That's been the name from the past," said Subianto, who is also a generation of transmigrants.

Batu Hapu Cave has "secret" caves that are not allowed to be visited by general tourists. There are three in total. "Only Mapala (nature-loving students) and researchers have ever entered. Three cave mouths are below and the road to get there is not opened," he said.

Even so, the caves that are currently open to the public have been very satisfying, providing insight into the rocks and the uniqueness of the Earth. In Batu Hapu Cave, there are still many big trees and fresh air compared to the polluted Banjarmasin City of South Kalimantan.

Next to the entrance of the cave, there is also a garden with various animal statues, and green grass, suitable for a relaxing place for families to spend the weekend. The entrance fee is set at IDR 5,000.

There are guides at Batu Hapu Cave that give guide services for tourists who want to be accompanied through the cave. They do not charge a fee for those using their services.

Barito Basin

Some studies tell the origin of the Batu Hapu Cave. From the records of the Management Agency (BP) of the Meratus Geopark, Batu Hapu is geologically located in the Barito Basin area, namely the Berai Formation of the early Oligocene-Miocene (16-36.5 million years ago).

The ancient geological site is part of the 74 Meratus Geopark. The Meratus Geopark, which has a unique and historical geological value, managed to get recognition as a national geopark in 2018.

Batu Hapu Cave is located in Batu Hapu Village, Hatungun District, Tapin Regency, 200 km from Banjarmasin City. In general, Hatungun sub-district is a highland, with an average elevation of 50-500 meters above sea level.

The head of the Tapin Culture and Tourism Office, Hamdan Rosyande, said that apart from Batu Hapu Cave, there are two other Meratus Geopark geosites in the area. "There are Baramban Caves and Balawayan Waterfalls, located in Piani District, right in the Meratus Dayak customary area," he said.

It turns out that the Tapin Regency Government is also sensitive to promoting the Earth's heritage. The local government currently developing the site for tourism.

The three Meratus Geopark geosites have been registered in the South Kalimantan Governor's Decree number 188.44/0531/KUM/2018. Seeing this seriousness, the Tapin Regency Government again promoted and asked for support for tourism development from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) in Jakarta, last Friday.

The local government began to develop a detailed engineering design (DED) to support one of the Meratus Geopark, namely Baramban Cave. The development area already has 4.5 hectares of land, including building a parking area and gate zone, a recreation park area, a cave area, and other supporting buildings.