Trip to Pangandaran an attraction in itself
By Gin Kurniawan
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Pangandaran coast in the Ciamis regency, West Java, is popular with both domestic and foreign tourists. Thousands come to swim, sunbathe on the white sands, go on boat trips to view the sea garden, or enter the forest reserve area around the coast.
Ticket sales to enter the Pangandaran coast area yields Rp 2 billion annually, with hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops scooping up considerable revenues.
The trip to the coast is an attraction in itself. The most pleasing route is by motorboat from the town of Cilacap in Central Java along the southern coast via the Citanduy river.
In Yogyakarta, at least two travel agencies arrange motorboat trips to Pangandaran: Lotus Travel and Agung Travel. They also organize daily trips by minibus to Cilacap, charging Rp 12,500 per person. Tourists are transported to the Lomanis wharf, from where motorboats take them to Pangandaran.
The trip to Kalipucang in West Java, the final stop, costs Rp 1,800. It takes four hours to cover the 58 kilometers to Pangandaran. There are three departures daily by motorboat from this wharf: 6 a.m., 8 a.m. and noon.
But the four hours is far from boring. Tourists mingle with everyone and everything else picked up along the route, at a speed of only 12 kms an hour.
Like city buses, the boats always stop at small wharfs at fishing villages, and tourists get to sit with students, traders and their merchandise, even cattle.
Leaving the Lomanis wharf, the giant oil tankers owned by state-owned oil company Pertamina dominate the view. This dreary view changes immediately when the boat sails through the strait that separates Java from the island of Nusa Kambangan, which is famous for its prison.
The island was established as a prison in Dutch colonial times and is now used for convicts with sentences of over five years.
It has five prison complexes but, now, only two are still inhabited. From the motorboat one can see a colonial-style building which serves as one of the prisons.
The prison is in the middle of the island surrounded by hills and forests. Many prisoners have attempted to escape by swimming across the strait.
Tourists are told that some convicts have managed to brave the strong current to reach the mangrove forest, but others were caught before reaching land. One of those who escaped was Johny Indo, a former photo model who was imprisoned for having committed a crime.
The story of his escape was made into a film.
Virgin mangrove forests, where birds and monkeys live, line the coast, and fishermen are seen fishing for seafood.
Fishermen on their way home race each other to get their vessels attached to a passing motorboat, so they can enjoy being towed without having to row.
The local passengers are inhabitants of the coastal villages, one simply called Kampung Laut (sea village).
They live in houses built over the water, and most of their daily activities can be seen from passing boats -- the yelling group of bathing children; girls and women doing their washing.
"Its quite an absorbing scene," said a Dutch tourist.
Leaving the strait, the motorboat enters Segara Anakan, a bay between Java and Nusa Kambangan island. A two-hour ride through the bay makes passengers feel they are in the open sea.
Then, the boat enters the Citanduy river estuary, where the transition of bracken brown to blue seawater is quite clear.
Along the Citanduy river the scenery changes. Farmers can be seen working in rice or maize fields and the occasional fisherman with his net.
Taking in all those scenes make the trip seem brief. Passengers who are not in the tourist groups continue their trip by public transport, or take a motorcycle taxi to Pangandaran for just Rp 1,000.