Banten

Banten 

One coast due north of Serang, the dusty fishing town of Banten was once a great maritime capital, where the Dutch and English first landed in Java to secure trade and struggle for economic supremacy.
Banten reached its peak during the reign of Sultan Agung (1651 - 1683) and in the 1680 he declared war on the Dutch, but conflict within the royal house ultimately led to his downfall. Agung fled Banten but finally surrendered in 1683, and his defeat marked the real begining of Dutch territorial expansion in Java.
The chief landmark here is the 16th century mosque Masjid Agung, a good example of early Islamic architecture; its great white octagonal minaret was reputedly designed by a Chinese Muslim. Next to the mosque is an archeologocal museum which has a modest collection of local clay artefacts and spikes used by Banten's Debus followers. (The Debus tradition involves masochistic activities like selfpiercing, which faithfull are said to be able to perform without drawing blood)
Directly accross from the mosque is the large grass covered site the early ruler Hasannudin's fortified palace, the Surosowan which was wrecked in the bloody civil war during the reign of Sultan Agung (and again by the Dutch in 1832)
Other points of interest around the mosque include the massive ruins of Fort Speelwijk to northwest; opposite the entrance to the fort is a chinese temple, dating from the 18th century. Back along road to Serang are huge, crumbling walls and archways of Kaibon palace, and nearby is the tomb of Maulana Yusuf, who died in 1580

Anyer and Around

Anyer, some 14 km to the southwest of Cilegon, is easily the most upmarket village along the this coastline. Here you'll find the west coast's semi luxurious resort and decent beaches. Anyer was once a big Dutch port before being totality destroyed by the tidal waves generated bt the Krakatau eruption.
The anyair righthouse dates from 1885
Karang Bolong, 11 km south of Anyer and 30 km north of Lauan, also has a good beach. A huge stand of rock forms a natural archway from the land to the sea

Carita

Carita has a more rustic and laidback feel then Anyer and a certain scruffy charm. The beach is wide, and there's some good swimming and a few moderately priced accommodation options. Trips to Krakatau (opposite) and Ujung kulon Park are best organised here.
The hotel Sunset view is the best place for information. Headig nort from Labuan port, the usual accest point, Carita proper starts around 8 km further on.
About 2 km from Carita over the rice paddies, you can se the village of Sindanglaut (end of the sea) which is where the giant tsunami of 1883 ended its destrctive run. Hutan Wisata Carita is a forest reserve with walks through the hills and jungle. Curug Gendang waterfall is a three hour retorn hike through the reserve


Tanjung Lesung

Tanjung lesung 30 km southwest of Labuhan, is quite and unspoilt penisula with beautiful beaches and traditional Sundanese villages. Accommodation is limited in this region, with no budget option.
Tanjung Lesung Sailing Club has attractive, good valuue cottages with huge beds and mozzie nets in a great setting just off the resort's sandy bay. There's bar and restaurant here and it's obviously a great place for sailors. Sailing instruction is avaiable from english speaking staff


Gunung Krakatau

The legendary peak of Krakatau, the most famous of the world's famous volcanoes, is a name almost everyone knows but few actually know of its location. Resting relative peace some 50 km from the West Java Coast and 40 km from Sumatra, the volcano is nowadays a shadow of its former self, a small group of disconnected islands centred on Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatau) a volcanic mass that has been on the boil since 1928
The highlight of any trip to Krakatau is rounding Rakata island and first glimpsing the menacing peak of Krakatau's child

Ujung Kulon National Park

On the remote southwester tip of Java, this Unesco World Heritage Listed national park covers about 760sq km of land, including large Panaitan island. Because of tts isolation and difficult o access, Ujung Kulon has remained an oytpost of prime rainforest and untouched wilderness in heavily developed Java; alongside some fine opportunities for hiking, its also has good beaches with intact coral reefs. Few poeple visit the park ( which was Indonesia's first national park), but it is one of the most rewarding, if remote environments in all Java.
Ujung Kulon is best known as the last refuge in Indonesia of the one horned Javan Rhinoceros.  There are only thought to be aroun 55 in Ujung Kulon, so it's one of the globe's most critically endangered mammals. That said, nubers are thought to be stable here, and breeding is occurring: in 2006 evidence of at least four baby rhinos was confirmed.
Javan rhinos are an extremely rare sight and you are far more likely to come across banteng (wild cattle), wild pigs, otters, squirrels, leaf monkeys, and gibbons. Panthers also live i forest and crocodiles n the river estuaries, but these are also rare. Gree turtles nest in some of the bays and Ujung Kulon also has wide variety of bird life. On Peucang island, sambar deer, long tailed macaques and big monitor lizards are common, and there is good snorkelling around coral reefs.
The main park area is on the peninsula, but it also includes the nearby island of Panaitan and the smaller offshore islands of Peucang and Handeuleum. Much of the peninsula is dense lowland rainforest and a mizture of scrub, grassy plains, swamps, pandanus palms and long stretches of sandy beach on the west and south coasts. Walking trials follow the coast around much of the peninsula and loop around Gunung Payung on the western tip.