Things to do

Formerly part of West Java Province, Banten, located about an hour from Jakarta, became a separate province in 2000. This city has a lot of treasure to whom that likes history, such as the ruins of Surosowan Palace, Kaibon Palace, Masjid Agung Banten (Banten Great Mosque, enlisted in Moslem’s pilgrimage in Indonesia), Speelwijk Fortress, Chinese Temple Avalokiteshvara, and Karang Hantu Harbor (Devil Rock’s Harbor). This harbor has existed since centuries ago where Sultan Banten’s troopers took fight against the pirates and defensed from the Dutch.

The infamous volcano, Gunung Krakatau (Krakatoa), is located in this province. After the giant eruption in 1883, Krakatoa has a new volcano called “Anak Rakata”. Both of them can be reached from Anyer and Carita, small cities famous with their beautiful beaches. There are 3 beaches situated along the coastal zone of Anyer, i.e. Pantai Anyer, Pantai Karangbolong, and Pantai Carita. Every beach has their own unique but all of them are the perfect places for waiting sunset. There is an old light house made by the Dutch in 1885. Read more about the history of the road of Anyer which called de Postweg Anyer – Panarukan.

Ujung Kulon National Park is situated about 6 hours ride from Labuan (intersection Carita/Anyer – Labuan). You can find rice paddy field, rain forest, beach, and isles of Peucang, Panaikan, Handeuleum, and Honje. If you are lucky, you may as well encounter several animals native of Ujung Kulon, i.e. badak bercula satu/rhino (Primucerus sundaicus), as well as banteng (Bos Javanicus), rusa (Cervus timurensis), muncak (Muntiacus muncak), and kancil (Ragulus Javanicus).

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This 125-hectares botanical garden is located approximately 1,300-1,425 meters on the slopes of Mount Gede Pangrango. It was founded in 1862 by the Dutch botanist Johannes Elias Teijsmann as an extension of the Bogor Botanical Gardens. The botanical garden at Cibodas, en route to Bandung from Puncak is beautifully laid out over a large area offering a serene and tranquil getaway from the humdrum of routine. Good well laid roads make driving around a breeze while one can stop anywhere and picnic,walk around or just soak in the tranquility of the park.

Off the beaten track and not popular as a tourist destination the garden is clean, attractive and refreshingly rejuvenate. The garden is the first place that Cinchona trees were grown in Indonesia for Quinine (anti-malaria) production. You will find an outstanding collection of ferns, palms, 65 pieces of eucalypti, Mexican mountain pines, and glasshouses bursting with cacti and succulents. There is a road loops around the gardens, passing via the Japanese garden with its cherry trees, and also paths leading to Cibeureum waterfall (about 2 hour round trip through rich tropical rain forest). The path continues to the summit. A good guide book titled “Cibodas to Cibeureum” usually available at the office. The book points out and explains aspects of the flora and fauna at various markers. There is a small entrance fee for each person and the car for the botanical gardens and a larger fee for the trek through the national park..

Puncak (Peak) has been known ever since Dutch colonial days as the mountain resort for Jakarta’s inhabitants to breathe in fresh mountain air over the weekend. Puncak is actually the peak of Mt.Gede-Pangrango, located in the Bogor-Cianjur-Sukabumi regencies, West Java Province, Indonesia. Located 7km before the summit, are the lush, tea-carpeted hills of Gunung Mas Estate .This tea plantation was built by Dutch Colonial Government and now is owned by PT.Perkebunan Nusantara VII, Gunung Mas. You can wander through the tea plantation, watch the pickers at work and later observe the process of drying and packing in the factory. End the visit by enjoying a cup of tea, looking at the green expanse of tea plantations and mountains with blue sky making the heart calm and forget every day routines for a moment .

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If you ever wonder of “kampung” living, then this is the place where you can learn traditional arts and crafts. A guesthouse surrounded by river, rice fields, and tropical gardens. Prior reservation is required (there are minimum person requirement per package). You can explore (60-90 minute) kampung walk through rice paddy fields and bamboo forests while showing children the local flora and fauna. Learn how to play “angklung”  (Indonesian traditional musical instrument made from bamboo). Classes can be arranged as can “taking a bath with water buffalo”! Traditional lunches and dinners are offered as part of a package, and use of the pool comes with no extra charge. A day package including kampung tour and leisurely lunch starts from IDR 125,000 (minimum 20 persons). Avoid visiting on public holidays as there is a very popular public swimming pool next door and the noise ruins the tranquil atmosphere..

Indonesia National Monument, known locally as Monas is a monument built to remember the struggle of Indonesian heroes fighting colonial domination. It was built during the time of the first president of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno, with the help of Sudarsono and F. Silaban as the architect, and Ir. Rooseno as the consultant. It was opened on 17th August 1961 by President Soekarno, and publicly opened on 12th July 1971.
The top of Monas shaped like a flame, symbolizing the never-extinguished spirit of Indonesian people. The flame was made of bronze, plated with 35 kg gold. The flame has 6 meters diameter and consists of 77 concentrated parts.
The standing pillar of Monas, at a height of 137 meters, symbolises a rice pestle, while the cup symbolises a rice barn, which are traditional tools to pound rice.
The monument is set in a large, green park used for relaxation and sport activities in the morning and afternoon time. Many people visit Monas on weekends and holidays.
See here for more information..