Ujung Kulon National Park

A. Brief Information
Ujung Kulon National Park is situated in the province of Banten, formerly under the provincial government of West Java. This site lies exactly in the westernmost of Java Island; thus people call it “ujung kulon” that literally means the westernmost. The site has been developed into a nature preserve upon suggestion from Dutch academics who arrived in Java Island in 1820 A.D. Most of them were the members of an organization for scientific research in Netherlands Indies. This was appropriate place to undertake advanced scientific research considering the number of floras and faunas habituating in the areas. Those researchers then began to collect and make records on the objects found there. Further, they decided to set this site as a center for science development in Asia-Africa. The areas of Ujung Kulon National Park encompass Krakatoa, Panaitan, and Peucang islands.

It was once the Dutch colonial government restricted a programme to establish Ujung Kulon National Park as accused of damaging ecosystem in the surrounding. Further progress on the establishment of a science museum in this site, indeed, showed that the founders of Ujung Kulon National Park deliberately killed floras and faunas around in terms of enriching scientific data for their own country. This activity happened from 1853 A.D. up to 1910 A.D. Therefore the Dutch government issued a policy of protecting the ecosystem in Ujung Kulon in 1910 A.D. The implementation of the policy did not run well however; and the ecosystem in Ujung Kulon got worse. The damaging of ecosystem just continued until 1939, before the second Europe War blew up.

Since the Indonesian Independence in 1945, Ujung Kulon, which was formerly neglected, began catching enthusiastic attention from the Indonesian government. The government then set Ujung Kulon into national park in 1958. The Ministry of Forestry then registered Ujung Kulon National Park as the World Heritage Site in the category of tropical rain forest situated in Java Island to UNESCO. Finally, Ujung Kulon National Park was officially listed as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992. Now, this site is under the supervision of directorate general of forest protection and nature conservation.

B. Distinctive Feature
According to the above historical record, Ujung Kulon National Park is said as the oldest national park in Indonesia. This site is the pioneer for the other national parks in Indonesia like Bunaken National Park (in North Sulawesi Province) and Mount Leuseur National Park (in the border of Nangroe Aceh Darussalam Province and North Sumatra Province).

The entire width of Ujung Kulon National Park is approximately 120.551 ha. It consists of 76.214 ha land and 44.337 ha water area as well as a coral reef area. The diverse creatures both in the sea and in the forest are the distinguishing features that can be found in this national park.

Here, if you`re lucky, you will find the icon of Ujung Kulon National Park, the Javan Rhinoceros. This is the critically endangered species that can be found in Ujung Kulon National Park. Now the population of Javan Rhinoceros is about 50 – 60. In other places, the Javan Rhinoceros population is just less than 10 such as those in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam.

Likewise, you will be amazed with some wild animals such as deer, mancak, Javanese bull (Bos Javanicus), primates, forest pig, rase lemur, silvered leaf monkey (Presbytis cristata), Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus), leopard cat (Felis bengalensis), tiger (Panthera trigis), and suruli monkey (Presbity aygula), as well as 270 other types of bird.

Numerous tropical vegetations are easily found here. Of about 700 species of flora, 57 species of them are critically endangered can be found here as well. In the further progress, the effort to preserve the flora in Ujung Kulon also broadens to nature preservation.

The coverage of nature preservation in Ujung Kulon National Park does not only in the land but also in the sea. Conservation of underwater life has been established there remembering its distinguishing diversity. Conservation of coral reef, however, is the focus. To protect coral reef as home of various fishes is the main purpose of this site establishment, indeed.

Finally, here you can learn how to live together with the nature while enjoying the beauty of Uiung Kulon National Park. Likewise, you can try to explore this site by trekking.

C. Location
Ujung Kulon National Park area is administratively located in Sumur Sub-district, Pandeglang District, Banten, Indonesia.

D. Access
To reach the destination, you can take bus or private transport in ease. Departing from Serang, the capital of Banten Province, the trip takes about two to three hours to Sumur Sub-district, Pandenglang District. If you depart from Tangerang City, the trip will spend about four hours. For you who want to visit Peucang Island, Handeuleum Island, and Panaitan Island, speedboats are available for rent.

E. Ticket Price
In confirmation process.

F. Accommodation and Other Facilities
Some facilities are available in Ujung Kulon National Park for a comfortable visit. Telecommunication network, electricity network, and clean water have been provided by the site management. Hotels, motels, homestays, and cottages located in Tamanjaya, Peucang Island, and Handeuleum Island are offered for you with reasonable prices. Restaurants and cafés offer both local cuisine and international cuisine. Likewise, this site provides tourism information center, guides and speedboats to take you around the area. Assurance service is automatically given to you only after you buy the entrance ticket.

info: www.wisatamelayu.com

Pangandaran Beach

Ciamis - In the months after a tsunami devastated the Pangandaran coast, the white sand beach in West Java was deserted.

