Bakauheni pier to Merak bus teminal.

As the ferry SMS Kartanegara left Bakauheni's pier in Provinsi Lampung Selatan,the view of the mainland was fantastic.

The crystal clear water of the Sunda Straits and the cool breeze of the afternoon was very refreshing.

This is one great holiday destination not to be missed while visiting Indonesia.

 Lampung is a very unique place for ecotourism and the many mountains here are suitable for trekking.

The highest peak is Gunung Pesagi (2,262m) in west Lampung near Liwa.





The Menara Siger in the horizon is very eye catching.

The building might be mistaken as a resort hotel especially when it is located on a mountain top overlooking the sea.

This is ground Zero marker for the Sumatran Highway.








S P Ferry passing by SMS Kartanegara.Both ferries are in fact very old made wayback in the 70's or 80's but with regular maintenance then only will they be seaworthy.

It's time that there should be a certain limit of lifespan for a certain vessels to operate and be replaced with new ones.

 A larger passenger ship with the theme 'We serve Indonesia'(Kami berkhidmat kepada Indonesia)

 PT ASDP Ferry Indonesia is the main operator.
ASDP means Angkutan Sungai dan Penyeberagan (River and cross straits transportation).

List of ports throughout Indonesia:
Java Island: Jepara,Merak,Surabaya,Ketapang
Kalimantan: Balikpapan,Pontianak,Batu Licin

Maluku: Ambon,Tual,Ternate

NTT/NTB: Kayangan,Lembar,Kupang,Sape

Papua: Biak,Sorong,Merauke

Sulawesi: Bajoe,Bitung,Selayar,Bau-Bau,Luwuk,Siwa

Sumatera: Bakauheni,Batam,Padang,Sibolba,Bangka,Bengkulu,Sabang,Sinabang

A modern skybridge linking to the ferry.

Latest ferry fares list in per 1000Rupiah( adult/children/motorcycle)

Tanjung Kelian-Palembang (46/31/70)

Merak-Bakauheni(11.5/7/20)

Ketapang-Gilimanuk (6/5/8)

Padangbai-Lembar(36/23/52)

Bajo'e-kolaka (62/41/90)

Sape-Labuhan Bajo (46/30/70)

Sape-Waikelo (45/30/71.5)

Selayar-Labuhan Bajo (111/71/177)

Pagimana-Gorontalo (73/49/115)

Balikpapan-Mamuju (111.5/74.5/175)

 Batulicin-Garongkong (126.5/86.5/190.5)

Bitung- Ternate (95/64/150)

Namlea-Sanana (117/88/175)





Merak Port workers waiting for the ferry to berth.

Lately the Sunda Straits is experiencing winds of 35 knots and the seawaves of 2.5m making berthing slight difficulty.

The workers are very professional in administering the situation. On the whole,Merak Port area including the bus terminal is very clean.

Even the crystal clear blue sea hardly can you find any rubbish strewn around or any eyesore sights.





We have to walk through rows of stalls selling snacks and drinks before reaching the Merak bus terminal.

 Foodstalls are available near the buses platforms.

The most popular package instant noodles in Indonesia is 'Mie Sedap' with chicken,curry and soto flavours.

The stalls here seemed to have ample stocks of pancakes and the 'krupuk'(prawn crackers)




  Merak bus terminal is just beside the Merak Port(Pelabuhan Merak) situated at the westernmost tip of Java Island in the District of Pulo Merak,Cilegon,Banten Province.

Merak terminal is about 125 km from Metropolitan Jakarta City or about 95km using the Merak-Jakarta highway

The small bus terminal have many buses both aircond and economy seats to Kalideres,Bandung and Cipularang,Pulo Gadong bus terminal,Tanjung Priuk bus terminal,Kampung Rambutan bus terminal and other cities in Central Java.

There won't be any ticketing counters nor touts except for the respective bus companies drivers and conductors scouting for passengers.

I took an aircond bus with a fare of Rupiah20,000 departing at 5:00pm(WIB) with an estimated travel time of 3-4 hours depending on traffic conditions.

  Provinsi Lampung has a population of over 6.5million where a large portion of the people are migrants from Java,Madura and Bali.

