I never imagined that joining a student organization would change the way I see the world. What began as a simple curiosity about outdoor adventures became a journey that shaped my identity, my values, and my connection to nature. That journey began with Mapala.
Social phenomenon called Mapala
Indonesia, a country blessed with extraordinary natural diversity. From volcanoes and rainforests to deep limestone caves and coral reefs, every corner of this archipelago feels alive. Growing up surrounded by so much beauty, it’s no surprise that Indonesia also gave birth to something special: a social phenomenon called Mapala.
Mapala stands for Mahasiswa Pecinta Alam, or “Students Who Love Nature.” It’s a student organization found on university campuses across the country. At first, I thought Mapala was just another extracurricular club. But once I joined, I realized it was much more than that.
Inside Mapala, we train systematically and seriously. We learn how to climb mountains, trek through forests, navigate rivers, and explore caves — each with different techniques and disciplines. Everything is taught through a long tradition, passed down from our seniors with a deep sense of respect. Mapala’s roots began with mountaineering, but over time it grew into something bigger. Now, many groups also focus on other fields like rock climbing, whitewater paddling, cave exploration, diving, and conservation action.
Sometimes, our limitations as Mapala students — especially financial ones, such as lack of equipment or operational funds — create a unique culture among us: a culture of mutual hospitality at each other’s “sekretariat” or headquarters, and the habit of lending exploration gear (which might sound unsafe, but that’s the reality). We never worry about accommodation when doing expeditions in another city, because there will always be fellow Mapala members there who welcome us and happily let us stay at their headquarters or homes. That’s where the exchange of exploration data and new knowledge happens, and create a big database of outdoor exploration. We don’t need to know each other beforehand to have that connection. The membership is a lifetime. Even after graduating, we remain members of the organization — free to visit, join activities, share new knowledge, and help in any way we can. We often make an annual gathering to maintain the relation between young and old generation. This culture is what makes the Mapala network in Indonesia so strong.
But what makes Mapala truly special is our sense of purpose. Beyond exploration, we also dedicate ourselves to social work and environmental service. During natural disasters, Mapala members are often among the first responders, helping with evacuation and logistics. We do it all voluntarily, driven by a genuine desire to help — not because we are paid, but because we care. Mapala is not merely a club; it’s a culture, a movement, and for many of us, a way of life.
Through Mapala, I’ve learned more than outdoor skills. I’ve learned humility — that nature is not something to conquer, but to understand. I’ve learned patience — that real growth takes time, just like how every skill is passed down from one generation to the next. And I’ve learned that adventure can be a form of giving back to the world. Being part of Mapala means being part of a vast network across Indonesia — a silent bond between people who share the same fire for exploration.
Exploration is about curiosity, excitement, and continuous learning (and a lot of craziness in some cases).
I’ve always had a deep fascination with nature and science since I was a child. Nature has always been my happy place — the one place where I feel most alive and at peace. Joining Mapala was my first step toward exploring the world beyond the classroom, a world that I had always dreamed about.
In 2017, I joined Mapala Silvagama — a Mapala group in Faculty of Forestry, University of Gadjah Mada. We were introduced to five divisions of activity: Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Whitewater Sports, Caving, and Environmental Conservation. Each division represented a different way of understanding nature — from the peaks of the mountains to the depths of the earth.
After trying all of them, I found myself irresistibly drawn to one activity: caving. The beauty of speleotherms, the challenge of crawling and climbing through narrow passages, and the complex logistics of cave expeditions completely captivated me. It didn’t take long before I realized — this was where I belonged.
From that moment on, I began to take part in various cave explorations, venturing into the underground world to witness hidden chambers that held ancient histories of earth and mysterious forms of life. The deeper I went, the more I realized how vast and complex this unseen world truly is. Caves are like their own ecosystems — fragile, secretive, and endlessly fascinating.
But every caver eventually learns one truth: our journey always stops at the water’s edge. Many dry caves end in a sump, or an underwater tunnel — an invisible gate to another world that most of us can’t yet enter. To explore further, we need more than courage; we need advanced skills, specialized gear, and significant funding.
That’s where the challenge begins. For young explorers like us, passionate but with limited resources, the cost of exploration is often the hardest barrier. Even exploring dry caves already demands a lot — both physically and financially. Going underwater, into flooded passages, feels like a distant dream.
Still, that dream continues to live inside many of us. We imagine what lies beyond those submerged tunnels — where the light fades, and the true mystery of the underground begins. For me, that curiosity has never faded. It’s what keeps me hungry for discovery, and what continues to lead me deeper — not only into caves, but into understanding the hidden connections between nature, science, and the human spirit.
