Banten: the last Javan rhinos and the road to Merak

Banten is the province that contains Jakarta's airport but almost none of Jakarta's attention. Soekarno-Hatta sits on Bantenese soil at Tangerang, and most travellers pass through it twice without ever seeing the rest of the province: a coastline of black sand and volcanic islands, a rainforest that is the last refuge of the Javan rhinoceros, and the ruins of a sultanate that once controlled the pepper trade of the Sunda Strait.

It is also the shortest way out of Java. The ferry from Merak to Bakauheni in Lampung takes about two hours, and the road from Jakarta to the port runs through the whole province. If you are crossing to Sumatra anyway, Banten deserves two or three days rather than a queue at the terminal.

Serang, Old Banten and the sultanate

Serang is the provincial capital and a practical base rather than a destination. The old town of Banten, known as Banten Lama, sits about 10 kilometres north of it, and it is the reason to stop. This was the port of the Sultanate of Banten, which in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries controlled the pepper route through the Sunda Strait and traded with China, India, Arabia and the Dutch.

The Masjid Agung Banten still stands at the centre of the site, a brick mosque with a tiered roof and a minaret that looks more like a lighthouse than a tower. Beside it are the ruins of the Surosowan palace, a Dutch fort, and the Chinese quarter, all within a short walk across grassy ground. The site is free, quiet on weekdays, and almost completely without interpretation, which means you should read something before you arrive.

This is also where the British and Dutch first fought over Java. The English factory at Banten was one of their earliest trading posts in Asia, and the rivalry that followed shaped the next two centuries of the archipelago. Standing in the empty courtyards, it is hard to believe this was once a cosmopolitan city of tens of thousands.

Ujung Kulon and the last Javan rhinos

Ujung Kulon National Park covers the western tip of Java, including the Ujung Kulon peninsula, Panaitan island and the Peucang island group. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only place on earth where the Javan rhinoceros survives, with a population estimated in the dozens. There are no tigers here, no elephants and no orangutans: the park's fame rests on a single, extremely rare animal.

You will not see a rhino. They are confined to the dense interior of the peninsula, monitored by camera traps and patrols, and the park does not run rhino tourism. What you get instead is genuine lowland rainforest, empty beaches, coral reefs, hornbills, long-tailed macaques, barking deer and, on Peucang, a population of timid wild boar that wander through the guesthouse gardens at night.

Access is from Tamanjaya in the north or from Sumur on the west coast, and both require a permit, a guide and a boat. The classic route is a two- or three-day loop: boat to Peucang, walk to the Cidaon grazing ground, cross to the peninsula, and return along the coast. Leeches are a fact of life, the trails are muddy, and the reward is a forest that feels genuinely remote only four hours from Jakarta.

Anak Krakatau from the west coast

The volcano that produced the loudest sound in recorded history sits in the Sunda Strait between Banten and Lampung, and the Banten coast is one of the two places to see it from. The best bases are Anyer and Carita, where boats leave for the islands and the black sand beaches look straight across the water at the cone.

A boat trip takes most of a day. The crossing is 90 minutes to two hours each way depending on the boat and the swell, and the operators circle Anak Krakatau without landing, since the island is active and the landing is prohibited. You stop at the old caldera viewpoint, snorkel on the reef, and eat lunch on the boat. On a clear day the black cone is unmistakable; on a hazy one, you may see nothing at all.

Choose the operator carefully. The strait is open to the Indian Ocean and can turn rough without warning, and not every boat that advertises the trip has a radio or enough life jackets. Prices are negotiable, but safety is not the place to bargain.

Baduy: the villages that opted out

In the hills of Lebak regency, about three hours from Serang, live the Baduy, a Sundanese community that has deliberately kept its distance from the Indonesian state and its technology. The inner villages, the Baduy Dalam, reject electricity, motor vehicles, shoes and formal schooling. The outer villages, the Baduy Luar, are more flexible but still maintain the same strict rules about land, dress and ritual.