 Due to overcrowding in Java Island the government has embarked on a transmigration program.

The province has 8 regencies and 2 cities:
Bandar Lampung and Metro.
With a valuable assets of various ethnic cultures,cultural dances like the Ponogoro(Java's mask folk dance),wayang kulit(Java's shadow puppet show),barongsai(chinese lion dance) and Bali's Ogoh-ogoh (purging of evils) are popular over here in Lampung Province.

Unique Rumah Adat(Customary Houses) are the Nuwou Balak(Balai Keratun) which is the home of Village chief and Nuwou Sesat or Sesat Balai Agung, a place where the chiefs of the villages convene can be observed at Taman Mini "Indonesia Indah"

About 80km from Bandar Lampung is the Elephant Training Center (Taman Nasional Way Kambas,Lampung Timur) and the nearest zoo(Taman Wisata Bumi Kedaton) is 7km from the city in the direction of Kampung Sukarame II,Batuputu,Kecamatan Teluk Betung Barat.

The main entry to the zoo is via Jalan Pangiran Emir M Noor.
Entrance fees:Rupiah3,000
Animal shows:Rupiah10,000
Elephant ride:Rupiah10,000

The most famous food of the Lampung people is the Pindang Lampung,with a gravy similar to 'Tom Yam' of Thailand.
Try it at No:45,Jalan Arif Rahman Hakim,Taman Santap Rumah Kayu. Another popular dish is the 'pempek' which can be found everywhere. When it comes to shopping for souvenirs,the Kain Tapis Inuh is a traditional hand woven embroidered silk fabrics in various design.

Ferry ride across the Sunda Straits.

Depart Rajabasa bus terminal in an aircond bus (fares:Rupiah 22,000) for a 3 hours journey to Bakauheni ferry pier.

 On arrival I had a plate of 'nasi padang' (Rupiah14,000) at a nearby restaurant before making my way to the ferry ticketing counter.

Nasi Padang is rice with some Minangkabau cuisines.

 It was not so congested at this time of the year as the Lebaran (Idul Fitri) New Year has already passed which at that time saw an estimated million travellers exodus.

Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world having a population close to 50million whereas Indonesia on the whole has 237million,the world's ranking number 4.

Bakauheni port has six piers,Pier I,II,III for unloading passengers and cars while Plengsengan Pier I,II,III will only operate when there is a need.

 The ferries main operator is PT ASDP Indonesia (Persero) and adult fare was Rupiah11,500.

Just infront of the ferry terminal are the buses platforms that goes back to Lampung City.

 The Sunda Straits (Indonesian:Selat Sunda) is a narrow sea lane between the Sumatra and Java Island having a width of 24 km.

The seabed is like a flat table but deepens towards the east as it approaches the Indian Ocean.

With a depth of only 20metres in most of the eastern part of seabed,navigation might be problematic with the presence of sandbanks and at times the tidal flow.

 One of the volcanic island called Gunung Krakatoa and a newly formed Anak Krakatoa back in the 1927 volcanic explosion is along the Sunda Straits just opposite Lampung Bay.

Being on a plate tectonics or fault line,this area is within the Pacific Ring of Fire.

An islets with white sandy beach near the Bakauheni pier.

In the case of Mount Krakatoa,the shoreline will be black volcanic sand,hot under the tropical sun.

  A fishing vessel returning to base after a great catch.

The Sunda Platform which is part of the Eurasia plate has as a shallow sea with warm seawaters and a good breeding ground for planktons.

From the Straits of Malacca till the Straits of Makassar,the abundance of planktons invited most of the marine fishes to feed in these areas.

Planktons are responsible for providing food source and nutrients to fishes. Most of the fishes caught in domestic waters are processed locally while the better species like tuna and sashimi are exported.
Morotai near the northeastern tip of Maluku Island is a center of tuna industry because the tuna fishes from the Pacific Ocean made a stopover here.

Carita coastal town is the main gate to Sunda Straits and a great place for fishing tour or deep sea fishing.

15km west of Carita is the Krakatau Archipelago that have nice fishing spot such as Rakata Island,Pulau Panjang,Batu Mesjid and Serdang Islands.

