Ujung Kulon National Park: West Java

Indonesia’s National parks are rich in wildlife and flora. One such lush jungle park is that of Ujung Kulon. Located on the far western tip of Java, its only connection to the island is by an isthmus.

Opened by the Dutch in 1921, this lowland forested park has been home to many rare and endangered wildlife and one being the Javan Rhinoceros. Brigitte Claws visited this magical national park and wrote an in-depth report:

The last jungle of Java: Ujung Kulon national park
Brigitte Klaws, Contributor, Ujung Kulon

Once, lush rainforests in abundance thrived in Java where, on fertile volcanic earth, watered by the monsoon rains and under the equatorial sun, a jumble of exotic plants grew. And for thousands of years, exotic animals like the rhinoceros, leopards, and Javan gibbons lived in the rainforest.

This “garden of the east” (A.R. Wallace) can still be experienced in the Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java, a world heritage site and Indonesia’s first national park. It is the last refuge for the crocodile and the sole remaining haunt of the Javan rhino — one of the rarest animals on earth, of which only between 50 and 60 individuals now survive.

The 120,000-hectare Ujung Kulon National Park is one of Java’s last wildernesses. It includes both terrestrial and marine conservation areas with several islands — Handeuleum and Peucang offer visitor accommodations.

The low-wooded peninsula of Ujung Kulon is connected tenuously to the mainland by a narrow, swampy Isthmus. Only at the peninsula’s far western end does the land rise abruptly, reaching a height of 240 meters before plunging into the vast Indian Ocean. While the Java Sea is quite shallow, less than 200m deep, the Indian Ocean reaches its deepest point of 7,450m at the Java Trench to the south of the island.

When a friend asked me if I would join a trip to Peucang Island, I happily agreed. She contacted the forestry office at the Manggala Wanabakti building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, which also runs its own tourism office, the Wana Wisata office.

The journey started at 5 a.m. from our hotel and took about five hours to Sumur, including several stops at markets to buy fruit and a hearty breakfast at a small warung, or roadside cafe.

In Sumur, a small motor boat took us out to the bigger pinisi — a traditional fishing boat constructed of wood. Journeying by pinisi was very pleasant and refreshing, and it took about three hours to reach Peucang Island.

Ujung Kulon peninsula made a pristine impression as we sailed along its shores: The forest was dense with huge trees, some fallen into the sea or onto its white sandy beaches, and the colors of the sea varied from turquoise to blue, from light to dark shades. We were thrilled that this dream was real.

On arrival at Peucang, the wonderfully clear sea and white sandy beach beckoned us to take a dive. The water was pleasantly warm and calm on that first afternoon.

Later on, we were amazed to meet a lot of grazing rusa deer, macaques, wild boar and biawak — monitor lizards — in a clearing surrounded by the ranger’s station, a restaurant and guest houses. Every afternoon, the animals came out of the forest and gathered on the lawn, a peaceful sight to behold.

The next day, a small motor boat took us to Ujung Kulon Peninsula. Our guide led us from a hot beach and into the forest, which was dark and damp, but pleasantly cool. Here, in this primary forest, we could feel immediately how important the forest is for the earth’s climate and the survival of many creatures — including humans.

We were amazed at what we encountered. We saw tall trees with enormous trunks, roots hanging down and growing into trunks when they reached the earth, with lianas thick as big ropes — some as big as trunks of medium-sized trees — twisted like a corkscrew and bending in all directions.

The forest was ever changing. We walked through muddy mangrove forests, deciduous woods with rustling leaves, palm tree forests with numerous palm variations, some with thorny leaves and trunks.

The forest was so dense that our guide had to use his machete incessantly to clear our way. We spotted many different flowers and fruits that had fallen from the trees; we found hornbill feathers and big seed husks in many shapes; we saw colorful butterflies and birds, bucks, frogs and insects. It was a treat for all our senses.

The first day, our trail ran parallel to the beach toward Tanjung Layar, at the southern tip of the peninsula, where the Sunda Strait meets the Indian Ocean. Occasionally, we emerged onto a white beach, from where we had a glimpse of the clear sea. Once, we disturbed a sea eagle, which took flight from a beachside tree.

The second day, we explored the underwater world of Ujung Kulon by snorkeling. We saw various colorful hard and soft corals, among them the famous blue corals. I spotted starfish in red and blue and clam shells among a great variety of seashells. Fish, however, were scarce and mostly small. We caught a glimpse of a small stingray burrowing under the sand in the shallow waters near the beach.

