Ujung Kulon National Park
Ujung Kulon National Park |
FLORA AND FAUNA
The most precious of all the animals in the parks is the Java one-horned rhinoceros, the rarest large animal on earth. It the only remaining home of the critically endangered Javan Rhinoceros. A population of fifty to sixty live in Ujung Kulon. A smaller population lived in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, but the last remaining member of this population, and its entire subspecies, died last year at the hands of poachers.
Once found across much of south east Asia, the first accounts of the Java rhino date back to China’s T’ang dynasty (A.D. 618-906) when Java was noted as a source for rhino horns. In Java during the 1700’s rhinos were so numerous and damaging to the agricultural plantations that the government paid a bounty for every rhino killed, bagging five hundred within two years.
Javan Rhino |
Ujung Kulon’s rhino population is now estimated at around fifty individuals and they were believed to be the last remaining Javan rhino in the world until a small population was recently discovered in Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese subspecies, Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus, is now known to be extinct, so Ujung Kulon remains the last home of this magnificent Perissodactyl. In appearance the Javan rhino is closest to the Indian rhino, both having a single-horn and skin folds or plates but there are distinct differences between their neck plates and skin textures.
Explore Home Javan Rhino |
They are most mobile at nights, like wallowing in mud pools and sometimes venture onto beaches and grazing grounds. Although actual sightings of rhinos are rare, their prints and droppings are often found on the trails, sometimes unnervingly fresh. Javan rhinos are believed to be capable of running as fast as a person and so advice to visitors, should they happen to come across one, is to climb the nearest tree and take a photo - in that order.
Sundaic Banded Pig |
GET IN
The easiest way to get in is by purchase a tour from a
resort in Anyer.
The price will be around Rp 1.5 million-3 million depending on the length of
stay. The price goes down if the number of the people joining the tour
increases. It takes around 3-4 hours from Anyer to Peucang Island where the
accommodation and national park office are situated.
The cheapest way to get here is by public transport. The
journey can start from Kalideres bus station in the West Jakarta. The bus is
green heading in the direction of Labuan. The cost is around Rp 25,000 one way.
It takes 3 hours to arrive in Labuan from Kalideres bus station. From Labuan,
the journey will continue to Sumur or directly to Taman Jaya the last point
before Ujung Kulon National Park. In Labuan, a lot of touts telling you there
is no bus to Sumur or Taman Jaya. They offer ojek (motorcyle transport) for the
transport and off course more expensive than the bus. There are buses to Sumur
every hour, but only one bus go directly to Taman Jaya every day. The bus to
Taman Jaya leaves at noon around 12.00 AM, so it is better to leave Kalideres
in the morning around 7.00 or 8.00 AM. The bus to Taman Jaya is not parking in
the bus station. It usually park outside the bus station around 20 meters on
the left side of the bus station. The bus will leave after full with the
passengers. The bus fee to Sumur is Rupiah 25000 (USD 2.8) and to Taman Jaya Rp
40000 (USD 4.5). It will not easy drive. Most the road along 98 km is in bad
condition. The journey to Sumur takes 3 hours and to Taman Jaya 4 hours. If you
cannot manage go to Taman jaya, the trips suppose to be continued by Ojek from
Sumur. The cost will around Rp 30000-40000 (USD 3.5-4.5) depend on negotiation.
Actually, there are also options to get a tour in Sumur and
Labuan, but most of the local budget traveler will be heading to Taman Jaya to
get the cheapest option to travel to the Ujung Kulon National Park. In Taman
Jaya, there is a famous local people even in Sumur and Labuan named Pak Komar. He
organizes transport (boat) and trip to Ujung Kulon. The price for the boat is
Rp 1000,000 (USD 105) for one way. It is better to organize a trip here. Take a
trip for 3-4 days with boat in Ujung Kulon. If you are lucky to have more than
10 persons,the price will not higher than Rupiah 1000,000 (USD 105) for 3-4
days trip. The price will include guide, food (local offcourse), park entry
fee, accommodation in Peucang Island and boat. There is also organized jungle
trekking from Taman Jaya to Ujung Kulon for 4 days to 1 week. All the price are
negotiable and cheaper.
GET AROUND
Get around in the park is mostly done with a help of a ranger or tour guide. The local ranger and tour guide know where to camp and where to find water. You can walk along the coastline with a breathtaking view and attractions, starting from Taman Jaya village to Tanjung Layar in 2 or 3 days. A guide or ranger is a must.
To save
time, walking along the coastline from Taman Jaya to Cidaon/Cidaun is
discouraged for ordinary tourists, except for flora enthusiasts. The coast has
no sandy beach and only a thin layer of mangroves, but in the night, there are
many fluorescent mushrooms with very dim light. However, as general practice
walking in the forest at night is not wise; it should be done only at daytime,
except for those who know the trails well and usually do night trekking. Most
visitors will prefer to head directly to Peucang Island by boat. Peucang Island
is good for sunbathing.
10 to
20 years ago, most of the tourists were serious tourists who loved fauna and
flora, but today with many tour operators, most tourists are not big flora and
fauna aficionados, so they usually they spend their time at Peucang Island, see
banteng at Cidaon and go back to Peucang Island. Some tourists who have enough
stamina go to Cigenter to see the high, powerful waves of the Indian Ocean and
go back on the same day to see banteng at Cidaon. Cidaon to Cigenter and back
requires 4 to 6 hours, depending on foot speed.
From
Cidaon to the light house at the tip of Ujung Kulon is relatively easy trail
with mostly without shade and need about one and half hour. The best moment at
the light house is when the lamp of the light house is on. Although see the
lamp from a distance not more than a meter, it is not starring the eyes,
because the lenses in front of the thousands watts lamp make the light
disperse. Go back to Cidaon at night is also relatively safe beyond starry sky,
if there are no clouds.
The
Cigenter to Karang Ranjang trail along the Indian Ocean is not for ordinary
tourists, although it is a great trek for nature lovers and maybe the best part
of Ujung Kulon. Start early in the morning from Cigenter to Karang Ranjang and
then to Taman Jaya for a total of 20 kilometers: This trek requires 8 to 12
hours, and there is almost no shade at all. Some forest rangers claim that the trail
can be finished in 5 to 6 hours, but don't try to rush, because the trail has
different gradations of sand from loose to grainy. Loose sand can bury half of
your boots, making it difficult to keep moving, so you should frequently open
your boots and remove the sand, as volcanic sand can be sharp. The easiest part
of the trail is flat bedrock.
By car
There
are no roads in Ujung Kulon. You can either walk or get on a boat.
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