Now, almost three years later, the area in Ciamis regency bears little trace of the disaster; hotels, entertainment venues and markets are lively again, especially during holiday periods.
Indeed, the number of visitors to the beach has increased by 70 percent since then, according to the head of the South Ciamis tourism office`s technical management unit, Haryono. "Our target in 2009 is for a full recovery," he said.
Many NGOs and community groups lent a helping hand to clean up the devastation left in the wake of the tidal wave, restoring the beach to its previous beauty.

"In the morning, visitors can watch the sunrise from the east part of the beach and in the afternoon they can watch the sunset on the west side," Haryono said.
Another attraction is the nearby Pananjung forest, home to scores of tame monkeys that will come close if tempted with peanuts but tend to behave themselvesas long as they`re not touched.

"At first I was afraid but after giving them peanuts, they didn`t bother me. They`re funny, especially the small ones," said Hesti, 35, a tourist from the nearby town of Banyumas.
Tourists can also visit a marine park, reached by farmer`s boat for Rp 75,000 (US$7) per boat.
In the marine park, about one kilometer from the beach, tourists can view the colorful coral and rock from the boat. Those wanting more adventure can ask to sail further out to sea, cutting through the high waves, a trip that "is very exciting...," according to Lilik Dharmawan, a visitor from Purwokerto.

For a longer if tamer boat ride, visitors can head to the Green Canyon River, named for its green water, which has great stalactites and stalagmites.
Tourists also can take in the sight of sea waves from Batu Hiu beach - named after the nearby stone that resembles a shark (hiu).
With these attractions and the tsunami a fading memory, crowds of domestic and international tourists are returning to the beach; 10 percent of tourists are from overseas, according to Haryono.
Around 300,000 people visited Pangandaran in 2007, he said. There were 400,000 visitors in 2008 by November. We have a target to show that we have fully recovered, attracting more than 500,000 people, back to the way it was before the tsunami."

Ujung Kulon National Park

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.

The best time to visit Ujung Kulon is between April and October. To get there and to get information about the park the visitors have to go to Labuhan where the PHPA at the coastal road can give us all information and arranges our permit for the park. An entry permit is needed, issued by the Forestry Service / PHPA (Perlindungan Hutan dan Pelestarian Alam) at Labuan. From here we can also take the boat to Ujung Kulon. The boat leaves on Mondays and Fridays and returns on Sundays and Thursdays.

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.

Bandung Tourism

Bandung is the capital of West Java in Indonesia. Bandung is 180 kilometers southeast from Jakarta. Although it has a population of over two million the pace of city life is slower than Jakarta's. Today Bandung has a population of 2 million people, Bandung area an estimated 4 million. Bandung is situated on a plateau 768 meters above sea level with a cool climate throughout the year. Bandung is the most European city of Java. The raining season starts in Bandung a little bit earlier, then the rest of Indonesia.

Normally the raining season in Indonesia is from October till May, the peak of the raining season is in January. The dry season is from June until August, temperature is then 25-30 degrees Celsius during the day. In the morning, the sun is almost shining every day, but in the afternoon many times it gets cloudy, for sunbathing we have to wake up early from 6.30 the sun is already there. In the evening when the sun is down the temperature has drops. The average temperature in Bandung is 22 degrees Celsius; the weather is pleasant all year round.

There are short drives up to the mountain resorts of Lembang and the Bosscha Observatory, and higher to the volcanic crater of Tangkuban Perahu, the only crater in Java accessible all the way by car as far as its rim. It is an awe-inspiring sight of emanating sulfur fumes. Descent into all the volcano's 12 craters is only possible with the aid of an experienced guide, because of the presence of suffocating gases at certain spots.
Just a 15 minutes drive from Tangkuban Perahu is a hot springs resort. Here we can swim in warm mineral water pools, good for healing skin problems. The resort provides visitors with a bar, restaurants, tennis courts and cottage style hotels overlooking a beautiful mountain-scope.

In Bandung, try to see the "Wayang Golek" wooden puppet show and hear the "Angklung" bamboo orchestra, as well as the classical Sundanese gamelan and dances. Several institutes of higher education are located here, including the country's prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology.

