An early trip to Puncak leads to riverside calm, local kindness, and quiet joy.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.— Mark Black
People often complain about going to Puncak because of the infamous traffic jams. But we’ve learned the secret two years ago after months of renovation trips: leave at 5 AM, 6 AM the very latest, or don't bother going at all. With this little trick, we reached our villa complex in just two hours flat. No traffic, no stress, just good vibes and fresh mountain air.
But first things first: breakfast. There’s a legendary bubur stall right in front of our villa complex, run by a kind woman named Bu Dedeh. Her chicken porridge is pure comfort: silky, savory, and sprinkled with generous amounts of crispy crackers that make every spoonful sing. Add a cup of free hot tea and her famous fried snacks (even better than the ones I found near WTC Matahari Mall, trust me), and you’ve got yourself the kind of happiness that costs only IDR 52,000 for a family of four.
I chatted with Bu Dedeh that morning. She told me that business has slowed down lately, so she doesn’t make too much food. “As long as my regulars aren’t disappointed,” she said with a calm smile. I suggested putting up a banner or joining food delivery apps, but she just laughed softly. There’s something deeply grounding about people like her, who find peace in simplicity and purpose in routine.
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| Rivervilla Puncak, side view |
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| Rivervilla Puncak, front view |
Over time, Rivervilla became more than a property investment; it became a piece of our family’s story. We spent months renovating it; measuring curtains, choosing tiles, arguing over paint shades (“blue-gray” versus “gray-blue”), and hauling things up and down that winding Puncak road. Now, the villa feels like a second home: three cozy bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big living area, a dining table for family meals, and my favorite spot: the terrace facing the river. At night, the sound of the water becomes a soft lullaby.
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| Cibodas river right in front of Rivervilla Puncak |
This trip wasn’t for a staycation though. We came to install a new gas stove. Turns out, many of our villa guests prefer traditional cooking over the electric stove we’d provided. So, we brought a big blue gas cylinder along for the ride. (Adulting is realizing that logistics can be more exciting than sightseeing sometimes.) Luckily, now the villa has both options: gas stove and electric stove. Plus a full kitchen setup, board games, badminton rackets, and Netflix-ready smart TV. We even have a barbecue grill. Basically, if you come here and still get bored, that’s on you.
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| The view from Rivervilla Puncak front terrace |
By midday, we were off to The Nice Funtastic Park, a cheerful place about 20 minutes from the villa. The road was smooth, and when we arrived, I immediately fell in love with one thing: it’s a completely non-smoking area. Not just the food court, but the entire park. As someone whose inner INFJ values harmony (and oxygen), this was awesome. The food court was simple but decent: fried rice, fried chicken, Indomie, and bakso, all priced fairly. And again, no cigarette smoke drifting from the next table. I could’ve hugged the owner for that decision.
The real surprise was the mini zoo. I went in expecting sheeps and rabbits but ended up face-to-face with a serval, a tanuki, and a capybara looking like it had seen things. One of the keepers showed us his arms covered in scratches and casually said, “Oh, just from feeding time.” He added that he once got clawed by the serval and took three months to heal. Three. Months. I stared at him, half horrified, half impressed. That level of calm deserves its own TED Talk.
On our way back, a small act of kindness caught me off guard. We stopped at a mini-market to buy a rubber hose for the gas but couldn’t find any. Paid IDR 2,000 for parking, left empty-handed. A few meters later, we saw a roadside shop and asked again. The owner gave my husband a hose and refused to take any money (free!). It reminded me that sometimes the universe balances itself out in small, invisible ways.
Arriving back at Rivervilla, my eldest asked me to go out by the river. We took a dip in the cold, flowing water and ran as the rain started to fall. Later that evening, after naps and Netflix, we went for dinner at Mie Gacoan, just five minutes from Rivervilla. The place was packed, but the prices were still unbelievably low. The only downside? Cigarette smoke again. I guess you can’t win them all.
Our final stop was Indomaret, just 3 minutes from Rivervilla. We went in for a gallon of water and came out with IDR 200,000 worth of “essentials”: tissues, stickers, soap, cat food (we don’t even own a cat). But honestly, that’s part of the fun.
By the time we got back to the villa, everyone was doing their own thing. Husband watching TV, kids chatting. I curled up under a blanket, feeling the steady rhythm of the river outside. In that moment, I realized something: maybe rest isn’t about doing nothing. Maybe it’s about doing familiar things, but with gratitude instead of autopilot.
If you’re craving that kind of stillness (the kind that doesn’t demand effort but quietly restores you) come stay at Rivervilla Puncak. Wake up to mountain air, eat bubur by the roadside, and let the sound of the river remind you how to slow down again.
Maybe peace does have an address after all, and it's called Rivervilla. Book your stay here or check it out on Airbnb, Booking, Agoda, or Tiket.com.
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