ujung kulon tour

In the remote south west of Java, the national park of Ujung Kulon is the site of one of Indonesia’s most pristine and untouched natural attractions. It is no coincidence that Ujung Kulon is classified as one of Indonesia’s World Heritage Sites and has been a natural reserve since 1937. Most well known for being the home of the last one horned white Javan rhinoceros of which a population of about 60 remains, Ujung Kulon receives about 6,500 visitors a year from all over the world.

With over 120,000 hectares, Ujung Kulon comprises the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Java, Indonesia, the two islands of Pulau Handeuleum and Pulau Peucang just offshore, and the island of Pulau Panaitan separated from the mainland by the Panaitan Straits.

The Ujung Kulon area offers various different landscapes, from the Gunung Payung massif in the southwest and the low rolling hills of the Telanca Plateau in the northeast, to the swamp area characteristic for the lower lying isthmus. Inventories of the Ujung Kulon wild life are the subject of numerous books. The fauna on the peninsula and the islands is almost too extensive to describe in short.

The Javan rhino, a highly endangered species, together with leopards, Javan gibbons, banteng, eagles, pythons, crocodiles and turtles represents just a fraction of the wide range of carnivores, deer, primates, birds, reptiles and amphibians present.

The terrestrial scenery proofs to be an ideal attraction to hikers, eco-tourists and researchers, and is well matched in popularity by the Ujung Kulon coast and its water sport possibilities. Scuba diving and game fishing enthusiasts rate the marine location among the richest in the archipelago with an abundance and variety of fish and superb coral reefs.

Numerous reef species, such as butterfly fish, batfish, triggerfish and moorish idol, dominate the shallower waters, while deep water species include sharks, tuna, barracuda and marlin. It is because of this last species, the black marlin, that the Sunda Strait has the reputation of being an excellent and challenging game fishing ground.

Apart from the outstanding natural beauty of Ujung Kulon, the cultural heritage is another inspiration for many researchers and historians. The Tanjung Layar lighthouse on the extreme western point of the peninsula guided Dutch, English and Portuguese sailing ships safely through the Panaitan straits during colonial times. The eruption of the nearby Krakatau Volcano in 1883 required the lighthouse to be rebuilt after being leveled by the 40-meter tsunami.

carita krakatoa

Located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, Indonesia, the Krakatau Islands Nature Reserve is the spectacular site of the world’s youngest active volcano. Anak Krakatau (The son of Krakatau) has been steadily rising out of the sea since 1930 and is considered one of the best examples of recent island volcanism and tropical vegetation succession.

Krakatau’s notorious and world famous history has been of great interest to scientists since the 16th century, when the Sunda Strait functioned as a gateway for sailors from the European continent to the Indonesian archipelago.

The “Ancient Krakatau” has exploded twice over the last 1600 years, both times with catastrophic effects. The explosion and collapse of the 2,000 meters high andesitic volcano in 416 AD left three remnant cones which over the centuries coalesced into one volcanic island.

Before the spectacular August 27 1883 eruption, which destroyed two thirds of the volcano above sea level, Krakatau measured 9 by 5 kilometers. This last huge eruption, one of the biggest explosions on earth in recorded time, killed over 35,000 people living on the Java and Sumatra shores of the Sunda Strait. Blocks of coral weighting as much as 600 tons were hurled ashore and the tsunami (shock wave) of 40 meters high still measured 2 meters when it reached Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.

About 20 cubic km of material was expelled with ash falling in Singapore, 840 km to the northwest, and on ships over 6000 km away. Fine ash in higher latitudes caused unusually red sunsets for three years and acted as a solar filter, resulting in a 5-year global temperature drop of 1.2degree Celsius.

Today, the Krakatau Islands National Reserve consists of four islands of which only Anak Krakatau, now about 200 meters high, is volcanically active. The islands of Payang (Verlaten) and Sertung (Lang) are remnants of the 416 AD explosion, while Rakata used to be the southern tip of the Island which exploded in 1883.

The 800-metre high island of Rakata is covered by extensive moss forest, and the 40 species of resident birds and 54 species of butterflies are the confirmation of the rich avifauna present. The narrow patch reefs north of Rakata and west of Sertung offer a rich and steadily developing underwater life with primary and secondary colonizers.

