Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2019 | Page 92

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Travel | Lampung
The following morning, I am taken to
Camp ERU Margahayu. The ERU (Elephant
Response Unit) is a programme run by the
national park authority to handle conflicts
between people and wild elephants. Here,
troubled elephants are protected and looked
after by the mahouts. Visitors can help bathe
the elephants – the adorable babies are
naturally very popular!
Returning to Bandar Lampung, Salsabila and
her friends are waiting to show me some of
the local beaches. “We’ll go to the south of
the city. There is a row of beaches that is
worth seeing,” she says enthusiastically. First,
we enjoy the calm waters of Wutun Beach,
from where we can see the beautiful bright
white sands of Tangkil Island.
As we continue to inch along the coast,
Sari Ringgung Beach and its tempting
curves attract my admiration. This beach
also faces an island, called Tegal Mas. With
its photogenic contours, perfected by a
floating resort, the beach is the perfect
destination for a day of lazy snorkelling.
Salsabila says that we will find some more
wonderful small islands, Pahawang Besar
and Pahawang Kecil, if we travel south.
“They have better grown reef. When the tide
is low, we can get to those islands on foot,
by walking over the sandy inlet,” she says.
Instagrammable Vintage Cafés
It would be a shame to visit Bandar Lampung
without tasting the city’s speciality dishes,
not just for the cuisine but also the ambience
of the eating houses. There are several cafés
with vintage-style interiors that draw me in.
Firstly, Encim Gendut, located on Jalan
Lindu No. 6 Palapa. In a monochrome
setting, the walls on the right are decorated
with traditional colourful trays and basins,
whilst on the left are displayed vintage
photos of Bandar Lampung. Bird cages and
oriental umbrellas hang from the ceiling,
while wooden chairs are topped with vibrant
batik cushions. Housed in an old
renovated building, Encim Gendut serves
an Indonesian buffet with the option of three
kinds of rice: white, coconut milk and yellow.
Also well worth a visit is De Rosse Café &
Resto, situated on Jalan HOS Cokroaminoto
no. 78 Rawa Laut, Enggal. This two-storey
restaurant looks modest from the outside,
but this impression changes as soon as
you enter the purple-pink interior.
On the first floor, an assortment of items
such as watches, a suitcase and radio are
displayed on the table, while old movie
posters decorate the walls. Window frames
are colourfully painted. The second floor
has more modern décor. The café is known
for its Tuan Crab (1-3) and Cah Kailan
(Chinese broccoli).
After an experience which has taken
me from witnessing the grandeur of
Sumatran elephants to relaxing on far-flung
beaches, and enjoying the ambience of
vintage cafés, I realise that Bandar Lampung
has much to offer adventurous travellers.
I don’t feel I have wasted a single moment,
and I know that my memories will keep
drawing me back to this amazing part
of the world. Whether in the wild
or in the city, Lampung is made
for magical moments.
Fresh fish caught by local
fishermen, sold at Agung
City Fish Market, Lampung.
It would be a shame
to visit Bandar Lampung
without tasting the city’s
speciality dishes, not just
for the cuisine but also
the ambience...