Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2017 | Page 118

116
Travel | Tanjung Lesung
It didn’t take long for us to spot Pulau
Liwungan, which has the appearance of
floating. Before us was a green patch of land
with a ‘tail’ that stretched to the east, a
sandbank that jutted out into the sea that
nearly inspired some to name the island
Pulau Pari, after the stingray.
1
The 25-hectare island is located in Citeureup
village, part of the Panimbang sub-district in
the Pandeglang regency. When we arrived,
dozens of young travellers had set up tents,
as visitors wishing to spend the night are
required to bring their own gear since there
is no accommodation on the uninhabited
island. Most visitors, however, choose to just
stop by for the day to snorkel around the
island and to plant corals about a kilometre
away, ensuring reef life continues to flourish.
A school of yellow fish emerged from the
water as I baited them with the fish food
I had brought with me.
1 The Beach Club offers a wide and interesting variety
of water sports, including water-skiing.
That night, back in Tanjung Lesung, we
headed out to watch the locals showing off
That night, back in Tanjung Lesung, we headed out
to watch the locals showing off their fire dance.
their fire dance. The smell of kerosene
overpowers the smell of the sea, while rancak
music beats out in rhythm to the dancers’
dangerous movements. It takes months of
training to become a dancer. When asked if
he’d ever been burnt, Mulyadi, one of the
dancers, answered with a simple, “Of course!”
A calm state of mind and plenty of practice
certainly helps, yet the slight sense of danger
certainly added to the crowd’s delight.
The next day, I stopped by the Mongolia
Culture Centre, made up of round tents with
unique Mongolian architecture and sculptures,
where visitors can enter by bowing their
heads low to pass and are treated to displays
of traditional costumes, games, weaponry
and stories. The building itself is relatively
new, established in 2017 and still undergoing
expansion in some of its sections.
My trip to the charming Tanjung Lesung
concluded with a shopping trip at Cikadu
village, some 20 minutes from the Creative
Economic Zone. Established in 2015, the local
batik craftsmen are renowned for their
unique batik patterns, such as the rhino pattern
– named after the rare Javan rhinos that can be
seen in Ujung Kulon National Park. Ranging
from IDR 250,000 to 4 million for silk batiks,
these items make a sweet reminder of the quiet
charm of this beautiful peninsula.
A peaceful coast lined with coconut
trees at Ciputih Beach Resort, Sumur.