Ujung Kulon National Park Travel Guide
Ujung Kulon National Park is a sizeable park in the southwest of West Java. It encompasses both the mainland and the volcanic Krakatau island group, along with Handeuleum and Peucang.
- What is It?
- A large national park in West Java that includes the Krakatau islands.
- When to Go
- April through October for the driest, calmest weather and seas.
- Nearest Town
- Labuhan is the main town near to Ujung Kulon National Park.
- Don't Miss
- the rare Javan rhinoceros and the numerous rare plants and flowers.
- Trivia
- Ujung Kulon National Park is known for having the largest lowland rainforests in Java.
Ujung Kulon National Park was actually Indonesia's first national park and was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. It has Java's largest remaining lowland rainforest and is also home to the endangered Javan rhinoceros, of which there are only a few dozen of these prehistoric-looking animals left.
The region was obliterated by the Krakatau eruption of 1883, which included a subsequent 40m tsunami crashing into the mainland. This event, however, caused the region to revert back to forest after it had previously been extensively farmed.
Permits for Ujung Kulon National Park can be obtained at the national park office in Labuhan town. Permits can also be obtained in Tamanjaya, 30kms east of Labuhan. The only accommodation on the island part of the park is on Handeuleum and Peucang islands. Krakatau itself is uninhabited due to its still-active volcanic nature.
Travel to Ujung Kulon National Park - Getting There
Jakarta's main airport - Soekarno-Hatta International- is in Tangerang to the west of Jakarta and the main entry point. The airport serves cities the world over and is around 3 or 4 hours by road from Ujung Kulon National Park's gateway town of Labuhan.