For deep sea fishing,Ujung Kulon Panaitan Island is a good base.

Outstanding hotspots are at Karang Copong,Karang Jajar,Tanjung Parat,Karang Kereta and Tanjung Layar. Fishes like tenggiri,yellowfin tuna,marlin,wahoo and sailfish can be caught.
Karang Jajar faces the Indian Ocean and have strong tides.
Tanjung Parat is shelterd and suited for small boats.
Tanjung Layar is the lighthouse and rocky sea bottom.

Fishing boat rental at Berkah Resort.Tel:0252-5600378/9 HP:087880269951 (bapak Slamet)

Oil palm plantations in the high mountains near ferry terminal.

The hills in the foreground is the Rajabasa Mountain and over the mountains on the other side is the Kalianda town facing the Lampung Bay with the Krakatoa Nirwana Resort in the locality.

 Canti fishing village along the coastline is before Kalianda town from the direction of Bakauheni.
 Ranau Lake is the second largest lake in Sumatra after Lake Toba located in the Lampung Barat Regency at Sukau,in the village of Lumbok or 31km from Liwa the regency's capital.

Hotels around Liwa town: Dana Insani,Gunung Putri,Karang Nyimbor,Pesagi,Sarijo,Sempana Lima,Losmen Fajar Bulan,Wisma Sindalapai,Wisma Selalau,Losmen Gembira,Stabas,Serdahana,Purnama,Permata,Dwi Putri and hotel Jembar Manah.





  Kids swimming near ferry hoping for passengers generosity.

A small token of the rupiah notes folded and thrown into their direction will see them diving for it.

Siger Tower just opposite Bakauheni's terminal port inland is a landmark symbol to reflect Lampung's identity as a province of south gate and Zero highway marker point of Sumatra.

Canti ,a small fishing town is an hour minivan drive from Bakauheni ferry terminal.

There were speedboats to the smaller islands like Sebuku Besi,Condong Sulah and Umang-umang island.

 On the eastern part of Lampung Province facing the Indian Ocean,Belimbing town is the southernmost point which is near to the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (a World Heritage) at Sukaraja and near to Kota Agung town facing the Semaka Bay.

















Vessel: 'WE LOVE INDONESIA' (kami cintakan Indonesia)

There are three express ships Pascadana 2,Ele Expres and Ctra Jet 2.

Ferry's slogan: 'WE BRIDGE THE NATION' (Bangga menyatukan nusantara)

About 33 ferries in operation among them BSP II,Duta Banten,Nusa Mulya,Nusa Agung,Nusa Jaya,Jatra I/II and Panorama.







Large ship like Trubuna I had a capacity to transport 175 four wheeled vehicles and 395 passengers.

A 'KELONG',fishermen floating shelter platform.

  Merak bus terminal ahead as the ferry approached the north western end of Jawa Island.

On leaving the ferry,just walk along the pedestrian bridge till the very end and turn right.Walk down the stairways and continue into a building passing through many stalls and there were many buses to Metropolitan Jakarta.

Night at Rajabasa Bus Terminal,Lampung

It was 6:45pmWIB(Waktu Indonesia Barat) when the train halted at the Stasiun Tanjung Karang in Bandar Lampung,Lampung Province.

The skies were already very dark as the time zone is similar to those of Thailand and Indochina.

 The Indonesian archipelago has 3 time zones (UTC+7 to UTC+9)

 The western time zone(WIB) covers whole of Sumatra and Java.

Central time zone (WITA) covers Sulawesi,Kalimantan and Lesser Sunda (Denpasar area) while the Eastern time zone(WIT) is observed in Maluku and Papua.

 Near the exit of the station were many green coloured angkot waiting to transport passengers to town center and the Rajabasa bus terminal.

I followed one 'bapak'(a name used to address an Indonesian male senior) who was also going to catch a ferry to Jakarta who guided me.

For the ladies we called them as 'ibu'.The fares charged was Rupiah5,000 and the minivan was packed like sardine.

Bapak used to pay for Rupiah3,000 using the angkot and was telling me no reason for the hike in price.

