The southwest end of the island of Java which id popularly known as the area of the National Park Ujung Kulon including Mount Krakatau in the Sunda Straits is an enchanting natural world heritage. A number of tourist who had ever visited the area called it a a tropical paradise. Another world, Baduy, a community of the ethnic group called Baduy live around the mountain chain of Kendeng, Banten. They live in peace with their customs and traditions in leading their life and appreciating the nature.
National Park Ujung Kulon
Ujung Kulon is one of the most beautiful national park dan natural conservation areas in the hemisphere. The area is one of the natural forest remainders in Java with an area of 120,551 hectares, 76,214 hectares out of the area on land is used for flora and fauna conservation and the remaining part at sea of 44,337 hectares is used foe marine conservation.
Ujung Kulon is the most important wildlife reserve and the first national park in Indonesia. It is a remaining tropical forest area and the last protection for several kinds if faunas which are threatened with extinction. The designation of Ujung Kulon is actually intended for a cap which is triangular bird-headed or like the head of the Sundanese rhinoceros. It is definitely located at the end of the furthest southwest of island of Java included in the area of the province of Banten. Taking account of biological diversity living in Ujung Kulon as a Natural World Heritage Site.
Rhinoceroses
Ujung kulon is identical with a vast forest with the hills and the big trees which have attained the age of hundreds of years and also has various wild animals. Historically, the eruption of mountain Krakatu in 1883 which one shook the world caused a part of coast forest of Ujung Kulon to be inundated by big waves. Such inundation has brought about an impact on the Vegetation of the area. The lowland along the edge of palm species such as “salak” (Zalacca palm) and rattans, the trees and stems of which are high and liked by Sundanese (one-horned) rhinocerose (Rhinocceros sunaicus) which are categorized as rare and their population is approximately 45 heads.
Traveling to Ujung Kulon dan be made trough the route of Jakarta-Serang – Pandelang- Labuhan or through the route of Jakarta-Cilegon-Anyer-Carita Labuhan then crossing the sea by speedboad or fishing boat with a fare. The other two ways can be also alternatively taken, the one is from the Tanjung Lesung Resort Hotel. The other is from the Taman Jaya Village contiguous with the last inhabited village in Ujung Kulon.
However any person should not dream he will see a rhinoceros when he tries to find adventure in Ujung kulon. Not only because the population of rhinoceros is small in number, but also the rhinoceroses are very dangerous of a person directly meets this kind of animal. The shocked rhinoceros will right away run after the person before it. The Forest Control and nature Protection Unit of The Forest Service of the Regency of Labuhan, Banten, has developed seven regional tourist destinations in the National Ujung Kulon Park, and two of them are very popular, namely Pulau Peucang (the Island of Peucang) and Pulau Handeuleum (the Island of Handeuleum) Where inns are available. Both Islands area located in Teluk Tamanjaya (Bay of Tamanjaya) in which one can see the most beautiful sea gardens and decorated with the fish of various kinds.
One of the main of attractions of Pulau Peucang which is actually separate from the Island of Java is that the white beach stretches along the shore around the harbor where boats and ships moor to, while the white beach has the green jungle as a back ground.
The tourist can also enjoy their holidays by making fun of the animals such as tame deer (Cervus timorensis) or seeing the monitor lizard (Veranus salvator) which look like komodo dragons (Veranus komodoensis) freely wandering around on the land or at the seashore. In addition, the tourist can also do tracking together with the forest guards (rangers) by entering into the forest in which there are various big trees while seeing the forest animals such as mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus), monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) hornbills (Buceros rhinoderos)., peacocks/peahens (Pavo muticus). In Cidaon, the tourist can see the wild oxen of Java (Bos javanicus) gazing in the fields in the morning or the afternoon.
Pulau Handeuleum which is surrounded by mangrove forest has its own special powers of attraction, for example, on land there can be found animals such as monkeys, snakes, etc. Sailing along the Cigenter River by canoe, you are provided with a very exciting and fascinating adventure. The adventures are brought along to get through the tropical thick forest and see various plants and animals on the right and left banks of the river. Or if you are in good luck, estuary crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) will emerging in Cigenter River and while you are sailing along the river you could see the snakes hanging onto the tree branches not far from your canoe passing by. It is a very exotic experience and not easy to find at any other places.
PANAITAN
Another island in the National Park area but not so popular as the former Islands, is the island of Panaitan. The Islands is not so far from the island of Peucang, it takes only about one hour to sail there. Exactly, Panaitan is located in the southwest of the Cape of Ujung Kulon. Its location is very good for surfing and snorkeling.
At Mount Raksa on the island of Panaitan, there can be found a relic in the from of the statue of Ganesha which is often visited by visitors (to such a cared place). In the mean time, in the Peninsula of Ujung Kulon there can also be found a place which is often visited by visitor (to such a sacred place), namely the Cave of Sanghyang Sirah. They say cave was a stopover of Prabu Siliwangi (King Siliwangi, the founder of the Pajajaran Kingdom in West Java).
The National Park Ujung Kulon has more than 700 kinds of plants which are well preserved and not many of them or less then 60 kinds are classified into the rare plants. One of the rare animals in the world, which lives in the park is rhinoceros or also called as Javanese Rhinioceros.
Those who want to visit Ujung Kulon should be physically prepared and the visit should be made at any time during April up to August. During these months the season is calm and also there is a calm sea which has no high waves do that such condition will bring about a great help to a safe travel with safety.
