Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 237

INDONESIA SUMATRA
BANDAR LAMPUNG
Occupying a stunning location in the hills
overlooking Lampung Bay, from where
you can see as far as Krakatau on a clear
day, BANDAR LAMPUNG is an amalgama-
tion of Teluk Betung, the traditional port,
and Tanjung Karang, the administrative
centre on the hills behind. Local people
continue to talk about Teluk Betung and
Tanjung Karang, and when you're coming
here from other parts of Sumatra your
destination will usually be referred to as
Rajabasa, the name of the bus terminal.
Travellers rarely stay long in Lampung,
instead heading south for the ferry to Java
or climbing into long-haul buses to move
north. However, there are numerous
off-the-beaten-path activities to keep
visitors around, among them jungle
trekking through swampy Way Kambas,
river trips in Way Kanan, boat charters to
check out dolphins in Kiluan Bay and the
white sandy beaches and frontal views of
Krakatau in Sebuku and Sebesi islands.
Meanwhile, surfers may want to head
straight to Krui on the west coast, one of
the best year-round surf spots in the
country (see box below).
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane Radin Inten II Airport is 22km northwest of the
city, linked by light-brown angkots to Rajabasa terminal
(Rp3000), then DAMRI buses from there to the city centre
(Rp3000). Fixed-price taxis from the airport into town will
cost Rp110,000.
Destinations

KRAKATAU ON A BUDGET
Although tours to Krakatau can be
arranged easily through Bandar
Lampung's Tourist Information Centre (see
below), it's much cheaper to head south
to Kalianda (1hr 30min; bemo Rp12,000),
then 6km further south to Canti (ojek
Rp10,000), the closest port to Krakatau.
Here you can join other travellers in
chartering a boat to Krakatau (2hr 30min;
Rp1,200,000 for up to 20 people).

By bus Long-distance buses arrive and depart from the
Rajabasa terminal, 7km north of the city. DAMRI buses
(Rp3500) head to Pasar Bawah then down Jl Raden
Intan, along Jl A Yani and up Jl Kartini before reaching
Rajabasa. Buses from Bakauheni or Kalianda arrive at
the Panjang terminal, about 1km east of Pasar Panjang,
some continuing to Rajabasa. Orange bemos run between
Panjang terminal and Sukaraja terminal in the heart of
Teluk Betung; from here, you can get a purple bemo into
the city (Rp3500; until 10pm) as far as Pasar Bawah, or a
large orange bus direct to Rajabasa via the eastern ring
road. Although pricier, private services can be worthwhile
for skipping Rajabasa altogether.
Destinations Bakauheni (every 30min; 2-3hr);
Bukittinggi (6 daily; 24hr); Jakarta (20 daily; 8hr); Kalianda
(every 30min; 1hr 30min); Medan (10 daily; 2 days);
Padang (6 daily; 24hr); Pekanbaru (6 daily; 24hr).
By train Bandar Lampung marks the southern end of
southern Sumatra's modest rail network, extending north
to Palembang. The train station is on Jl Kotoraja, about
100m from Pasar Bawah.
Destination Palembang (2 daily; 8-9hr).

4

Jakarta (13 daily; 53min); Palembang (daily;

INFORMATION
Tourist o ce The useful tourist o ce is Dinas Investasi
Kebudayaan Dan Parwisata (or you could just ask for the
Kantor Pariwisata), Jl Jend Sudirman 29 ( T 0721 266184).
There you'll find some of the best information on the
region, including lesser-known attractions, from Yaman
Aziz ( T 081 641 0630, E [e-mail]).

50min).

SURFING IN SOUTHERN
SUMATRA
Bandar Lampung is also a base from
which to access the coastal town of Krui ,
one of Indonesia's best surfing
destinations. Most surf camps offer to
arrange your transfer from Bandar
Lampung, but you can also take the Krui
Express bus (3-4hr) from Rajabasa
terminal. Several local operators offer
surfing expeditions in the area. Check
out Lovina Krui Surf ( T 0853 7780 2212,
W lovinakruisurf.com), which has beautiful
new cottages (built in 2012) facing the
waves and starting at Rp200,000.

GETTING AROUND
Buses and bemos DAMRI bus services (daily 6am-9pm)
operate between the two major terminals or up and down
Jl Randen Intan and Jl Diponegoro. Bemo routes are less
fixed than buses: tell them your destination as you enter.
The big green buses of the new Trans Bandar Lampung
service (Rp3500) run between Rajabasa and Sukaraja in
Teluk Betung.
Taxis Drivers are reluctant to use meters so negotiate a fare
first (across town should cost Rp20,000-30,000).