 The train station was off Jalan Raden Intan(near Plaza Lampung) and the angkot headed northward along Jalan Teuku Umar via Jalan Zaenal Abidin Pagar Alam which is quite a straight stretch of road to the Rajabasa Bus Terminal.

Ramayana Shopping Centre is within vicinity.

The city centre and the seaside will be southward along Jalan Raden Intan passing through traffic circle on to Jalan Pangeran Diponegoro till Jalan Ikan Bawal which is near the coast.

The Universitas Lampung and museum were located north of Lampung city.

 Hotels and guesthouses(rumah penginapan) in Lampung:

1) Hotel Seraton:Jalan Wolter Mongonsidi. Tel:(0721) 486666

2) Marco Polo Hotel:Jlana Dr Susilo Tel:(0721) 262511

3) Sahid :Jalan Yos Sudarso Tel:(0721) 488888

4) Indra Puri:Jalan Wolter Mongonsidi Tel:(0721) 258258

5) Sumatra Elephant Eco Lodge:Dusun 1,Desa Ratu Iv Way Kambus

6) Hotel Hanum:Jalan Raden Intan

7) Hotel Hartono:Jalan Kesehatan Tel:(0721) 262525

8) Hotel Arinas:Jalan Raden Intan Tel:(0721) 266778

9) Grande Hotel:Jalan Raden Intan

10) Hotel Grand Anugerah:Jalan Raden Intan

11) Hotel Nusantara:Jalan Soekarno Hatta

12) Hotel Nusa Indah(Melati III):Jalan Raden Intan. Tel:(0721) 265242

13) Hotel Kurnia Perdana (Melati III):114,Jalan Raden Intan Tel:(0721) 262030

14) Hotel Andalas (3 star):89,Jalan Raden Intan Tel:(0721) 263432

15) Hotel Kurnia Dua (3 star):75,Jalan Raden Intan Tel:(0721) 252905)

16) Hotel Purnama (3 star):75,Jalan Raden Intan Tel:(0721) 26148

17) Hotel Ria (3 star):107,Jalan Kartini Tel:(0721) 253974.

18) Hotel Mahligai Puri(3 star):29,Jalan Cokroaminoto Tel:(0721) 253694)

19) Hotel Kemala (3 star):73/75Jalan Gatot Subroto

20) Hotel Sari Damai (3 star):Jalan Teuku Umar.Tel:(0721) 701935

21) Hotel Parahiyangan(3 star):Jalan Teuku Umar Tel:(0721) 255339

22) Hotel Pacific (3 star):13,Jalan Yos Sudarso Tel:(0721) 482334

23) Hotel Merpati(3 star):Jalan Yos Sudarso Tel:(0721) 341333

24) Wisma Lampung:1,Jalan Z.A.Pagar Alam Tel:(0721) 704676

25) Wisma Haji:Jalan Soekarno Hatta tel:(0721) 702077

26) Bukit Randu Hotel & Restaurant:1-2A,Jalan Kemboja Tel:(0721) 2566680

27) Hotel Chandra:1,Jalan Hayam Wuruk-Pemuda. Tel:(0721) 263787  

KOTA AGUNG (80km southwest of city,coastal area.Location of planet's most biological habitats park,the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park ranked by WWF .Needs permit to visit so get at main office in Jalan Raya Terbaya.Camping grounds near Sukaraja)


1) Soponyono Hotel :Jalan A. Yani Pringsewu Tanggamus Street Tel: (0722) 21051

2) Setia Hotel :294,Jalan Samudera Tel:(0722) 21065

3) KS Hotel :90,Jalan Samudera, Pasar Madang

4) Wisma Hosana :Jalan Raya Gisting Bawah - Tanggamus Tel: (0729) 41705

5) Balong Kuring Hotel :Jalan A. Yani Pringsewu - Tanggamus

6) Borobudur Hotel :Jalan Raya Pringsewu - Tanggamus

Tourist Office:79,Jalan Ahmad Dahlan. Tel:0721-263401

Terminal Rajabasa is for long distance buses and about 10km to city center.

Bandar Lampung is the fourth largest city in Sumatra with Teluk Betung being a coastal old town while Tanjung Karang is towards the inland.

