The City of the Bats "Soppeng Regency"

REGENCY

The city of bats

There is a unique landscape that welcomes you upon entering the heart of Soppeng Regency, South Sulawesi, which is located in District Watang Soppeng. The noise of thousands of bats, or usually also called fruit bats, with a distinctive aroma that will sting you felt easily when set foot there. This scene became a separate exotics. Colonies of thousands of bats is then a landmark district Soppeng known as the City of Bats.

It is not known exactly when exactly bats began nesting on the trees that line the streets of the city Watang Soppeng. However, the District believes the presence of bats Soppeng whose face resembles a rat has been since hundreds of years ago. Although located in the midst of hectic urban bat Soppeng still hanging in the trees without being disturbed. Soppeng landscape will look more exotic evening. Simultaneously, the colony of bats take off the grip of the trees and flying branches and covered the sky Soppeng.

Watang Soppeng is about 150 kilometers, north of Makassar. “Interestingly, bats that can only be found hanging in the trees along the city Watang Soppeng. Soppeng In other areas, the landscape is not obtained. Head of Culture and Tourism Soppeng Zainuddin said the colony of bats, both when flying to find food at the time the sun will sink and when dawn came, the main attraction of the tourism sector in the area.

Local and foreign tourists are deliberately waiting for a group of bats flying over the sky at dusk Watang Soppeng. This is a natural tourism potential to be one sector of the local residents support increasing interconnected economy. Exotica bats to pull tourists to perpetuate or simply stop by the colony of bats see activity numbers continue to grow and is estimated to have reached thousands of individuals.

For society Soppeng bats regarded as sacred that should not be disturbed existence, we could just get him a decision because this animal tends to be a protected animal, we need to ask permission from the government if you want to catch this animal even though it was done for treatment.

There is a myth that developed in society Soppeng that when the bat was gone then a disaster would befall the city and it was never proven Soppeng when the early ’90s acid tree perch bats felled by the government on the grounds will be built in a government office as a result bats then went away Soppeng left town. Shortly thereafter Soppeng central market on fire, the water in the bath Ompo disappeared or when the water receded in Ompo is never dry. It’s just a small portion of events that connects the city with the city Soppeng bats. Even to call him back to do a kind of ceremonial Soppeng. Beside bats you can visit Lejja (natural spa)

Watan Soppeng is capital city of Soppeng regency, Province of South Sulawesi Indonesia, Watan Soppeng is famous with it name Watan Soppeng Kota Kalong| Watan Soppeng the City of Bats. Watan Soppeng surrounded by hills i.e. Neneconang, Buludua, Sewo, Lapancau, the distance from Makassar to Watan Soppeng about 175 km via Buludua. Travelling to Watan Soppeng, from Hasanuddin International Airport we have to turn right to Maros, then followed the coastal line to Pangkep turn right to Buludua winding road to Watan Soppeng, it took 3,5 hours.

Pangkep the Capital City of Pangkajene Kepulauan Regency is famous with seafood barbeque especially bandeng fish -fish with small bone, squid, crabs, shrimps, while in Buludua Soppeng at the top of the hills we could drink Balo – a kind of drink from Palm trees and eat sticky rice.

Watan Soppeng also could be reached thru Maros, Camba, Bantimurung -famous with butterfly valley, waterfalls and and old caves then thru Ujung Lamuru before reached Watan Soppeng.

Watan Soppeng is a beautiful city in the east, all of the tress full with sleeping bats hanging, and they make sound like orchestra. Those bats are living around Watan Soppeng only, and it is hardly to find any bats outside Watan Soppeng.

According the fairy tale of Watan Soppeng people, if bats are gone it’s a signal that the bad thing will happen. According to the fairy tale there is a compromise between Watan Soppeng people and Watan Soppeng bats that they will not disturb each other, it’s mean the Watan Soppeng people will not hunt and eat Watan Soppeng bats, vice versa the Watan Soppeng bats will not eat the fruits of Watan Soppeng people.

Watan Soppeng is an old city more than 750 years old, Watan Soppeng a little bit cold at night but hot during the day, the climate has changed compare with 30 years ago. Watan Soppeng has natural bath recreation at Ompo, and Watan Soppeng has a natural hot water at Lejjae.

Beside Watan Soppeng bats, Watan Soppeng are famous with it silk industry and cocoa plantation. They harvest cocoa plantation, to make cocoa bean, could be processed to become cocoa butter, or cocoa flake and will end up with cocoa powder. Watan Soppeng produce silk yarn and silk sarong or silk dress.

Mix cocoa powder with milk, make cocoa mix or cocoa tea, drink it at night so you will have happily time at Watan Soppeng, don’t forget to buy Watan Soppeng putu in the morning, this food is different with putu in Jakarta. In Watan Soppeng you may eat putu with chili sauce, while in Jakarta you eat it with palm sugar. Eat coto Makasar at Watan Soppeng, or eat barangan bananas (this kind of banana only grow in South Sulawesi and Medan North Sumatra)

After you drink water from Ompo Watan Soppeng you always want to come back, it is according to the people believe, Watan Soppeng is magnetic city, amazing. So what are you waiting for, come to Watan Soppeng, sleep at the Watan Soppeng traditional house. Watan Soppeng here I am, I shall return to Watan Soppeng.