Hiking Mount Andong: The Sawit Trail

Leaving from my hometown of Salatiga, we got a bit of a late start, heading out around 10

AM. It’s a fairly short drive to the base of Mount Andong in Magelang, so we arrived at the Sawit trail entrance by 11 AM.

The Costs

The costs to hike here are very reasonable and straightforward. You just pay the Simaksi (entrance permit), a parking fee, and a small waste management fee.

Item	Cost
Simaksi (Entrance Permit)	Rp 15,000 / person
Parking	Rp 5,000
Waste Management	Rp 3,000

The Hike

I’d classify the track via Sawit as pretty easy and beginner-friendly. It took us around 2 to 3 hours to reach the peak, though I’ll admit that wasn’t just due to the incline.

We definitely took a lot of breaks along the way! The trail is packed with good photo spots, so we kept stopping to snap pictures. It was also a fairly busy day, so we spent a fair bit of time passing by other hikers and saying hello.

The trail passes through beautiful pine forests and offers stunning viewpoints along the way. Each checkpoint (posko) provides a nice spot to rest and take in the scenery.

The Summit

I’ll admit, when we started the hike, the weather was actually perfect. It was clear and sunny on the way up, which made for a pretty pleasant climb.

When we finally hit the summit, I checked my Huawei watch to see how high we’d climbed. It clocked the elevation at exactly 1,760 meters.

However, in classic mountain fashion, the weather didn’t hold up. By the time we reached the peak, the clear skies had completely vanished. It became incredibly foggy and started to drizzle.

We hung around the peak for a bit, but the view was mostly white mist by that point! I still managed to snap a few photos at the top, though the vibe was definitely moodier than when we started.

The Warung & The Cats

As for food, we actually decided to eat before we left and then grab something again once we got back down, so we didn’t have a proper meal on the mountain.

However, there are warungs at the peak if you’re hungry. We did take a break at one of them just to order some hot tea. The price was slightly higher than what you’d find at a regular warung on the ground, but honestly, it’s acceptable considering it’s the only place up there to get anything!

The best part of the warung though was definitely the cats. Apparently their names are Chiko and Molly, but I just liked calling one of them “Abu.” Sadly, I didn’t manage to get a photo of the cats themselves, or the warung, due to heavy rain—I also turned off my phone and camera to keep them dry.

The Descent

The rain didn’t stop at the summit—it actually continued as a light rain all the way down the mountain, and even followed us on the drive back home. It seems like we had a narrow window of good weather and just managed to catch the tail end of it.

The way back down was obviously faster, but the weather made things a little “interesting.” Because of the rain, the dirt track turned into mud pretty quickly. It was super easy to slip, so we had to be extra careful with our footing.

Despite the wet ending, it was still a fun trip. The misty pine forests actually looked quite magical with the fog rolling through.

Random Trail Shots

Here are a few more random shots I took while wandering around the mountain before the rain really set in.

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Mount Andong via Sawit is a perfect choice for a casual day hike. Easy enough for beginners, scenic enough to keep things interesting, and close enough to Salatiga and Magelang for a spontaneous trip. Just keep an eye on the weather—and maybe bring a poncho just in case!