Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2017 | Page 116

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Travel | Tanjung Lesung
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The horizon was tinted with soft hues of red as the sun began to sink for
another day, and a feeling of stillness swept over the peninsula that lay before
me. Standing at the edge of Tanjung Lesung, the sense of calm and peace
I felt was in stark contrast to the event that shook the world in the 19 th century:
the eruption of Krakatoa.
Following many months of intense seismic
activity, early in the morning on August 27,
1883, Krakatoa blew itself apart with four
enormous explosions over five hours, each
followed by a devastating tsunami. Sailors
4,800km away in Mauritius thought they
heard cannon fire from a nearby ship, while
in Ketimbang, Sumatra, a rain of hot ash
fell across the land, killing 1,000 people,
some of the 36,000 that perished during
Krakatoa’s cataclysmic display.
For more than 40 years, subsequent undersea
eruptions created a new volcanic island, Anak
Krakatau, Child of Krakatoa, which continues
to rise as much as 0.5m in a year, and provides
the centrepiece of views from the north and
western sandy beaches of Tanjung Lesung.
Over the past decade, Tanjung Lesung has
started to carve out a niche for itself as one of
the nation’s adventure tourism gems. The
arrival of intrepid backpackers, always on the
lookout for the next hidden treasure, off-road
mountain bikers carving new trails, and
‘in-the-know’ scuba divers seeking the
perfect bay to rest between dives in the
Krakatau–Kulon National Park, has put
Tanjung Lesung on the map.
Accessing the area used to be no easy feat.
“The roads were badly damaged. There
were tourism attractions, but there weren’t
that many people interested in them,” said
Muhammad Firdaus, the man in charge
of Activity Development at Tanjung
Lesung Beach Club, who accompanied
me during my visit.
Tanjung Lesung was placed in the spotlight
in 2015 when President Joko Widodo
officially named Tanjung Lesung a Creative
Economic Zone upon the recommendation
of PT Banten West Java Tourism
Development (BWJ). The Creative Economic
Zone officially launched its operations in
February 2015, focusing its efforts on
tourism and creative economy activities.
From Jakarta, Tanjung Lesung can be
accessed by way of the Merak toll road.
Take the Serang exit to the city of
Pandeglang, and from there go on
to Labuan and Tanjung Lesung; the trip
typically takes three to four hours.
Today, Tanjung Lesung is attracting tourists
with its enviable location close to Jakarta,
cool accommodation mix, and an ever-
increasing breadth of activities to enjoy.
“The roads are good; it’s now easy to access.
Especially with a direct toll road from Jakarta
in the works, it will surely make it easier for
tourists to get here,” Firdaus said.
For my first night in Tanjung Lesung,
I decided on a tent experience; a special
‘room’ for those wanting to stay closer to
nature. Provided by the Beach Club, each
tent accommodates two people and comes
with a fan to stave off the heat. I rested well
that night, thanks to the tent’s dim lighting
and the constant, comforting sound of the