Visitors are welcome on a limited basis. You walk in from Ciboleger, the last village reachable by road, and follow a red-earth path through rice terraces and bamboo forest to the outer settlements. Homestays are simple, the food is rice, vegetables and salted fish, and there is no phone signal. The inner villages are off limits to foreigners except by special permission.

This is not a theme park, and the community is not a photo opportunity. Dress modestly, ask before photographing anyone, do not hand out sweets to children, and do not expect the Baduy to explain themselves for your benefit. A licensed guide from Ciboleger is required and costs very little.

The coast: Anyer, Carita and Tanjung Lesung

The west coast is where Jakarta comes for the weekend. Anyer is the busiest stretch, with resorts, seafood restaurants and a long black-sand beach looking across the strait to Lampung. Carita, 20 minutes north, is quieter and the main departure point for Krakatau boats. Tanjung Lesung, further west, was developed as a resort enclave and was badly hit by the 2018 tsunami; it has partly rebuilt and remains very quiet.

The beaches are volcanic rather than tropical: dark sand, warm water, and a horizon full of ships heading for the Sunda Strait. Swimming is possible at the resorts but the currents can be strong, and the coast is better for sunsets, seafood and boat trips than for lying on a towel.

Ujung Kulon's northern coast, around Sumur and Tamanjaya, is the wilder version of the same shoreline. Fishing villages, empty sand, and no resorts at all.

What it costs

Banten is cheap by Javanese standards, with the exception of the Jakarta commuter belt around Tangerang and BSD. A mid-range hotel in Serang or Anyer costs IDR 350,000 to 650,000; a simple guesthouse near Ujung Kulon or in Ciboleger is half that. A Krakatau boat trip is the big expense, usually IDR 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 for the boat depending on size and itinerary.

Ujung Kulon permits, guides and boats are arranged through the park office or a local operator and typically come to IDR 800,000 to 1,500,000 per person for two days, including food and simple accommodation. The Baduy walk costs little beyond the guide and a homestay. Bring cash: ATMs are reliable in Serang, Cilegon and Anyer, and scarce everywhere else.

When to go, and a plan that works

The dry season runs roughly May to September, with calmer seas for the Krakatau crossing and the Ujung Kulon boat trips. The wet season brings heavy rain, leeches and cancelled boats, but the forest is at its greenest and the coast is empty. The Baduy rice harvest and the Islamic holidays can make the villages busier than usual.

Banten is also on the Sunda Strait tsunami fault line. The 2018 tsunami that hit Tanjung Lesung and Carita was caused by the collapse of Anak Krakatau, and the coast has evacuation signs. Know where the high ground is, and take the signs seriously.

• Day 1: Serang and Old Banten in the morning, Anyer or Carita in the afternoon.
• Day 2: Krakatau boat trip from Carita, or the Baduy walk from Ciboleger.
• Days 3 and 4: Ujung Kulon — Peucang island, Cidaon, the peninsula trail.
• Optional: the Merak ferry to Sumatra, two hours across the strait.

Questions people actually ask

Can I see a Javan rhino in Ujung Kulon?

No. The rhinos live in the dense interior of the peninsula and are monitored by camera traps, not visited by tourists. Go for the rainforest, the beaches and the wildlife that does show itself; a rhino sighting is not on offer.

How do I get to Ujung Kulon?

Drive to Tamanjaya in the north or Sumur on the west coast, both about four hours from Jakarta. From there you need a park permit, a guide and a boat. Trips are usually two to three days and are arranged in advance through the park office or an operator.

Is the Krakatau boat trip safe?

With a proper operator, yes, but the strait is open ocean and operators cancel when the swell is up. Check that the boat has life jackets and a radio, and do not take a fishing boat with no safety gear.

Can I visit the Baduy villages independently?

You can walk in from Ciboleger, but a local guide is required and the inner villages are closed to foreigners without special permission. Dress modestly, bring cash, and accept that there is no electricity or phone signal.