Skip to main content

Plan your Trip to Banten for Deep Sea Fishing, Beaches and traditional Baduy Culture

Strangely,  when Jakarta residents go on holiday and at weekends their favored destinations are locations in the south of the capital city to Puncak  and Bandung,  in the heartland of West Java. 

Few think of going west to the neighboring province of Banten.

Originally part of the province of West Java, the Province of Banten was formally established in the year 2000 only, with its capital city Serang,  situated on the north coast, facing the Java sea, some 2 hours drive from Jakarta.  Serang is not only the center of government and business activities of this province , but it is also the  gateway to some of the most spellbinding wonders of Banten such as the  Ujung Kulon National Park, the Tanjung Lesung Resort, Carita Beach, the traditional village of Baduy, and a lot more.

The Grand Mosque of Banten and the Old Banten Complex within this city radiate the glory of the former Banten Sultanate that was once a thriving kingdom and international trading post on Java.  


Situated at the heart of Serang, directly facing Serang Square, is the Pendopo Gubernur Banten, or “The Governor's  Office of Banten”. It is the legacy of the Dutch Colonial era that also marks the change of reign over this area of then West Java,  from the Banten Sultanate to the Dutch Colonial administration.

Banten itself played  a very important role in the Dutch East Indies history since it was here that the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) first opened its office in the Far East in 1603,  later taken over by the Kingdom of the Netherlands,whostarted the  colonization of the entire Indonesian Archipelago.

The historical account of Banten is also carved at the Port of Karangantu on the north coast of the city, which was once known as the largest port on Java before the arrival of Dutch colonial forces and the move to Batavia (present day Jakarta) as their hub of activities. Situated near the old Banten Complex, this main port of Banten's Sultanante wasonce abuzz with merchant ships from China, Arabia, Turkey,  and other countries that regularly called on this port.  Today, although  the porthas become just  a small fishing town, however,  it is also the gateway to some of the most fascinating islands off the coast of Banten for those who enjoy fishing, snorkeling, and diving.

Banten's Hidden Treasures

Roughly about 2 hours boat ride away north of Banten Bay from Karangantu Port, is  Tunda Island,  an enchanting little island surrounded by astonishing underwater wonders. With relatively calm waves, the sea around the island is filled with anabundance coral reefs of various colors, shape, and sizes. “Finding Nemo” will not be a problem here, since one will have plenty of opportunity to sea clown fish as well as other unique underwater creatures. Between the month of July to September, visitors will also get the opportunity to watch  passing dolphins that are sometimes seen  circling  the island. Tunda Island is also the spot for anglers to catch giant trevally and other deep sea fish.

To reach Tunda island you can take the regular ferry. Homestays are available on the island.


Leaving Serang, about 67km or about one and a half hours’ drive west of the city, you will find yourself on Carita Beach, a prime beach destination frequently visited by Jakartans on the weekend. Directly facing the Sunda Strait, Carita beach is also the staging point to go to the Krakatau Islands Nature Reserve which is administratively located in the  Lampung Province. This natural monument of the most catastrophic event in earth's history is truly magnificent. As the boat approaches the group of mountainous islands in the middle of the Sunda Strait, the ambience is truly breathtaking, especially with the Mount Anak Krakatau (The Child of Krakatau) standing gallantly in the center and still emitting smoke as if declaring  that Krakatau is still here, well and alive.


Further up north, about two and half hours' boat ride from Carita Beach,  is Sangiang Island, covering a total area of 700.35 hectares. It is  a marine natural park which offers amazing underwater splendors. Sangiang offers some of the best diving experience close to Jakarta.  The sheer sensation of getting up close and personal to the dwellers of the sea floor is truly one of a kind experience. Its location in the Sunda Strait which directly connects to the Indian Ocean means that during  your trip youwill come across some strong winds and waves. Prepare yourself for a bit of a bumpy boat ride and splashes. However, the long and somewhat bumpy journey will truly pay off once you put on your goggles and submerge yourself  in the beauty of Sangiang Island.

So look west of Jakarta  and think Banten to find some amazing attractions to enjoy your next holiday. (Indonesia Travel)

Labels:

Comments

  1. DavidAugust 10, 2019 at 10:54 AM

    If you love adventure trips then you have to go deep sea fishing. Because in the deep-sea you can feel the actual fishing. But you need to help of fishing charter otherwise it may be quite tough for you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE KERIS

The most famous pusaka or heirloom for Javanese people is Keris (dagger). In the ancient time, a man is not considered as a real man if he has no keris. The keris is highly valued, treated and respected with special care. This pusaka is usually inherited from fore fathers. According to Javanese ancient tradition, especially in the court families, a father was obliged to give to his adult son at least a keris. In general, keris is divided to two important parts, the blade (Wilah) and the scabbard (Warangka), to protect the blade. The process of the making of the blade in the old days may last one year only for one keris. The keris maker is called an Empu. Only the respectable Empus could make a high quality keris, physically and spiritually. Empu has to do some spiritual deeds to prepare a keris, like fasting, not sleeping for several days and nights, meditation, etc. In Principle, a keris is a personal sacred weapon, it is made by an Empu, in accordance with the wish of the consum
8 comments
Read more

Traditional House of West Sumatra (Rumah Gadang)

West Sumatra is one of the provinces in Indonesia which is located in the middle of Sumatra Island by making Padang as its capital. As the name implies, West Sumatra is located along the west coast of Sumatra Island. The Mentawai Islands and other islands in the Indian Ocean are still in its territory. This province is inhabited by Minangkabau tribe community as the original tribe and also tribe. The Minangkabau tribe itself - or commonly called Orang Minang, is a sub tribe of Malay that has unique culture and characteristics. In addition to good at trade, smart cooking, and love to wander, Minang people also have a cultural icon that is well known around the world. The cultural icon is Rumah Gadang, which is now the official building of Rumah Sumatera. Traditional House of West Sumatra Well, on the occasion of this article, we will cover the West Sumatra traditional house, ranging from history, architectural style, image, structure, and philosophical values contained in i
9 comments
Read more

Customs Cloth Lampung Province

Lampung is the southernmost province on the island of Sumatra. Its location adjacent to Java Island made Lampung in the past became one of the transmigration destination of Java's population. This causes the inhabitants of this province to be very heterogeneous. There are many tribes who live in this province, among them the tribe of Java, Sundanese, Bali, and Lampung own tribe. Custom Clothes Lampung Despite having a population of heterogeneous tribes, the indigenous culture of Lampung itself is still sustainable. One of the cultural heritage that we can still often see is the traditional clothes of Lampung. Traditional clothing Lampung Lampung is a cultural heritage that is very distinctive and has a high artistic value. Traditional clothing is often used by the bride as a symbol of cultural greatness Lampung. This outfit is also sometimes used in dance performances in the Lampung area, such as dance worship, dance bedana, and so forth. Custom Clothes Mal
1 comment
Read more