Lying on the edge of the tectonically active Sunda shelf, Anak Krakatau regularly experiences significant volcanic activity (1952, 1972, 1992 and 1994) as a part of a common cycle for volcanoes. Hundreds of years of erupting at low level to build up the volcano have been followed by huge eruptions (416 AD. and 1883), when the volcano collapsed into a caldera. Very modest activity was reported at the beginning of March ’99, with plumes of smoke rising from the 600-meter wide cone.

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carita-krakatau-ujung kulon

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Ujung Kulon National park is an isolated untamed wilderness on the southwestern tip of Java. The Dutch opened this park in 1921 to protect the threatened Javanese rhinoceros. Now the area covers about 760 sq km including Panaitan Island. It is one of the best places in Java for wildlife spotting. There are many kinds of animal species, which can be seen. They are birds, wild pigs, hornbills, river otters, deer, crocodiles and the Javanese rhinoceros. The crocodiles and the Javanese rhinoceros are rare seen but we never know.

Handeuleum Island is at the northern bay of Ujung Kulon and offers also a small guesthouse. Peucang Island at the western tip of Ujung Kulon also has a guesthouse and also a small restaurant. Marine life in the surrounding seas is a kaleidoscope of colors. Beautiful sea gardens are found off Peucang and Panaitan islands. From one of these two islands we can start to explore the park. In the park are several posts of the PHPA where we can stay over for the night. If we want to hike in the park we must hire a guide from the PHPA in Tamanjaya. It is wise to bring our own food and sleeping back if we want to stay over for the night in the park. If we want to walk around the whole park along the tracks it will take us about 3 three days (45km). On the western tip of the peninsula is a lighthouse built by the Dutch, which stands near the site of the ruins of the old one.

carita tour

Actually the Krakatoa / Krakatau belongs to Bandar Lampung, a province of Sumatra. But the Krakatoa is most easy to reach from Java and is part of Ujung Kulon national park in the south west of Java so Krakatoa is implemented in Java section. Krakatoa is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes that located in the strait between Sumatra and Java. With devastating effects this volcano erupted just over a century ago in 1883, bringing its fine ashes with the wind streams as far away as over New York City, whereas the eruption's tidal waves reached the American West Coast. At that very instant, Krakatoa vanished as if devoured by the sea, causing formidable tidal waves which in turn swept off just about everything alive from the surrounding coastal areas. However, the disappearance of the gigantic Krakatoa also meant the birth of small islands in its place, one of which is called "Anak Krakatau" or Krakatoa's Child, which is at present an extremely active young volcano. From both West Java's, West Coast, and from Sumatra's Lampung Province, this young and very active volcano is clearly visible. A boat trip to this place may be worth making.

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carita tour

Besides white beaches behind hundreds of swaying coconut trees, one panoramic highlight is the visibility of the infamous Krakatoa Volcano from Carita, rising above the horizon in Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. The visitors won't have difficulties finding a place to stay here as many cottages, hotels and camping grounds are all available, not to mention the inevitable seafood.

Accessible from Jakarta over a fair road, the visitors can reach it in less than 3 hours, one third of which is over a toll road, which is being extended to the extreme western part of Java in Merak. Here again, most visitors arrive from Jakarta, as Bandung is more than 6 hours away from Carita by road.

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Carita

This beach is about a three-hour drive along the highway to the west of Jakarta, and has a great beach for swimming, as the waters are relatively calm on this side of the island. A great place for swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, fishing, and underwater photography, this resort offers a complete set of facilities including restaurants, accommodation, motorboats, and diving equipments. This beach is located in West Banten, Labuhan district, Padeglang regency, which is accessible by any land transportation and takes about 3 hours drive from Jakarta. The parlous state of conservation in Indonesia, and in Java in particular means that this small, degraded forest behind this busy beach resort is one of the best places to find some of Java's lowland endemics. The forest has heavily used both by tourists (more high school students) and by local woodcutters and trappers. All the forest on the ridge tops appears to have been recently logged and this forest would appear to have a limited future - another victim of Indonesia's economic woes.

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