Lampung offers a whole lot more besides jungle adventures
By Nia S. Kim
JAKARTA (JP): Among the five largest islands in the archipelago, Sumatra is considered one of Indonesia's "new frontiers" with vast natural resources and tremendous tourist potential.
The part of Sumatra that boasts many places of interest is the province of Lampung at the southern end, connected to Java by the Sunda Strait.
If you depart from Jakarta, catch a minibus to Anyer along the toll road. Start in the morning and the journey will take about three hours. From Anyer proceed toward the harbor at Merak, where you can board a longboat for the one-and-a-half hour trip to Lampung.
Along the way, you can enjoy the fantastic views of the volcano, Krakatau, in the Sunda Strait and the feeling of fresh air as you depart West Java. The boat stops at Bakauheni harbor in Lampung before proceeding to Tanjung Karang where you can spend the night.
The next day's destination is Way Kanan, quite a distance from Tanjung Karang so you have to leave the hotel early, at 5 a.m. Way Kanan is a national park where you will find wild animals, including elephants and rhinoceroses and a wide variety of birds.
It is a beautiful national park, but rather difficult to explore if you do not have the courage to board a small (40hp) Yamaha boat, whilst being watched by crocodiles. The beasts can be seen on the banks of the river while others lurk in the river.
The three kilometer tour is guided by a young man who works at the park. The journey takes 45 minutes and it is quite a challenge.
The next trip is to Way Kambas, an area famous for its "school" for elephants. As your car passes through the forest, you may hear wild elephants trumpet, or even experience an encounter with a herd of the giant animals. They will peer at you inside the car before they disappear into the jungle.
The great attraction at Way Kambas, where the elephant school adopt the Thai "curriculum", is riding elephants -- an unforgettable experience, but it will take a great deal of courage!
A recommendation for those who have never ridden an elephant before is to take along a little foamy pillow if you want to find the experience more comfortable and relaxing. Usually, a mahout will sit on the animal with you.
After giving you his prod and a few rules on how to control the beast, the mahout allows you to ride alone throughout the rest of the tour that takes place on a coffee plantation.
In the shade of a leafy Banyan tree stands a temple very similar to those found in Bali. The area is home to some 40 Balinese families who preserve their indigenous traditions while they mingle with locals and transmigrants from other areas.
The next stop is a small area in the heart of Metro, where you can have soto ayam for dinner. Go to the market and find the famous ikat clothing from Lampung, locally known as kain tapis.
Tapis is made of traditionally woven fabrics, incorporating natural earthy colors and golden thread and is occasionally tied at the end with old colonial coins. The motifs are usually of the local flora but nowadays the weavers also use their own designs, which include Arabic calligraphy. The combination of floral motifs and well-marked colors are brilliant.
Tapis is used for sarongs in ceremonial occasions such as weddings, Idul Fitri family gatherings and when welcoming important guests. Some are also used to decorate walls. A small tapis (120cm by 50cm), normally used as a stole, will cost you between Rp 100,000 and Rp 200,000 but it is well worth adding to your collection.
Lampung is not just about boat tours, elephant rides or tapis. It also has a remarkable traditional architectural style, called rumah sesat. The stilted longhouse-type, which can accommodate up to 25 families, is a gathering place for extended families in times of hardship.
To enter rumah sesat you must use jambat agung (the great corridor), the name given to the stairway. The mythical garuda (eagle) is hung as decoration and symbolizes the Lampung family. Above the lorong agung you will find three different colors of umbrella, white symbolizing the rank or status of the family; yellow, which attests to the rank of the village and red as an ethnic symbol.
So just spend two nights away and you will, without a doubt, have a memorable time in Lampung.
Hotels recommended: Sheraton Lampung, Tanjung Karang, for reservations 021-5704141; Sahid Bandar Lampung, for reservations 021-5700617.
Elephant riding will cost you between Rp 20,000 and Rp 25,000 an hour while boat rental in Way Kanan costs between Rp 40,000 and Rp 45,000 per 45 minutes.