That afternoon, we explored Peucang’s forest until we reached the southern coast opposite the lighthouse of Ujung Kulon Peninsula. It was an easy walk. We encountered enormous trees with spectacular buttress roots twining in sinuous panels that stretched up to several meters from the trunk. Despite their appearance, these roots do not help to keep the tree upright, but rather, allow the roots to absorb oxygen — which is not available in the quickly rotting humus of the jungle floor.

We listened to the steady, whistling wing beats of hornbills as they passed overhead, heard the calling of a peacock and found some of its feathers. We saw rusa deer, a wild boar and a family of Javan gibbons high up in the huge trees.

When we reached the coast, the sky looked like a dark grey wall, but on the horizon above the surface of the sea, a small window opened just in time for us to see the red fireball sun sink into the ocean.

The way back through the forest in dusk — and later, in the dark — with a small flashlight was even more exciting. On both sides of the trail, animals retired for the night and we saw numerous rusa deer sitting there. A wild boar took flight when we approached. We were lucky not to meet a leopard or snake on our night stroll through Peucang forest.

On our last day, we explored the interior of the peninsula’s jungle. We started from Ciujungkulon feeding ground, hiking toward the Indian Ocean off the southern coast and crossed several shallow rivers on the way. Near one river, our guide pointed out a fresh footprint in the mud of the elusive Javan rhinoceros. It was a sizable footprint indeed. What a large creature this must be.

We asked our guide if he had already met a rhino in the forest. “Yes,” he replied, “four times in 20 years on duty as a ranger. And the last time about a year ago, together with a Dutch tourist. A rhino came to the river to drink and stayed there for about 20 minutes at a safe distance on the other side.”

In the dense, damp interior of the forest, the trees were smaller, among which were many different palm tree species. Nearing the Indian Ocean, the forest became lighter, the trees bigger — mostly deciduous — and we saw many hornbills sitting in the canopy or flying through the forest. The vegetation changed from that of a forest to an overgrown garden, and ended in a large meadow with some pandanus trees near the ocean.

We stood on a plateau above a cliff, where the rough sea occasionally spilled over, and some areas had been eroded by the powerful waves. To the west, we saw a large bay with a wonderful white beach, and to the east, rocks breaking the surface of the ocean. It was quite stormy on this plateau, and the air was full of a salty spray.

When we came out of the forest at Ciujungkulon again, it was late afternoon and a herd of grazing banteng, a species of Javan ox, had already assembled on the pasture. Green peafowl could be seen on the margin of the forest, and small brightly colored bee-eaters were flying, quite literally out of the ground. These birds build their nests in concealed burrows in the sun-baked soil, and burst forth in a flapping explosion of blue and gold as intruders approach.

On the beach, our guide pointed out a track leading from the forest to the sea: the track of a crocodile that had come from a nearby river to take a bath. Traces of animals could be observed everywhere. For people who live near the jungle, knowledge of these tracks was adamant for their survival.

Leaving Peucang the next day, we stopped at Handeuleum Island, from where we wanted to take a canoe trip along Cigenter River. This river was famous for crocodiles and large snakes that liked to sunbathe on its muddy banks.

The river was framed by mangroves, palm trees and deciduous foliage on both sides; trees and branches hung low over the river. We watched some colorful kingfishers and hornbills fly over the smooth surface of the river and a squirrel run up a branch. On both banks, we saw the snakelike roots of huge trees coming out of the mud, but no snakes or crocodiles.

Floating along this peaceful, quiet river through the green jungle was a real treat.

Wana Wisata, Manggala Wanabakti, Senayan, Central Jakarta. Phone: (021) 5700264.

Trek tips

Remember:

Be prepared, it’s a real jungle out there

Don’t underestimate wild animals; even monkeys can hurt you

Always follow a guide or ranger when strolling through forest

What to bring:

Insect repellent and antihistamine gel, like Andantol, for insect bites.

Basic first aid like Betadine and Hansaplast for minor cuts
Sun block is a must.

Batteries for your camera or flashlight, as well as film.

Enough cash to pay for guides and boat excursions; Ujung Kulon has no ATMs or money changers. We paid approximately Rp. 100,000-150,000 per day for the boat and Rp. 30,000 per day for a guide.

It is advisable to bring drinking water and fruit, cookies, nuts, chocolate and other snack items for day trips — the main meals of the day are provided, and are delicious and sumptuous

Brigitte Klaws