The Rajabasa bus terminal is the main transport hub for travellers into Sumatran cities as far as Acheh in the northernmost point.

Buses to Palembang(10hrs),Bengkulu(16hours) and Bukit Tinggi (22hrs)

 Another local bus terminal is at Panjang,about 6km southeast of town serving places within the province.

To get here from train station get green oplet(minivan) to Sukaraja Street and transfer to red oplet.







It was around 8:00pm when the angkot reached Rajabasa's terminal right in the middle of the complex where the buses to Bakauheni Ferry Pier(connecting to Jawa Island) were waiting.

 In fact in front of the Tanjung Karang's train station is the Damri bus that have the bus-boat transfer shuttling passengers to the pier and picking up on the otherside at Merak(Jawa Island).

Only two trips per day at 9:00am and 9:00pm.
I decided to change plan and not to continue the journey to the pier as it will be past midnight so I spent a night at this terminal.





 Inside the main building were many food and snack stalls together with the private bus companies booth.

The ticketing booths are useless as there won't be counter clerks.

One has to roam around the compound and the many touts will be the director ensuring the bus you should take. Using the washroom cost Rupiah2,000






Spent a night at this police beat which also act as a temporary rest area for those who missed their buses.

There were also many nice spots over the other building which is good for resting.

Seating areas are limited. The last bus departure was at 11:00pm after which the whole area became quiet.

I was being approched by a tout offering the last bus to Jakarta for Rupiah120,000 which was a discount of Rupiah20,000 but was turned down by me.

There were no platforms for the individual buses but were alienated certain groupings within the station's compound.

Position 1 is the Information and enquiry dishub,medical centre,passengers waiting lounge.

AKDP Bus routes: Rajabasa to Bakauheni.

Bakauheni is 30km south of Kalianda,the departure point for ferries to Merak,on Java's northwest tip.

Rajabasa terminal main building architecture has a mix of Hindu and Buddhist culture.

The name itself was Hindu and the rooftop is a three-tier chinese pagoda look alike.

Tulang Bawang Kingdom(Lampung) is the oldest Hinduism Kingdom in Nusantara (Indonesia).

The Manggala area in Lampung was an active trading center during the 15th century where Hindu and Chinese traders first visited including the poet I-Tsing. Agama Hindu Dharma is still in practised by 93% of the population in Bali.,Sumatra,Java(especially the Tenggerese in the east),Lombok and Kalimantan.

Pos 2 is near jalan Zainal Abidin Pagar Alam exit where the mikrolet and local bus waiting area.

Position 3:Terminal C (ASDP/AKAP) is from the entrance at Jalan Kapt.Abdul ASDP(Antar Kota Dalam Propinsi)-inside province: Tanjung Karang,Natar,Kemilang,Panjang,Kota Bumi,Unit.

 AKAP(Antar Kota Antar Propinsi)-outside province:- Palembang,Medan,Aceh,Jakarta,Bandung,Jogyakarta,Surabaya.

A vendor selling cake puffs standing beside the Puspa Dewi bus.

The bus name is reflective of the Hindu influence during the Srivijaya era.

A year 2010 transport bus price list in Lampung Province from Rajabasa terminal.

There is a minimum base price and a maximum chargeable price in Rupiah.

 1) Bakauheni (13,000/17,000)
2) Kota Bumi (13,500/17,500)
 3) Manggala (15,500/20,500)
4) Labuhan Maringgai (17,000/22,000)
5) Way Mili (22,000/28,500)
6) Kota Agung (13,000/17,000)











The main entry and exit point for most of the buses beside another section of the complex building.

Local province buses,the blue bus is to Kota Bumi.

A Javanese woman selling 'air mancur' to some of the drivers.

Air Mancur is a medicinal brews known as Jamu which has been a preserved tradition to keep one' health,strength and mental alertness.
















The group in purple uniform helped pick up baggages from the luggage compartment while touts will be zooming on the passengers.

  Gang of touts including bus drivers from other companies.





















Pushcart stall selling 'SoMay Goreng'.

Goreng is fried while SoMay sounds chinese,"siew mai" a kind of dumpling normally serve in a dim sum menu.