A new hope
For years, my dream of becoming a cave diver felt like a distant light — something I could see, but never quite reach. But in 2024, that dream finally found its way back to me through a life-changing opportunity: the Nixie Expedition in Central Buton.
Joining this international expedition was a turning point in my journey as a cave explorer. The mission — to explore and support the conservation of caves on Muna Island — perfectly aligned with my passion for caving and my love for nature. During this expedition, I met other dry cave explorers and, for the first time, several highly experienced cave divers. Watching them work reignited a fire I had kept quiet for so long: the dream of exploring underwater caves.
And then, as if the universe had been listening, something extraordinary happened. One of my teammates, Robin Cuesta, came up with a brilliant and deeply meaningful idea — to create Indonesia’s first cave diving scholarship program, dedicated specifically to Mapala members. He named it ROPALA, short for Robek Pecinta Alam — a play on words that means “tearing the boundaries of a nature lover”, though it actually began as a joke during the expedition about our coveralls (the protective suits we wear while caving) that always get “Robek” or “torn apart” by the sharp cave rocks. The idea was born one night during the Nixie Expedition, as a way to give back to the community — especially to Mapala members who had dedicated themselves to exploration, particularly cave exploration.
To my surprise and honor, I was chosen to be the very first student of the program — with one condition: that I would help develop the program further and carry the spirit of Mapala exploration into the underwater world. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I knew I couldn’t let it slip away.
The path ahead wasn’t easy. We needed sponsors to cover training costs and to acquire essential diving equipment. But when something is created with good intentions, the universe has its way of responding. One by one, support began to arrive. Among our sponsors was Shearwater, who generously provided us with dive computers for cave exploration. As we all know, a dive computer is one of the most crucial tools in cave diving — and also one of the most expensive. With an average Indonesian salary, it could take months of saving just to afford one. Having Shearwater’s sponsorship meant so much to me; it truly helped during my training process — from learning to understand my own equipment, to planning and executing dives properly. That dive computer became my first — and it now holds a very special place in my heart, as a witness to the beginning of this new chapter in my journey.
As a caver and a certified diver, entering the world of cave diving felt like standing at the threshold between two familiar yet completely different worlds. The training was intense—one month of continuous learning, failures, breakthroughs, and self-discovery in the caves of Muna, Sulawesi. It began with sidemount diving, continued through cavern and introductory cave levels, and finally culminated in full cave certification. Each dive challenged both my technical skill and my inner calm. The isolation, the silence, the steady rhythm of breathing—all of it felt like a dialogue with nature itself. It wasn’t easy. Each dive tested my focus, stamina, and problem-solving skills. But interestingly, my previous experience as a dry caver helped me adapt quickly. The darkness, the silence, and the sense of isolation inside a cave — these were no longer intimidating. They felt familiar. That comfort allowed me to progress faster, and soon, I was exploring dozens of flooded caves with unique and fascinating characteristics.
Throughout the program, my curiosity kept growing. Every new dive opened another question, another possibility. I began to dream about exploring the underwater caves near my hometown, Yogyakarta — most of them still unmapped and full of mystery.
Becoming a cave diver was more than just earning a certification—it was the manifestation of persistence, belief, and the refusal to let limitations bury a dream. It taught me that exploration isn’t about reaching a destination, but about constantly learning, adapting, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Now, as I stand at the edge of this new beginning, I no longer see exploration as a solitary pursuit of discovery, but as a shared responsibility—to open more paths, to create more opportunities, and to protect the hidden worlds that have given us so much wonder. My dream has evolved into a purpose: to push the boundaries of underwater cave exploration as a Mapala, and to build exploration projects that focus not only on discovery but also on the conservation of Indonesia’s magnificent caves. I want to see more Mapala cave divers rise, carrying the same spirit of curiosity, purpose, and sustainability into every depth they explore. Because in the end, what is the value of a great explorer if they don’t make a positive impact on the world around them?
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Kirana Raditya is an Indonesian explorer, cave enthusiast, and founder of Nature’s Playground, an ecotourism-based company that encourages people to reconnect with nature through safe, meaningful, and educational adventures. Growing from her roots in Mapala Silvagama, she has dedicated her journey to exploring Indonesia’s nature and promoting conservation grounded in curiosity, sustainability, and purpose.
Photos by Robin Cuesta Underwater Photography
