Goa Margo Tresno

Useful Information

Location:	Hutan, Ngluyu, Kec. Ngluyu, Kabupaten Nganjuk, Jawa Timur 64452. Cabean Hamlet, Sugih Waras Village, Ngluyu District. About 35 km north of Nganjuk city center. (-7.445792532710059, 111.93547681534355)
Open:	All year daily 7-15. [2023]
Fee:	Adults IDR 5,000. [2023]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Goa Margo Tresno, Hutan, Ngluyu, Kec. Ngluyu, Kabupaten Nganjuk, Jawa Timur 64452.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Goa Margo Tresno (Margo Tresno Cave) is a semi-wild show cave, with rather rough trails and no light. Its also quite a walk from the parking lot to the cave entrance, so good walking shoes are essential. The name is local dialect, Margo mean road, Tresno means love, so it actually means the road to love. This is due to a local legend that couples who conduct a ritual in the cave and then at the natural spring would get a long-lasting relationship.

The cave was once visited by Raden Alip, a nobleman from Demak. He spent time with his affair, Nur Siti, at the cave, where they escaped their respective families. They prayed for eternal love. Their graves are also located in this area called Makam Tlimah.

Indonesian show caves are weird. They have a spectacular portal at the trailhead, but the cave is almost undeveloped. Official descriptions suggest to take a lot of pictures of the portal and the golden bat sculpture, but there is not a word about the cave. It seems they could create a show cave very well without an actual cave, and no visitor would complain. The same is with open hours, the cave is open around the clock and is free. But there are always people who offer tourists to pay them a fee for whatever service and at variable prices. Bargaining helps. As far as we understand the entrance fee we have given is actually the fee for the guide, and the time is the time in which guides are normally available. However, they have very well understood the concept of a parking fee.