Run Through the Jungle: A weekend on Pulau Peucang island in Ujung Kulon National Park

The beach on Pulau Peucang

This perfect beach runs right round the island

White sandy beaches, a crystal clear, warm sapphire blue sea, scorching sun (33C) and total seclusion on the outskirts of a jungle paradise. This is how I would have to describe my weekend on the beautiful island of Pulau Peucang, just off the south western tip of Java. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing get away, far from the bustling rush of modern urban life, where its just you, the ocean and plenty of deserted beaches, Pulau Peucang is the place for you. The quiet serenity and natural beauty is what is most attractive about this place, by far. Other than the resort, which only consists of a few small hut like buildings, there are no other people or buildings on the island nor indeed for miles and miles in any direction. You have no one but a few macaque monkeys to pester you while you soak up some rays, go for a refreshing swim or maybe do a bit of fishing or jungle trekking. Give yourself the time to reach it and you will really get to know, and instantly fall in love with this stunning hidden little gem tucked away in the heart of Indonesia.

While it's all well and good to talk about the amazing place Pulau Peucang is, getting there in the first place is the real adventure. One thing is for certain, it's not easy. Your best bet, and most cost effective way of travelling, is to go in a tour group of some sort as otherwise it can be quite expensive and troublesome to organise. Our tour only charged 800,000 rupiah (about $80) for everything including the boat (which would have cost that on its own), food and accommodation for one night. A good deal. The island itself is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ujung Kulon, a national park since 1980, on the south western tip of Java.

A Google Maps view with Ujung Kulon marked as A

This park was in the wake of the massive volcanic eruption of Krakatau in 1883 and so today, most of the jungle for which it is known is relatively sparse in lower areas, destroyed along with many of the homes that once stood there. New growth and replanted areas can be seen all along the coast however in an attempt to bring the jungle back to it's former size. Having said this, a vast area of jungle still exists today with many areas of completely enclosed jungle canopy in places such as Pulau Peucang. Given the fact that no real roads actually go through the main part of the park (unless you count the pot hole ridden dirt tracks unfit for man nor beast), the easiest way to get around here is by boat along the coast.

The animal species that exist there range from the primates like the Javan gibbon, leaf monkey and crab eating macaque to reptiles like the monitor lizard, two python species and crocodiles  (UNESCO, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/608, 2013). The largest species of bat in the world also resides here (and indeed in many parts of the Indonesian archipelago), known to most as the flying fox or fruit bat. Perhaps the most famous resident however, and perhaps the only remaining place it can be found, is the rare Javan Rhino. From what I have gathered from speaking to locals and fellow travelers, only about 50 of them exist in the wild today and so they are closely watched and protected by the park rangers. Given their rarity, they are notoriously difficult to spot.

Our own adventure began in Jakarta, where we set off on a tour with thirty companions at around 11pm at night. Our aim was to travel by mini bus south through the night to reach Ujung Kulon by morning. After escaping the Jakarta traffic we began our decent down the western coast of Java in the two twelve seater mini buses. After cramming about seventeen people into each (including our guides), some even making the journey on the roof of each bus, we continued on through the night for about eight hours.

Returning was the same, every space possible was taken

The roads were in mediocre condition of course until we got closer to the national park when they became little more than pot hole ridden tracks causing us to bounce around like a ship on a stormy sea. Sleep was not an option. After waking from a sleep deprived daze as the sun began to rise several hours later, I began to notice the change in landscape. Certainly, houses and little shops can be seen all along the entirety of the route confirming Javas status as one of the most densely populated places on the globe, but the buildings become steadily more rustic and removed from modern conveniences the closer you get to Ujung Kulon. The concrete, slightly urban feel gives way to open rice paddies and rural fishing villages with houses made of wood or even wicker walls, raised on low stilts and with palm leaf thatched roofs. Yet still, for some reason, every one of them will have a giant satellite dish proudly displayed in their front yards. I guess nowhere is completely untouched by the modern world. All around, the trees begin to change into towering palms, banana and coconut trees, the road turns to nothing and the vine covered jungle begins. This is Ujung Kulon.

A moored boat at the tiny village of Tamanjaya, Ujung Kulon

Having run out of viable road at Tamanjaya, a little village a small ways inside the park, we opted to switch to a boat. After admiring the village itself with tall palm trees towering over us and their long shadows cast over the grass in the early morning sunlight, we boarded the small vessel which would be our home for the next 3 hours. We slowly pulled out from the pier, away from the last vestige of civilization and began to make our way to our final destination, the isolated tiny island of Pulau Peucang.