HISTORY
In 1488, the area now named Bandung was the capital of the Kingdom of Pajajaran. During colonial times, the government of the Dutch East Indies built a supply road connecting Batavia (now Jakarta), Bogor, Cianjur, Bandung, Sumedang and Cirebon. This event was very important for the growth of Bandung. In the 1930s the Dutch East Indies government planned for Bandung to become the capital of the Dutch East Indies due to its location, however World War II disrupted these plans.

It is not known exactly when Bandung city was built. However, contrary to the beliefs of some the city was not originally built by the orders of Daendels, the Dutch East Indies Governor General, but by the orders of 'Bupati' R.A. Wiranatakusumah II. The Dutch colonial powers built wide tree-lined boulevards, villas, gardens, and fountains, earning Bandung the nickname of "Parijs van Java", the Paris of Java, in the early 20th century. Many of these structures survive to today, and can be seen along the road leading to the Dago area north of the city.

After Indonesian independence, Bandung was named as the provincial capital of West Java. Bandung was the site of the Bandung Conference which met April 18-April 24, 1955 with the aim of promoting economic and cultural cooperation among the African and Asian countries, and to counter the threat of colonialism or neocolonialism by the United States, the Soviet Union, or other imperialistic nations.

Bogor Tourism

A bit further away from Bandung about 4,5 hours drive is Bogor, also called the city of rain. Previously known as "Buitenzorg" (Sans soucis or Without worries), during the Dutch colonial era, Bogor actually lies closer to Jakarta (50 km) than it does to Bandung (120 km). Appropriately named by the Dutch as a town "without worries", they chose Bogor to be the site for constructing the first palace of the Dutch Governor General way back in 1745. Later restored in 1832, the palace still stands solid and elegant today with its stretched out gardens where deer roam freely on the green grass under majestically tall old trees.

The inhabitants of Bogor work in agriculture, forestry, industry, as civil are Christians, Catholics, Hindus and Buddhists. From a historical point of view, the Bogor Regency still has a close relationship with the history of the Pakuan Padjajaran Kingdom, which was built between the 13th - 15th centuries. This is supported by some historical objects in the form of inscriptions as old manuscript written by some historians, which were found in the area.

Bogor, is famous with its botanical garden. This botanical garden and in the garden is the palace "Buitenzorg" On a not so busy day on the road a visit to Bogor and Taman Safari can be done on the same day. The world-famous Bogor Botanical Garden borders the Palace Grounds, covering an area of 87 hectares with thousands of species of plant life from all over the world. There are over 15,000 species of trees and plants, 400 varieties of palms alone. The orchid houses contain over 3000 orchid varieties. We don't have to be a horticulturalist to enjoy the gardens, it is a masterpiece of design and a wonderful place to just stroll and enjoy the company of family and friends. See the original "Havea Brazilliensis" rubber tree, formerly imported from Brazil, and world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, a foul smelling and stem less as well as leafless plant. When visiting this Garden, arrange for a permit to visit the neighboring Presidential Palace, which belonged to the Dutch Governor General before Indonesia's independence. Doing this may be a daylong visit by leaving Jakarta in the morning and spend the night in Puncak mountainous region on the way to Bandung the next day. Here again, the whole car trip will be memorable, as scenic tropical beauty all around is really astonishing. We will also pass by another smaller Presidential Palace at Cipanas, the setting of which is in a colorful and flowery vast garden around this wooden but stylish palace.

Museum exhibits rare West Java batik

Batik took to the catwalk Tuesday in a flashy display of modern fashion during the opening of the West Java Batik Exhibition at the Textile Museum in Central Jakarta.

"I thought batik only came from Central Java. I never heard of West Java batik before," said a visitor to the exhibition, which is being held until Nov. 23.

West Java Batik, based on a tradition dating back to 1430, is not as well known as batik from Solo, Yogyakarta and Pekalongan.

"Only a few people know that West Java has its own traditional batik, which comprises the history and philosophy of the region in its beautiful motifs," said Dyah Damayanti, the head of the museum.

The exhibition, titled "West Java Tradition", displays about 100 various kinds of batik from several areas in West Java, such as Tasikmalaya, Ciamis, Garut, Cirebon, Bandung and Indramayu.

Among the most recognizable of the West Java batik motifs are buketan galang gasi, parang kembang, lunglungan, urang ayu and mega mendung.

West Java batik is different from Central Java batik because of its use of vibrant colors like green, red, orange and blue.

Antique batik fabrics are on display at the exhibition, including a rare 300-year-old banner from Cirebon that features Arabic calligraphy.

Textile Museum
Jl. KS Tubun No. 4
Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta
Opening hours:
Tuesday - Thursday, Saturday - Sunday
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Friday
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Monday and public holidays: closed