One of the unusual fishing structures found all along the coast

All along the route to the island, stood on stilts and platforms, were the local fishing structures. A strange sight at first, they appear to serve as a means to cast large fishing nets and leave them for some time to fill up with fish. In their centre, they contain a small wooden cabin, perhaps for fishermen to wait for their nets to fill. Also, in the distance, volcanoes can be seen, lying silent for now. We soon arrived at the island which appeared as a paradise on earth. White sandy beach surrounds the entire perimeter, brightly reflecting the blazing hot sun. The rest of the island is pure wild jungle except for a tiny clearing where we docked. This is the "resort", though I use the term loosely as all it contains are a few small hut buildings for sleeping quarters and a handful of locals to keep it going. There is nothing else on the island. No shops. No busy markets or streets. No traffic of any kind. Just pure wild jungle and beaches at their best and most enticing. There isn't even any electricity there until after six o'clock, though, given its remoteness, I guess that makes sense. You must bring, or in our case, catch your own food if you stay here. The surrounding, warm, clear tropical ocean is certainly full of fish, not just good for swimming and snorkeling. If you are looking for a party, a wild night or excitement, this is not the place for you. This island's charm is its tranquility and the sense of being just you and the most beautiful environment nature can provide. Paradise.

A sense of peace and tranquility accompanies you everywhere here 

Trekking through the jungle on Pulau Peucang is easily done. Given the islands small size, you are never too far away from the coastal surrounding beach and coral reefs, making it difficult to get lost. While a trek through the islands jungle is a must, to catch a glimpse of wild deer, boar, macaques and, if you are lucky, a monitor lizard, the local boatmen will be happy to take you across to the mainland jungle of Ujung Kulon. That is to say, if the local park police don't hassle the boatmen for docking idly in the national park. At least that's what I assumed they were doing on our tip. Of course, once the police left, the scattered boatmen promptly returned and took us across to Cidaon where we could observe wild cattle (banteng), peacocks and any other of the parks residents we could glimpse.

A clearing in the jungle on Cidaon where we could observe the wildlife. Banteng can be seen on the right.

After a tiring day, having been up for two days straight, we finally got back on the boat and made the short journey back to the island. As the sun sank in the west in an orange sky, the giant fruit bats began to come out in great numbers, gliding silently over our returning vessel in search of food under the cover of coming darkness. The jungle comes alive with energy at night, that's for sure. But our long journey had left us with none. Tomorrow was another day and we would make full use of that magnificent beach and the warm tropical waters that surrounded us. We slept well indeed.

A typical jungle scene on Pulau Peucang

The sunrise over the island is a fantastic sight to behold, especially down by the pier with the handful of boats tied up, floating silently. The giant fruit bats now return from their night activities to hang upside down in their respective jungle trees, away from prying eyes. An early morning jungle trek is a great way to wake up, shielding you from the ever increasing heat of the rising morning sun by staying hidden under the thick jungle canopy.

The dying sun peeks through the canopy in Cidaon

All around, the sound of the jungle can be heard, particularly the strikingly loud song of the cicada insect, various tropical birds and the calls of macaques in the trees. We contented ourselves to make the most of the beach for the little time we had left there, after all, our short weekend get away was almost over. With such a long return journey ahead (twelve hours in all), we had to leave early. By 11am we had gathered on the beach by the pier, soaking up the views, the gorgeous sun and contemplating that sense of tranquility one last time. We stood there in silence, all of us, for those last few moments, and then boarded the boat one by one. As we pulled out into the warm open waters, leaving Pulau Peucang sink slowly into the horizon, I thought to myself: "this sure is going to be hard to beat". The bar is set very high indeed after my first real trip in Indonesia, and to such a hidden gem. Time will tell if it can be raised again...  

Sunrise over Pulau Peucang on our last day

      

   

Initial Impressions Part Two- The Great Divide

I will begin with Bekasi, a suburb of Jakarta where I currently live. This could certainly be described as a more upscale area, relatively speaking. The main street nearby is Kemang Pratama Raya, literally ‘Kemang main street’, or something along those lines. From ones first view of this long street, lined with towering palm trees and immense Mediterranean style mansions adorning its sides, you would think yourself in Beverly Hills, only slightly less well kept and no one speaks English. The houses themselves are incredible displays of wealth echoed by the fleets of new SUV’s cascading down the strip.

(pic 1)One of many large houses on Kemang Pratama Raya

Much of the architecture in this area appears to have been influenced by the Portuguese, early settlers in Jakarta and the surrounding areas from around 1522. Huge American style Malls are also quite close by, all clustering together and with everything you want under one roof, including a vast array of Western stores; Pizza Hut, Dunkin Doughnuts, Starbucks, Burger King, MacDonalds etc. Walking just off the tree lined road, and clustered around my little house (shared with six others), you find yourself in an area more akin to the norm. Hundreds of little businesses, mostly cheap restaurants and warungs (food stalls) as well as market areas, travelling salesmen and women, cheap trinket shops, garages, and everything else in between. What is distinctly different with these, is the immediately more local feel. Almost no one speaks English when you go into or up to one of these places so a useful guide book with basic phrases is essential, though body language can often suffice. It appears to be quite a thriving little area yet with a much greater relaxed atmosphere, compared to Jakarta. 

(pic 2) Kampung tin roofed house in Bekasi

Yet, upon looking at this bustling little area of Bekasi, full of people gradually going about their daily business, one can’t help but notice the lack of housing. Where does everyone else live? Exploring past the thin veil of businesses, through some narrow (and I mean narrow) side streets, we come to the more typical housing in the area and begin to notice all was not as it seemed. Long winding little streets lined with small houses, often brightly painted and with very little frontage, are the homes of the street vendors and their families as well as many other, I guess, middle class types. But this is not all. A real sense of a wealth divide quickly catches up to you when, just down the road to the north of the main street and across the bridge you catch a glimpse of the kampung villages. This is the poorest form of living accommodation, not just in Bekasi, but all over Jakarta as well. They exist as something like shanty towns. Many structures, often of tin roof construction and haphazardly built, line many of the city and surrounding areas streets in this fashion and account for a huge proportion of the populace. They exist so close, often right next to the mega wealthy houses or the sky scrapers in Jakarta that it feels like two completely different worlds co-existing on the same plot of land. The kampungs in Jakarta, particularly in Glodok , the Chinese area we explored, are very extensive. Travelling through these winding passages full of people, overpowering aromas (good and bad), traffic (even on these tiny pathways!), markets selling everything from tasty treats of chicken satay and a plethora of chillies and spices to live cobras, ready to eat, can be an assault on the senses but totally worth the effort. The seemingly endless pathways through Glodoks red tilled (in some cases) and tin roofed crooked houses are a veritable maze with no discerning landmarks to help you find your way. Using the sun for direction will certainly be of help. If you manage not to get too lost here, you may even stumble upon one of the areas many Buddhist Temples. Be sure to take off your shoes before entering these solemn places though. Continuing on deeper into the kampung, you will hear the megaphone call to prayer blaring over the air. On one excursion I thought I heard this same call, only to discover, in fact, an old man with a dirty sleeveless vest in a doorway, lying down on an old couch singing happily into a microphone on his own. Perhaps he was practicing for X factor while escaping the heat outside. This area is a real slice of local living yet always remaining sharply contrasted with much wealthier areas, often just a stone’s throw away. The open sewers and badly polluted rivers flowing through the Glodok kampungs heighten this sense of the forgotten little villages in the background even though Jakarta’s main centre is not much better for this. Despite the relative poverty of these areas, however, the people are the happiest you can find. Smiles all round every turn you take and greetings of “Hello Mister” and “Welcome to Indonesia” abound as the street kids playfully run alongside you looking to get a high five or simply just to see the Bule (Indonesian for white westerner, literally ‘albino’). It can be very heart warming indeed.

(pic 3) One of the "wider" kampung streets in Glodok

(pic 4) An example of Jakarta's wealthy centre

Moving deeper into the commercial heart of Jakarta, leaving behind the winding kampungs and their occupants (though never very far away), we begin to notice the change in skyline. All of a sudden, there are massive skyscrapers, huge hotel complexes which are lit up like Vegas at night, more vast sprawling malls and office buildings, apartment blocks the size of a small city in themselves with palm trees on every balcony, the impressive obelisk like Monas monument, massive beautiful Mosques (this has the largest Muslim population in the world, after all) and the old Dutch part of the city (Kota) complete with VOC headquarters from the 17^th C. This sharp contrast makes you feel as though you have been transported to another time and place altogether. This architecture is also quite modern for the most part (aside from the old town) and unique in style giving all the appearance of a cutting edge city in its prime. It seems some select areas get far greater attention over others. Having said this, pollution is a serious problem and evident everywhere, particularly in the rivers.

(pic 5) Pollution in the city rivers

While this can be hard to ignore at first, as well as the burnt out shells of buildings scattered throughout the old part of the city and the fumes from the chaotic traffic jams (which deserve a segment in themselves), you soon look past it. The real wealth divide and struggle with pollution from an ever expanding populace is problem Jakarta and its surrounding suburbs must face in the coming years, but you can still enjoy wandering through the countless markets and side streets and discover what Jakarta really has to offer, its rich variety of culture, history, cuisine and unparalleled Indonesian hospitality.